Gong Yoo, friend and Coffee Prince co-star to Lee Eon, was late (but not absent) to pay his farewell addresses to the recently deceased actor, because he’s currently serving active military duty.

On the 22nd, he wrote a message on his personal homepage offering both a goodbye and an apology to his colleague, featuring a picture of Lee Eon from Coffee Prince days. The note read:

“It’s strange. The night before you left us, I happened to listen again to the note you read on the radio for me to listen to while I was in training. So I thought of you suddenly, and I missed you, and I wanted to call — I should have called. I should’ve nagged you, too, to change that persistent ringtone. I’m sorry.”

Gong Yoo arrived at the hospital’s funeral room a little after midnight on August 23. His other Coffee Prince co-stars Yoon Eun-hye, Lee Seon-kyun, Chae Jung-ahn, Kim Jae-wook, Han Ye-in, and others all visited the previous day.

Via Hankyung.com, Edaily.com

 
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Are Gong Yoo and Im Soo Jung dating? MBC every1’s news-entertainment show News Agency! Kura’s Desk thinks so; they’re reporting that the romance is on.

Last year, reports that the two were dating spread when Gong Yoo and Im Soo Jung were seen together at the Jeju International Airport in September. At the time, Gong Yoo issued a strong denial to quash the rumors, saying, “Im Soo Jung and I are merely good friends, and a group of our friends had met in Jeju Island.” Im Soo Jung, on the other hand, had an indirect denial, saying, “I’m touched, since this is the first time I’ve been involved in romance rumors in my career.”

Even amid heated interest from netizens, the two denied a relationship; the topic gradually faded away. But as Gong Yoo’s military enlistment neared (his service started on the 14th), producers of the show began taking more of an active interest, keeping watch over the star’s home and hinting that there’s proof of a relationship. But, naturally, they’re keeping mum for the present until they reveal the facts of the case (because it’s all about ratings!), in the January 25 episode of the program.

Via Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Rossy Punky Perfume - “Love Fixer” [ zShare download ]

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• Park Jin Hee juggles two handsome leading men (Jo Han Seon and Lee Ki Woo) in her upcoming romantic comedy, Time of Memory and Loss. Maybe the casting can inject some humor and spark into a tired formula: an awkward old maid cannot forget an unrequited love of her past, which prevents her from moving on to her next love. The plot gets going when she’s in a car accident with said old love, and pretends to lose her memory so she can come live in his house. His friend catches on to her lie, and thus the triangle begins.
• Actor So Ji Sub explores his penchant for photography in a new camera CF, which he recently shot in Hokkaido, Japan. He explained, “It’s when others become curious about me through the photos I’ve shot, which allow me to share my feelings with the viewer, that I feel best.” Way to make narcissism sound poetic!
• Dancing and lip-synching provocateuse Lee Hyori is slated to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming SBS drama On Air, which premieres February 27 and is written by the scribe behind the Lovers series (in Paris, in Prague, and plain Lovers). She’ll play the part of a top pop singer handled by Lee Beom Soo’s manager character. Well, if you can’t act, might as well play yourself.



• Wonder Girl Ahn So Hee admits to having been a huge Rain fan prior to her debut. Why the past tense?
• …and speaking of Rain, he’s partnered with Samsung to promote their Anycall line for the next year, in promotion for the 2008 Olympics. “Particularly, these ads have stirred much interest with the announcement that Rain will sing Anycall’s Olympic theme song.” The wording confused me initially as to whether the song in question is AN Olympic song for Anycall, or if Samsung is sponsoring THE official theme song for the Beijing Olympics. Further reading shows that all signs point to the latter. Please keep the bashing to a minimum!
• Oh, and Gong Yoo began his military service today. See ya in two years!

SONG OF THE DAY

Rain - “난 또 니가 좋은거야” (I like you again) [ zShare download ]

 
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• Who do viewers want back in 2008?
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After repeatedly pushing back the date of his mandatory service enlistment, everyone’s beloved Coffee Prince Gong Yoo finally has an official date marking the start of his service. You can start your tearful countdowns now: He joins on January 14, 2008. More specifically, at 1pm on the 14th, when he begins initial five-week training, after which he’ll enter active duty (20 months).

As a last hurrah before leaving the entertainment world for the next two years, Gong Yoo can celebrate his current nominations for MBC’s year-end acting awards, under the outstanding actor category for Coffee Prince, as well as the most popular male award selected by netizens, and best couple along with co-star Yoon Eun Hye. (Yes, a lot of these are purely vanity handouts “awarded” by networks to keep their shiny stars/moneymakers happy, but I’m sure it must be exciting all the same.) The awards show will take place in Seoul on December 30.

Via EDaily

SONG OF THE DAY

Maybee - “Blue Bridge 에서” (At Blue Bridge) [ zShare download ]

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Gong Yoo, Jo In Sung

As Male Stars Enlist in Military Service En Masse in 2008… Will It Leave Behind Another Void?

A Korean man cannot avoid his military service, and stars at the busiest time in their careers are no exception. Male stars generally reveal their thoughts on military service upon reaching the appropriate age, and fans accept their absence as a disappointing but inevitable truth.

However, because most of these actors who must leave at the height of their careers are around the same age, they tend to enter their service at around the same time. Moreover, their mass exit from the film and television world leaves a gaping void behind them.

 
And now, trying something new…

SONG OF THE DAY

Love & Pop - “Falling in Love, Farewell Love” [ zShare download ]

See who else is enlisting in the coming year >>

Tags: army duty, Chun Jung-myung, Gong Yoo, Jo Hyun-jae, Jo In-sung, Kim Rae-won, Lee Dong-gun, Shinhwa, Yang Dong-geun

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