Once actors go off to fulfill their two years of military service, it’s not often that we get to see them in the public eye until their discharge. So it’s nice to see a few of the currently enlisted entertainers together onstage for the 2009 Army Concert, which took place in Seoul on the evening of October 31.

Some of the celebrities who participated were actors Jae Hee (Three Dads One Mom), Jo In-sung (Frozen Flower), Lee Dong-wook (Partner), Kim Jae-won (Hwang Jini), and Ohn Joo-wan (Chosun Police). On the kpop side, there were singer-actors Yang Dong-geun (I Am Sam), Lee Jung (Hometown of Legends), and Kim Jung-hoon (Goong), as well as singers Sung Shi-kyung, Tony An.

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As previously announced, the currently enlisted Jae Hee (Delightful Girl Chun Hyang) was granted special leave from military service upon completing his first 100 days of active duty.

(His uniform reads “Lee Hyun-kyoon,” his real name; he took on the stage name of Jae Hee to be more memorable than his birth name, which is perfectly normal but perhaps rather common-sounding for an entertainer. This is just FYI, in case you were wondering what kind of last name “Jae” is — it isn’t one.)

The actor took the opportunity to make his official bow promoting his new movie, the thriller Mandate: Mission from God. The press conference took place on the afternoon of November 2 at Seoul’s Coex theater.

More of off-duty Jae Hee >>

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Jae Hee, 28, is currently serving out his army duty, but has received permission to take special leave next month, and he’s using it to promote his new movie. Supernatural flick Mandate opens on October 30, and he’ll be out to greet the press for the occasion on November 2 at the movie theater.

In Mandate: Mission from God, a ghost hunter (Jae Hee) battles an evil spirit responsible for a series of murders. Director Park Hee-joon was elated at this development, saying, “When promoting the film, we often felt the void left by Jae Hee… this feels like I’ve won a thousand battles.”

His co-star Yoo Da-in (Her, Hello My Teacher) said, “Without Jae Hee oppa with me, promoting the film alone was difficult and very burdensome. This is my first lead role, and it was a big concern, worrying how to act at the official greeting event, but now I feel relieved. I’ll have to prepare a thank-you gift.”

Jae Hee enlisted on August 4 not in the special service that entertainers often serve in, but in the army proper where he is on active duty. This special leave comes after serving his first 100 days.

Via OSEN

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• Bye (again, and for real)
• Jae Hee’s Mandate
• So long, Jae Hee
• Wall: 1, Jae Hee: 0
• Three Dads, One Mom: Episodes 1 & 2

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In which Jae Hee is the lord in question (going by Yoon Ki Joo), and Lee Young Eun stars as both of his loves (Yeo Rim and Chae Ok respectively).

SONG OF THE DAY

Sissel Kyrkjebø – “Lær Meg Å Kjenne.” You may recognize this Norwegian song from that pivotal scene in Hong Gil Dong’s finale episode. (The song kicks in at around 0:40.)[ Download ]

Episode 5: Young Lord Ogu >>

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Summer is the season for chilly gothic and horror entertainment, so KBS takes the post-Women in the Sun time slot to launch its new horror series, Hometown of Legends, as its Wednesday-Thursday programming for the month of August.

Or, should I say, new OLD series. There was an earlier version that aired in the late ’90s, which had approximately 70 episodes. (I think there may have been another version in the 1980s, but I don’t know that for sure.) The stories spanned different topics (with some overlaps) but was based on the same conceit. A film of the same name — albeit translated into English as The Evil Twin — was also released in 2007 and featured Park Shin-hye and Jae Hee, the latter of whom also appears in this new series.

What sets this drama apart from others is in the episodic, anthology nature of the storytelling. Each episode is written and directed by a different team, and stars different actors in its installments. Think of it as fusion sageuk meets the Twilight Zone, or a collection of old ghost tales.

Hometown of Legends kicks off with the first episode today, “Nine-tailed Fox,” followed by others bearing titles like “Curse of the Sajin Sword” and “Demon’s Story.”

SONG OF THE DAY

Green Cheese – “Black Bird Dies” [ Download ]

A breakdown of HOMETOWN OF LEGENDS >>

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