Entries in the 'Jung Il-woo' Category

Triple-teaming the Triple team

Posted on August 19th, 2008

(Yeah, the headline’s a bit of a stretch. But I couldn’t resist.)

Wha–? Lee Seon-kyun is going to be in MBC’s figure-skating trendy drama Triple?

I mean, I guess it kind of makes sense. He’d starred in director Lee Yoon-jung’s earlier series Taereung National Village (part of MBC’s Best Theater anthology). Following that, he’d agreed immediately to appear in Coffee Prince when she was planning that series. Now that she’s planning her next series, why not cast an actor with whom she’s had a good working relationship? This’ll be Lee Yoon-jung’s third drama series, and the third time she teams with Lee Seon-kyun.

Still, Triple seems like an odd choice, at least at first glance. (He should be moving on and doing hard-boiled crime thrillers and spare indie dramas with guys like Jang Dong-gun!) In this drama series, he’s been cast in the role of an ad agency exec who’s described as straightforward and honest with a sensitive side (so, like most of his roles then). The drama stars rookie actress Min Hyo-rin as its young figure-skating lead, but Jung Il-woo has been removed from the casting list (he was to play a speed skater) following his jump to another MBC series, Iljimae.

I’ll probably be watching Triple when it airs in January, but I’m on the fence as to whether it’ll be candy-coated fun, or a train wreck in the making.

Via Hankyung.com

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Trading one regret for the other

Posted on August 2nd, 2008

MBC’s Iljimae, formerly known as Lee Seung-gi’s Iljimae, has got its work cut out for it, following SBS’s recent hit with Lee Junki’s Iljimae. And that was even before Lee Seung-gi dropped out of the titular hero role in a move that had many disappointed with his replacement, teen heartthrob Jung Il-woo, who had shot to fame playing a rebellious, silently brooding teenager in the family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick.

He did follow that with a part opposite Lee Yeon-hee in the “omnibus” (multi-vignette) film My Love, but then Jung Il-woo’s star kinda sputtered and he faded from the limelight, so this news came while his popularity was on the wane.

On July 30, he resurfaced on his own homepage with a post titled “Already been a year” and talked about his upcoming Iljimae role.

“It’s already been a year since High Kick ended… Since then, many projects have been canceled and I’ve struggled and worried a lot, so I think it’s better to do a project and regret it than to not do a project and regret it.”

…which, actually, makes some sense.

“I’ll be seeing you possibly in November, or at the latest, January. It’s true that there have been a lot of worries and discussion about it, but any project is bound to have burdens and concerns. I’ve taken a break for a long while, and I’ll come back that much more grown-up and mature.”

I’m not all that excited about seeing Jung Il-woo as Iljimae, but I’ve gotta give him props for recognizing (and admitting) that the drama’s got a rocky road ahead of it. Some might say it’s better to not admit your faults lest you draw attention to them, but I’m pretty sure everyone was aware of theirs. Plus, it’s worse when people brag about disasters in the making as though they live in some alternate-reality bubble, willfully ignoring the opinions of the public they hope to attract.

MBC’s Iljimae is scheduled (for now) to begin in November, and co-stars Kim Min-jong (Woman of Matchless Beauty Park Jung-geum, Hyena) and new actress Yoon Jin-seo.

Via My Daily

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Casting roll call: Iljimae, Triple

Posted on July 9th, 2008

Lee Seung-gi has left the cast of MBC’s upcoming Iljimae, only to be replaced by… Jung Il-woo?

On July 9, his management issued the reason: “Because Iljimae kept being pushed back and will film in China for a month, it will add difficulty to his shooting for 1 Night 2 Days. His departure from the drama was achieved through mutual agreement on both sides.”

Now the two Iljimae leads will be played by Jung Il-woo and Yoon Jin-seo (Beastie Boys), which MBC plans to air in November.

I call BS, since he seemed willing enough to leave 1 Night 2 Days (which is, after all, merely a stint on a variety program versus headlining his own big-name drama) before SBS’s Iljimae came out starring Lee Junki. Perhaps they’d held out hope that SBS’s drama would flop and are now using 1 Night as their excuse to back out. MBC’s drama, directed by Goong PD Hwang In-roi, had originally boasted an advantage over SBS, securing the licensing rights to the books upon which the story of Iljimae is based, but now it’ll face an uphill battle trailing such successful competition.

That means Jung Il-woo will leave his role in MBC’s upcoming ice-skating drama Triple, directed by Coffee Prince PD Lee Yoon-jung and co-starring “luxury nose” possessor and rookie singer Min Hyo-rin (he as a speed-skater, she as a figure-skater). Triple has now been pushed back to next year.

And… I no longer care to watch Iljimae. I’d been hoping that MBC’s version would provide an interesting variation, particularly since I didn’t love the SBS version. And yet, while I would happily watch Jung Il-woo in a cast of young trendy actors doing a fluffy ice-skating drama, I really don’t think he’s gonna be able to pull off a sageuk hero.

In other casting news, Moon Sori (Legend, Forever the Moment) has been selected to lead MBC’s new weekend family drama Golden Years of My Life, also starring Lee So-yeon (Why Did You Come To Our House?). The drama is drawing attention with its writer-director combo: Surgeon Bong Dal-hee writer Lee Jung-seok and Trap of Youth PD Kwan Rok-eui. It follows the currently airing Woman of Matchless Beauty, Park Jung-geum.

Meanwhile, Seo Hyo-rim (little sis from Insoon is Pretty) has been cast with Song Hye-gyo and Hyun Bin in their upcoming KBS2 series The World They Live In, directed by Full House (and Insoon) PD Pyo Min-soo. The drama starts filming at the end of July and plans to air in November.

Finally, Moon Jung-hee, currently in SBS’s Friday drama My Sweet Seoul, has lined up her next project as SBS’s new morning drama Daughter-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law, to follow Aquarius. She’s the daughter-in-law who works through issues with the new in-laws in this “warm” family drama, starting July 21.

Via OSEN, Star News, My Daily, Sports Chosun, No Cut News

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Lee Seung-gi - “미련한 사랑” (love that won’t let go) [ Download ]

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Jung Il Woo scores a “Triple”

Posted on May 4th, 2008

I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Pretty boy and recent university entrant Jung Il Woo — last seen in the movie My Love opposite Lee Yeon Hee and the family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick before that — is making his return to television in the upcoming MBC figure-skating drama being produced and directed by Coffee Prince PD Lee Yoon Jung, titled Triple.

The series is currently in the process of finalizing casting for its female lead, while Jung Il Woo is already starting script readings and physical training. The sixteen-episode miniseries centers around Jung’s character, a short-track speed skater, and a female figure skater, as well as their two coaches (one female and one male, naturally!).

It’ll be nearly a year and a half since his last TV project (High Kick), and he’s started skating practice. He’s already encountered minor injury while training, which is the reason he sported a slight limp at last week’s Baeksang Arts Awards.

Okay, I admit the series sounds like it could be unbearably cheesy. Like, total cotton-candy puff-fest. But also potentially OMG-so-girly-awesome like a Meg Cabot novel. It could be awful like the late-1990s ice-hockey kdrama Icing (anyone remember that?), or awful like Disney’s predictable Ice Princess. But you know what? I watched both.

Via No Cut News

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Maya - “Maria” [ Download ]

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44th Baeksang Arts Awards

Posted on April 24th, 2008


Best Actress winners Yoon Eun Hye (drama), Kim Min Hee (film)

The 44th Baeksang Arts Awards were held in Seoul on April 24, handing out top honors to the films and television programs of the previous year.

Big winners included films The Chaser and Forever the Moment (aka The Best Moment In Our Lives); Yoon Eun Hye won for her trend-setting turn as Go Eun Chan in last year’s smash drama Coffee Prince, while War of Money took home Best Drama.

SONG OF THE DAY

MC Mong - “옛날 옛적에” (Once upon a time) from his recently released fourth album. [ Download ]

 
Full awards list for the 44th BAEKSANG AWARDS >>


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What’s on Jung Il Woo’s mind?

Posted on December 8th, 2007

 
Currently circulating on the intertubular info-highway are the following diagrams depicting the brain “structure” of young rising heartthrob Jung Il Woo. The one on the left is a drawing for his character (Lee Yunho) on the show that shot him to stardom, the sitcom Unstoppable High Kick, and was initially released months ago as part of a set with the other characters on the show.

The one on the right is a recent take-off of the High Kick picture, filled in with tidbits about the actor himself. Translations beyond the jump.


“High Kick” character Yunho’s brain, left. Jung Il Woo’s brain, right.

SONG OF THE DAY

Dear Cloud - “Cloud Avenue” [ zShare download ]

So what’s on his brain? >>


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