At the end of this month, Kim Jae-won (of the “killer smile”) begins work on his comeback effort headlining a Chinese drama, and offered up a bright Chuseok greeting to his fans before his departure: “Did you eat a lot of songpyun [rice cake]? I am taking on a new start in China. Please have a wonderful Chuseok holiday and remember the warm-hearted Kim Jae-won always.”

He’s leaving in the middle of this week for China, having the unique experience of starring as a Korean actor in a collaboration with a Chinese production company (a subsidiary of JS Pictures) with the Chinese trendy drama First Love (working title).

Before leaving the country, he explained in an interview with Asia Economy newspaper:

“A Korean writer is writing the script, and the PD of [SBS drama] I Love You, Lee Chang-han, is directing. In addition, from filming to lighting and art direction, the crew is Korean. … Because I will be speaking Chinese, I need a lot of preparation. I’ve heard a lot of talk about how a wind of dislike is turning toward us from the Chinese these days, which means I’ll have to work even harder. I’ll have to do my best to speak my words with sincerity, to let those who dislike us come to like us again. …Doing this drama means I won’t be able to go back to Korea for some time, but I’ll make sure to keep in touch regularly with the Korean media and not lose contact.”

(Note: I don’t know much about the popular sentiments of the Chinese toward Korea — or Korean perceptions of such — that Kim Jae-won refers to here. But let’s not let this degenerate into a Korea-China argument.)

This is Kim Jae-won’s return project after 2006’s drama Hwang Jini. He rose to popularity in 2001 in MBC’s Our House, then starred opposite Kim Haneul in Romance.

Via Asia Economy

RELATED POSTS

• Kim Jae-won to make his drama return
• Stars raise awareness (about selves)

Tags: comebacks, Kim Jae-won

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 20 Comments →

It’s been two years since he last acted in the drama Hwang Jini (and before that Great Inheritance and Wonderful Life), but the man with the killer smile, Kim Jae-won, has finally picked his next project (woot woot) — as the leading man of a Chinese drama.

Set to start filming in late September, the drama First Love (working title) will be produced by a subsidiary that JS Pictures, the production entity behind the currently running Gourmet, has set up in China.

First Love is being planned as a 20-episode trendy drama that is being aimed for a Chinese, rather than Korean, broadcast. It will cast Chinese leads opposite Kim Jae-won and employ a mostly Chinese film crew, although the director is PD Lee Chang-han of the kdramas Wonderful Life, My Sister-in-Law- is Nineteen and SBS’s recent I Love You.

Any Chi-Eng subbers up for this one? *wink wink nudge nudge*

Via E Daily

RELATED POSTS

• Stars raise awareness (about selves)

Tags: comebacks, Kim Jae-won

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 27 Comments →

Okay, normally I’d choose to look on the bright side of something like this (there was this star campaign for domestic adoptions, for instance), but the timing — and the way the article frames the issue — is totally not even trying to hide the publicity spin.

Five stars — Kim Rae Won, Lee Junki, Yeon Jung Hoon, Lee Wan, and Kim Jae Won — are stepping up as models in a photo exhibition to raise awareness for handicapped children in conjunction with Holt International Children’s Services. Coincidentally, they’re also currently promoting their newest acting projects. I’m sure the photo spread has nothing to do with that. But the report is quick to follow each actor’s description of his handicapped-child photo shoot with a description of his upcoming drama or project. Because it would be a shame to let such great PR go to waste.

Like Yoon Eun Hye before him, Kim Rae Won is given particular mention for the easy, cheerful way he connected with his photo partner, 5-year-old Kim Dae Joon, who’s been afflicted with conditions since birth bearing names from hydrocephalus to cerebral atrophy, hypoxic brain injury, cerebral palsy, benign myoclonic epilepsy, and developmental retardation. (Kim Rae Won’s upcoming drama Gourmet airs on SBS. The article points out how he flew all the way from Japan, where he was busy with promotions, for the shoot. OMG! He flew in from promo work for… more promo work.)

Lee Junki posed with a 7-month-old girl, Jeon Yoo Ha, who was born with a cleft lip and palate. (Don’t forget to tune in to Lee Junki’s Iljimae on SBS next week!)

Lee Wan shot his photo with 14-year-old Lee Soo Hoon, who has Down Syndrome. (Lee Wan just finished filming his fourth film and is readying for his next.)

Yeon Jung Hoon had his photo shoot with 2-year-old Kim Joon Seok, who suffered from prenatal development problems and was born with a finger deformity (only four on the right hand) and hemiplegia (the right side of his face is paralyzed — but that baby is adorable). (Yeon Jung Hoon is currently preparing for his television comeback.)

And finally, Kim Jae Won posed with 3-year-old Yoon Dae Woon, a mentally handicapped boy with cerebral palsy who has trouble standing on his own. Apparently the boy spilled grape juice over Kim Jae Won’s white pants during the shoot, which I find inexplicably funny. It would’ve been hilarious if the photo actually showed the grape stain, but alas, it doesn’t. (To be fair, Kim Jae Won does not appear to be currently promoting his own agenda.)

The “photo story” goes on display for three days at a gallery in Seoul starting May 29 — the gallery has its opening party on the 30th — after which the promotion goes nationwide.

Via Asia Economy

SONG OF THE DAY

Aquibird - “Whose Dream” [ Download ]

 
RELATED POSTS

• What’s with all the babies?

Tags: Kim Jae-won, Kim Rae-won, Lee Junki, Lee Wan, photo shoots

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 27 Comments →