As you may know, Kim Myung-min plays a man suffering from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in his latest film, My Love By My Side [내 사랑 내 곁에].

Kim Myung-min is now acting to raise awareness of the illness, and the Naver portal site has set up a corner promoting the “Kim Myung-min’s Happy Energy” campaign. (Happy Energy has a few campaigns in progress featuring celebrities who promote a certain cause.) The campaign allows people to make donations to an organization helping Lou Gehrig’s patients, and in less than a week of its opening, it has raised over 10 million won. (The 10 million figure was as of September 3; the donation number currently stands at 17 million won.)

One campaign administrator said, “We haven’t exposed the campaign through advertising yet, but to have raised 10 million won already in this short time is a shock we’re grateful for. I think Kim Myung-min’s heartfelt performance and his image have made a deep impression on netizens.”

Lou Gehrig’s disease is an illness that attacks the body’s motor cells, leaving intellect and consciousness intact while rendering the muscles paralyzed. As the disease progresses, even the vital organs become paralyzed, which makes eating impossible and requires feeding tubes. After immersing himself in his latest role, Kim Myung-min said, “There is still no cure, and it’s a disease in urgent need of society’s awareness. I hope that with the film, many people will take a warm interest in the patients suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.”

The movie My Love By My Side opens September 24.

Via OSEN, Happy Energy

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• Kim Myung-min: “In the end I was so exhausted it was difficult to act”
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• Kim Myung-min loses weight and the Kang-mae image

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“With Lou Gehrig’s disease, your conscious mind remains active while your muscles deteriorate, but for me, I found that as I kept losing weight, my consciousness became equally paralyzed.”

Actor Kim Myung-min recently took on the challenge of portraying a patient gradually worsening from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in the upcoming melodrama film My Love By My Side [내 사랑 내 곁에]. On August 24, the cast of the movie gathered at the CGV cinema in Apgujung for a press conference.

Much has been made of Kim’s dramatic 20kg weight loss (mostly accomplished while he filmed the movie, losing the weight to correspond to his character’s deteriorating health). Kim admitted what he found the most difficult aspect of filming: “In the latter half, I had to become increasingly immersed in the emotions of the character, but because I was constantly exhausted, it was difficult to become absorbed in the acting.”

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Wow. We’ve already heard that Kim Myung-min (Beethoven Virus) would be losing a significant amount of weight as he filmed his latest movie, My Love By My Side [내 사랑 내 곁에], but the end result is even more startling than previously noted.

You can see how gaunt he is in these new posters for the movie; in order to play a convincing Lou Gehrig’s disease patient, he lost more than 20 kilograms over the course of filming, which translates to approximately 44 pounds. And considering that his normal starting weight was around 160 pounds, that makes his final number under a worrying 120 pounds.

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This is how I want to remember Kang mae, I think – working diligently behind the scenes, with his happy dog for company.

I was looking at the dramawiki for Beethoven Virus, and it’s got all these awards. Kind of boggling, but I guess quality is in the eye of the beholder.

In case you don’t remember what’s going on with this series (I don’t blame you, it’s been a long time), here are the previous recaps.

Alright then. Let’s get this finished.

SONG OF THE DAY

Beethoven Virus OST – “사랑은 선율을 타고” (Day by Day) by Girls Generation. [ Download ]

Beethoven Virus: Episode 18, Finale >>

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Kim Myung-min is probably the top actor in Korea right now, and is certain to go down as one of the greats of all time. He’s also an interesting case because he has come into stardom late into his career, but unlike so many other actors, the fervent appreciation for him comes almost solely from respect for his tremendous talent and work, not as a sex symbol or celebrity. (He’s certainly handsome, but I almost think of him in an asexual way.) You see the man for his acting skills much more than for his looks or general fame. Which is, I’m fairly certain, just the way he wants it.

The MBC special documentary called “Kim Myung-min Was Not There” was announced last month and aired over the weekend. (It was also a ratings hit, since 10% is impressive for a documentary feature.) It also gave quite an insight into the actor and his process, and is really a must-watch for anyone harboring acting aspirations.

SONG OF THE DAY

White Tower OST – “B Rossette” [ Download ]

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