Watch out, here comes Mayor Kim Sun-ah!

In her last photo shoot (displaying a slimmer figure and newly shorn hair for her role in the drama City Hall), Kim carried off a vibe that was sexy and strong, but not exactly one that screams “public servant.” Well, in these latest photos, she is in character and looking the part of a woman who worked her way up from the bottom.

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Read the rest of City Hall’s Mayor Kim Sun-ah (170 words)

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Post tags: Cha Seung-won, City Hall, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Hyung-chul, Lee Jun-hyuk

The event that took place on December 8 at Seoul’s Villa De Bailey sure was a mouthful to say: 2008 Mucha Jewelry Charity Bazaar and Korean Jewelry Awards.

While “Korean jewelry award” sounds rather strange, the event was designed to allow celebs to donate pieces of their own jewelry for a good cause. Stars walked a red carpet and posed with their jewelry, watched as a jewelry show was put on, then put their items up for auction. Proceeds generated will go toward aiding the elderly.

You know, we (as in, common folks and the netizenery) tend to view celeb charity events through a lens of cynicism, but this seems like a pretty good idea, actually. A star can donate a piece of jewelry s/he no longer cares for and get some positive publicity out of it, while the auction aspect capitalizes on the star affiliation to bolster prices. Money goes to a good cause, and we have a win-win.

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Read the rest of Mucha Jewelry red carpet (536 words)

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Post tags: fashion, good deeds, Han Hyo-joo, Kang Sung-yeon, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Beom-soo, Oh Ji-ho, Sohn Ye-jin

As part of the Korea Drama Festival, three actors gathered to show off their musical talents at the Drama Concert special boasting “three men, three different shades.”

The three drama leading men were picked from the dramas on the three different stations, with Jang Geun-seok from MBC’s Beethoven Virus, Jang Hyuk from SBS’s Tazza, and Kim Sung-soo from KBS’s Bad Love.

We’ve heard Jang Geun-seok sing before, and while I wouldn’t agree with the media’s description of his “outstanding singing ability,” he can reasonably hold a tune. He’ll be featured on an additional track of the Beethoven Virus, singing a version of the song “들리나요” (Do you hear?), which was originally sung by Tae Yeon of Girls Generation (posted here).

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Read the rest of Drama Concert showcases three stars, three performances (182 words)

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Post tags: film festivals, Jang Geun-seok, Jang Hyuk, Kim Sung-soo

Lame, lame, lame. I’d kind of figured that the newish Seoul Drama Awards would be bland (it’s their third year) based on the voting and nominees, so the results weren’t as disappointing as they would have been if I’d taken the Seoul Drama Festival seriously. As it was, there was a total lack of drama.

First off, the actual awards themselves were kind of… wonky. With dramas from all over the world competing (33 countries, 152 entries), the actual Korean series entered for judging (and which advanced) were hardly Korea’s best work of the past year.

Secondly, and perhaps for the above reason, there was a serious absence of stars — aside from the ones who were either presenting or receiving awards, that is. I wouldn’t call the red carpet and pre-carpet events “beyond pitiful” as one paper did, but when the only way to get actors to come to your event is to bribe them, you know you’ve still got a road ahead to being taken seriously.

I can understand awarding the online popularity award to Nam Sang-mi (adorable) and Lee Junki, above, both of the thriller drama Time and Dog and Wolf. But Golden Bride? Jungle Fish? Erm……

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Read the rest of No drama at the 2008 Seoul Drama Awards (557 words)

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Post tags: awards, Choi Su-jong, Eugene, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Junki, Lee Tae-ran, Lee Young-ah, Nam Sang-mi, Oh Man-seok, Time of Dog and Wolf

After all the hullaballo, Kwon Sang-woo finally married Sohn Tae-young today (September 28), and I for one am glad, since we won’t be having to hear about it anymore.

The couple gave a press conference prior to the wedding, as the wedding itself was closed to the press. Sohn Tae-young wore a Kenneth Pool gown, which she bought on the couple’s recent trip to England.

Kwon: “I’m finally getting married. I’m so nervous — my nerves don’t begin to compare with any film festival or event I’ve been to. … We’ll live happily together. I vow to love her forever.” Sohn: “It doesn’t feel real yet. Actually, I wasn’t nervous at all while getting ready. But now I’m starting to feel it.”

When asked about kids, Kwon answered that he’d like three, but joked that Sohn “has agreed to two, for her figure’s sake.”

And, since it’s not every day such a huge Hallyu star gets married, we have a pretty impressive guest-star roster that rivals the red carpet at some of the largest industry events.

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Read the rest of Kwon Sang-woo weds Sohn Tae-young (finally) (286 words)

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Post tags: Byun Jung-soo, Cha Seung-won, Choi Ji-woo, Ha Ji-won, Han Ga-in, Hwang Bo, Jang Dong-gun, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Sung-soo, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Jung-jin, Oh Ji-ho, So Ji-sub, Sohn Tae-young, Song Seung-heon, star romances, weddings, Yoo Ji-tae

Okay, I think I’m done posting pics of stars visiting Lee Eon’s funeral room. If more information comes to light, I’m on it, but until then we’re just going to be getting photos of grieving folks, which is probably gratuitous.

I know it sounds hypocritical for me to dislike the photos and then post them. However, I do think it’s a matter of interest — just up to a point. When it starts feeling gratuitous, I step back.

Below are Strongest Chil Woo co-stars Eric, Gu Hye-sun, and Kim Byul. More pics beyond the jump.

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Read the rest of More stars pay their respects to deceased colleague (366 words)

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Post tags: Chae Jung-ahn, Eric, Girls Generation, Gu Hye-sun, I Am a Model, Jang Yoon-ju, Joo Ji-hoon, Kim Byul, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Chun-hee, Lee Eon, Lee Min-ki, Lee Yoon-jung, Oh Ji-ho, star accidents

I don’t usually comment on fashion, usually because I don’t care enough about what makes fashion “good” or “trendy” or “cutting-edge.” But I DO know bad fashion when I see it, and while I was scrolling through a bunch of the latest photos hitting the (internet) wire, I was taken aback by how uniformly bad things looked at the Gucci 2008-2009 FW Collection, which attracted stars on the evening of August 7 at Seoul’s W Hotel.

For instance, Lee Dong-wook above? Freshly shaven after playing a scruffy bad boy in the recent drama La Dolce Vita, he looks youthful and handsome… from the neck up. I don’t know where he got came up with the rest of the look, though — an ill-fitting gray suit, with a brightly patterned scarf in the middle of sweltering summer? The end patterning on the scarf looks like a rug my parents own (albeit a very pretty rug), and has he lost so much weight that the ends of his belt trail down under the jacket to peek out over his leg? (And brown studded leather with pinstriped gray twill? Even I know that doesn’t go.)

And he’s not even the worst of the offenders. For instance:

(1) Lee Jin-wook’s headstone will soon read: “Death by Paisley Scarf.” Probably not the manliest way to go.
(2) Speaking of manly, someone hit it on the head recently when saying Jang Geun-seok is uncomfortable with his prettiness, because he’s always trying to overcompensate by overdoing it in the opposite direction. But instead of looking masculine, now he looks halfway between a lipstick and butch lesbian (both into biker chic), when he should just embrace his inherent metrosexshuality. OWN THE PRETTY, Jang Geun-seok! The pretty likes you.

(3) I know Lee Jia likes to think of herself as punk rock (really more punk rawk, and lite at that) but when you try to punk up your froofy ballerina tutu (cuz black is so badass), and then matchy-matchy your gold ruffly hem to go with your gold studded belt, you end up merely looking like Avril Lavigne Goes Kentucky Derby. Yee-haw!
(4) Kim Haneul is a pretty woman with bad lipstick, who looks stoned, and is wearing FRINGE on silk. With a sequined skirt. My eyes glaze over looking at all the weird texture combinations, sort of like Kim Haneul’s eyes here.

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Read the rest of Pretty people looking… not so pretty, actually (679 words)

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Post tags: fashion, Ha Seok-jin, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Haneul, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Eun-sung, Lee Jia, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Yeon-hee, Sung Yuri