Dramabeans » Lee Dong-gun

Lee Dong-gun enlists next month

javabeans — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:25:12 +0000

With the year half-over, expect more 28-year-old actors to cram in last projects and head off for their mandatory military service, since 1981-ers who have not yet completed their requirement will have to fulfill it this year. Actor and singer Lee Dong-gun has announced that he will be heading off to serve in active duty next month.

Lee recently received his papers and will go without further postponement. His last event as an entertainer will be a fanmeeting to take place on July 18 in Seoul. In contrast with some actors who have busily packed their last months with project after project, Lee has kept fairly under the radar over the last year, ever since wrapping 2008’s MBC drama series When Night Comes (aka Every Night) with Kim Sun-ah. He did release a single album in Japan, but hadn’t really had the chance to do much promotional work for it. The only time he surfaced in the news recently was when it became known he is dating A Star’s Lover actress Cha Ye-ryun.

Meanwhile, actors who have headed off this year for army duty include Lee Jin-wook, Jo In-sung, Kim Jae-won, and Jo Seung-woo. Those yet to enlist who are expected to do so soon include Kim Rae-won, Lee Ki-woo, and Jo Han-seon.

Via Newsen

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Post tags: army duty, fanmeetings, Lee Dong-gun

2008 MBC Acting Awards

javabeans — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:30:21 +0000

MBC hosted its awards ceremony for the 2008 Acting Awards on December 30. Let me first reiterate that I think these end-of-year broadcast-station awards are mostly meaningless. That said, this year’s Daesangs were TOTAL WEAKSAUCE, MBC. Top honor (the “Daesang” grand prize) went to…

Oh, you mean it was split this year? Between Beethoven Virus’s much-lauded epitome of awesomeness, Kim Myung-min, and East of Eden’s overblown and overrated Song Seung-heon?? I mean, I could understand going for the sentimental vote and awarding deceased Choi Jin-shil (she got a lifetime achievement instead), but Song Seung-heon winning acting awards is in itself a joke.

(...)
Read the rest of 2008 MBC Acting Awards (1,572 words)

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Post tags: awards, Bae Yong-joon, Beethoven Virus, Choi Jin-shil, Dennis O, East of Eden, fashion, Han Ji-hye, Han Ji-min, Jang Geun-seok, Ji Sung, Jung Il-woo, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Min-jung, Kim Myung-min, Lee Dong-gun, Lee Hana, Lee Jia, Lee Jung-jin, Lee Junki, Lee Mi-sook, Lee Yeon-hee, Moon Sori, New Heart, Seo Shin-ae, Shin Sung-rok, Song Seung-heon, The Last Scandal of My Life, Yoon Eun-hye, Yoon Jin-seo

Lee and Igawa promote tourism, not romance

javabeans — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:26:43 +0000

As always, netizens are always the first to jump to premature conclusions, aren’t they?

Lee Dong-gun and Japanese star Igawa Haruka got bloggers and netizens worked up when images and video clips of the two stars appeared online, suggesting they were dating (she’s married). They’d been spotted together in areas like Insadong, Myungdong, and Cheongdamdong, and clips made it onto a Japanese television program, which led to assumptions of romance by netizens.

It’s now been revealed that the actors have been paired together for a tourism campaign, which had Lee and Igawa traveling around Korea to introduce various neighborhoods and regions; in addition to the areas named above, they also traveled further south to Jeju, Busan, and Gyeongju, followed by cameras all the while. The footage will be shown online as part of the promotional campaign.

Then again, nothing like a good fake “scandal” to churn up interest in an otherwise humdrum activity, right?

Via Newsis

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A Salad Song duet

javabeans — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:10:49 +0000

You’ve heard Lee Dong-gun sing (songs here and here), and you’ve seen Yoon Eun-hye’s latest CF video clip. Now they sing together.

The “Salad Song” (taken from Humming Urban Stereo’s “샐러드 기념일” [Salad days], which you can download at the link above) now reveals its full version, which features both actor-singers in a duet. Yoon and Lee are shown in recording sessions in the studio, interspersed with clips of Yoon Eun-hye eating fresh fruit and spraying herself (and plants) with water. (Because, lest we forget, we’re still selling something!)

Via Hankyung

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Post tags: branded entertainment, CFs, Lee Dong-gun, music videos, Yoon Eun-hye

Japanese fans greet Lee Dong-gun

javabeans — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:09:51 +0000

After releasing his first album in years, the Japanese- and Korean-language-album My Biography, Lee Dong-gun has launched himself into singerly activities, marking the occasion with two days in concert in Tokyo for his “Lee Dong-gun 2008 Debut Concert in Japan.”

“My Biography” was released earlier this summer; Lee previously released a single album in Japan in March, and has contributed to various soundtracks in his Korea since his 1998 debut as a singer.

He’d arrived in Japan on August 14 to prepare for the concert, which took place on August 22 and 23, and performed fifteen songs. He plans to spend a few days vacationing in Japan before returning home. No doubt he’ll throw himself back into his work, what with his military service looming large on the horizon (he’s 28; therefore he’s likely to enlist in relatively short order).

Via Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Dong Gun – “El dorado” [ Download ]

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Post tags: fanmeetings, Lee Dong-gun, singers

Lee Dong-gun takes on a new album and possible tour

javabeans — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:16:06 +0000

Actor Lee Dong-gun may have debuted as a singer, but for the past decade he’s primarily focused on his acting career. So his new album “My Biography” marks his first full-length album in ten years.

Furthermore, Lee expressed the ambition to make an Asia tour before his impending military duty. He’s been busy for the past several months filming his drama When Night Comes, and now looks to launch himself into promotional activities for his singing career.

A representative from Sony BMG said on August 14 that there’s particular interest from his Japanese fans (he released a mini-album in March, replete with his own MV for the title song “Tsukiakari”). The upcoming album will incorporate some J-pop musical stylings to appeal to both his Japanese and Korean fans. To this end, six of the songs will be sung in Korean, six others will be sung in Japanese, with the remaining two as instrumental tracks.

Lee Dong-gun left Korea on the 14th for an August 22 concert in Japan.

Via Star News

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Dong Gun -”지금 사랑” (Love now) from the OST of the movie Are You Living With the One You Love? [ Download ]

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Post tags: comebacks, Lee Dong-gun, singers

Monday-Tuesday ratings analysis: One hit, one cult following, one flop

javabeans — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:59:38 +0000

When Night Comes, Strongest Chil Woo

This is interesting because I’m actually watching all three Monday-Tuesday dramas right now, and I agree with the general points made, and yet find the outcome curious. Gourmet is the undeniable winner, consistently earning more viewers than When Night Comes and Strongest Chil Woo combined — and based on what I’ve seen, rightly so.

But what strikes me as odd is that although Chil Woo manages every week to barely beat out Night, ratings-wise, their numbers have been fairly comparable. So why is one being called a mania drama (a cult hit), while the other is on the verge of being pegged a flop? To wit:

MBC’s ambitiously prepared Monday-Tuesday drama When Night Comes hasn’t been able to work free of its struggle. On top of that, its lead actors’ conditions have been aggravated by injury. These days, Night seems to be acting true to its title, slipping into trouble when night comes along.

And yet, by contrast:

The KBS2 MondayTuesday drama starring Eric (Moon Jung-hyuk), Strongest Chil Woo, seems set for mania drama status following Hong Gil Dong.

Although the ratings have come to a standstill after going up and down around the 10% mark following the premiere, it’s stirring up strong response within a faction of its viewership.

SONG OF THE DAY

When Night Comes OST – “사랑 탐험” (Love exploration) by Buga Kingz [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Monday-Tuesday ratings analysis: One hit, one cult following, one flop (237 words)

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Post tags: drama ratings, Eric, Gourmet, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Dong-gun, mania dramas, Strongest Chil Woo, When Night Comes