• Park Jin Hee juggles two handsome leading men (Jo Han Seon and Lee Ki Woo) in her upcoming romantic comedy, Time of Memory and Loss. Maybe the casting can inject some humor and spark into a tired formula: an awkward old maid cannot forget an unrequited love of her past, which prevents her from moving on to her next love. The plot gets going when she’s in a car accident with said old love, and pretends to lose her memory so she can come live in his house. His friend catches on to her lie, and thus the triangle begins.
• Actor So Ji Sub explores his penchant for photography in a new camera CF, which he recently shot in Hokkaido, Japan. He explained, “It’s when others become curious about me through the photos I’ve shot, which allow me to share my feelings with the viewer, that I feel best.” Way to make narcissism sound poetic!
• Dancing and lip-synching provocateuse Lee Hyori is slated to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming SBS drama On Air, which premieres February 27 and is written by the scribe behind the Lovers series (in Paris, in Prague, and plain Lovers). She’ll play the part of a top pop singer handled by Lee Beom Soo’s manager character. Well, if you can’t act, might as well play yourself.



• Wonder Girl Ahn So Hee admits to having been a huge Rain fan prior to her debut. Why the past tense?
• …and speaking of Rain, he’s partnered with Samsung to promote their Anycall line for the next year, in promotion for the 2008 Olympics. “Particularly, these ads have stirred much interest with the announcement that Rain will sing Anycall’s Olympic theme song.” The wording confused me initially as to whether the song in question is AN Olympic song for Anycall, or if Samsung is sponsoring THE official theme song for the Beijing Olympics. Further reading shows that all signs point to the latter. Please keep the bashing to a minimum!
• Oh, and Gong Yoo began his military service today. See ya in two years!

SONG OF THE DAY

Rain - “난 또 니가 좋은거야” (I like you again) [ zShare download ]

 
RELATED POSTS:

• Who do viewers want back in 2008?
• News bites: January 7
• News bites: December 20
• Countdown to Gong Yoo’s military enlistment
• News bites: December 6
• Korea, calm down. Stephen Colbert doesn’t hate Rain.

Tags: army duty, Gong Yoo, Lee Hyori, news bites, Park Jin-hee, Rain, So Ji-sub

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 22 Comments →

Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Hyori

With this generation so internet-savvy, and the stars living in an overwhelmingly wired society that analyzes their every move, it’s no surprise that more and more, celebrities are using the internet (Stars: They’re just like us!) to reach out to their fans — in affection, in exasperation, and in defense of themselves.

Lee Hyori, Yoon Eun Hye, Gu Hye Sun …
“Women who can’t live without their homepages!”

Conveying malicious gossip via the internet

The 16th was a day when the internet found itself abuzz with singer Ivy’s plea, “Stop writing false rumors.” All day, her name remained the most-searched term online, and she censured the press in a posting she put up on her mini-homepage: “I can’t take you reporters just writing whatever you want to condemn a person. Please stop writing fiction, and don’t speak so recklessly about something you haven’t heard or seen for yourselves.” …

SONG OF THE DAY

Type R - “By My Side” [ zShare download ]

Other stars defend themselves online >>

Tags: anti-fans, Ivy, Lee Hyori, netizens, uljjangs, Yoon Eun-hye

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 10 Comments →

 
Cell phone company Anycall’s highly successful “Any” series of ads — Anystar, Anymotion, Anyclub — is out with a new project. (The “any” refers to an inclusive, “anyone can be a star!” kind of motto.) And this time, they’re doing it without the face of their three highly successful prior campaigns, poptart superstar and failed actress Lee Hyori.

The fourth segment in the “Any” series comes in the form of the recently announced “Anyband” project group, made up of kpop (and jpop) idol Boa, Epik High’s rapper-songwriter Tablo, jazz pianist Jin Bora, and Xiah Junsu from boyband Dong Bang Shin Ki. (Tablo joked at the press conference, “I’m the ugliest member!” Aw.)

 

 
With that mix of artists, it’ll be interesting seeing what Anyband comes up with. Even if they do it without Anycall’s queen bee Hyori.

Watch Anycall’s music-video-commercial-ad hybrids >>

Tags: Anyband, branded entertainment, CFs, Lee Hyori

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 41 Comments →