Entries in the 'Lee Yoon-jung' Category

More stars pay their respects to deceased colleague

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.

Celebrities pay their respects >>


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Stars mourn Lee Eon

As previously reported, actor Lee Eon’s sudden death early on the morning of August 21 has proved a shock to the entertainment community.

Celebrities came garbed in funeral blacks to pay their respects to their deceased colleague/co-star/friend at the mortuary area in the hospital where the deceased’s body is being kept until the funeral service. Yoon Eun-hye arrived in tears at Seoul’s Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital, as did fellow Coffee Prince co-star Kim Jae-wook, who appears to still be stunned, reportedly sobbing as he kept his face hidden behind his hair. (Pics of the stars, and in particular Kim Jae-wook, make me feel uncomfortably voyeuristic; I admit to an interest in seeing pics, but not when they are clearly intrusive in such a raw moment.)

His co-star from drama Strongest Chil Woo, actor Yoo Ah-in, also showed up, grim-faced. If you’re wondering why certain people haven’t yet paid their respects, I’m sure they’ll be making their way to the funeral area as they learn about the accident today. I haven’t seen pics of the rest of his Chil Woo castmates, but apparently they were among the earliest to receive word. Eric received the phone call at 3am and headed directly to the hospital, along with cast and crew members, including Gu Hye-sun and PD Park Man-young.


Yoon Eun-hye with her party; Yoo Ah-in

 
Others who came by were former co-star Ryu Deok-hwan, and supermodel Park Dool-seon. (She is one of the main stars of modeling reality show I Am a Model, which Lee Eon was involved with; he had also reportedly dated supermodel Jang Yoon-joo, one of Park Dool-seon’s colleagues.)

His mother understandably was in a huge state of shock, and apparently still in denial; she resisted being led to the funeral room, wanting to go to a hospital room instead, as though unable to digest the truth.

Also, a report was issued contradicting early beliefs that the accident occurred on Lee Eon’s way home after the Chil Woo wrap party. A new report suggests that Lee Eon had already arrived home, then left again, after which he was in the accident. Some sources speculate that he had been on the way to the club where he had worked as a DJ. I’m sure these details will be sorted out in due time.

As to questions of his sobriety at the time of his death, police have stated that tests will be conducted to determine whether he was drunk, but will not have the results for approximately a week. Lee Eon is, however, reported to not be much of a drinker.

PD Lee Yoon-jung, who’d directed Lee Eon in Coffee Prince, also shared her words of grief, saying, “I don’t know what to say. I plan to pay my respects tonight. Lee Eon had a special passion for acting and was always a source of support for staff on the film set. He was a good person.”

The funeral service is planned for August 23. Other details as yet unconfirmed.


Kim Jae-wook, Park Dool-seon, Ilac

Via Yonhap News, Newsen

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Triple-teaming the Triple team

(Yeah, the headline’s a bit of a stretch. But I couldn’t resist.)

Wha–? Lee Seon-kyun is going to be in MBC’s figure-skating trendy drama Triple?

I mean, I guess it kind of makes sense. He’d starred in director Lee Yoon-jung’s earlier series Taereung National Village (part of MBC’s Best Theater anthology). Following that, he’d agreed immediately to appear in Coffee Prince when she was planning that series. Now that she’s planning her next series, why not cast an actor with whom she’s had a good working relationship? This’ll be Lee Yoon-jung’s third drama series, and the third time she teams with Lee Seon-kyun.

Still, Triple seems like an odd choice, at least at first glance. (He should be moving on and doing hard-boiled crime thrillers and spare indie dramas with guys like Jang Dong-gun!) In this drama series, he’s been cast in the role of an ad agency exec who’s described as straightforward and honest with a sensitive side (so, like most of his roles then). The drama stars rookie actress Min Hyo-rin as its young figure-skating lead, but Jung Il-woo has been removed from the casting list (he was to play a speed skater) following his jump to another MBC series, Iljimae.

I’ll probably be watching Triple when it airs in January, but I’m on the fence as to whether it’ll be candy-coated fun, or a train wreck in the making.

Via Hankyung.com

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Casting roll call: Iljimae, Triple

Lee Seung-gi has left the cast of MBC’s upcoming Iljimae, only to be replaced by… Jung Il-woo?

On July 9, his management issued the reason: “Because Iljimae kept being pushed back and will film in China for a month, it will add difficulty to his shooting for 1 Night 2 Days. His departure from the drama was achieved through mutual agreement on both sides.”

Now the two Iljimae leads will be played by Jung Il-woo and Yoon Jin-seo (Beastie Boys), which MBC plans to air in November.

I call BS, since he seemed willing enough to leave 1 Night 2 Days (which is, after all, merely a stint on a variety program versus headlining his own big-name drama) before SBS’s Iljimae came out starring Lee Junki. Perhaps they’d held out hope that SBS’s drama would flop and are now using 1 Night as their excuse to back out. MBC’s drama, directed by Goong PD Hwang In-roi, had originally boasted an advantage over SBS, securing the licensing rights to the books upon which the story of Iljimae is based, but now it’ll face an uphill battle trailing such successful competition.

That means Jung Il-woo will leave his role in MBC’s upcoming ice-skating drama Triple, directed by Coffee Prince PD Lee Yoon-jung and co-starring “luxury nose” possessor and rookie singer Min Hyo-rin (he as a speed-skater, she as a figure-skater). Triple has now been pushed back to next year.

And… I no longer care to watch Iljimae. I’d been hoping that MBC’s version would provide an interesting variation, particularly since I didn’t love the SBS version. And yet, while I would happily watch Jung Il-woo in a cast of young trendy actors doing a fluffy ice-skating drama, I really don’t think he’s gonna be able to pull off a sageuk hero.

In other casting news, Moon Sori (Legend, Forever the Moment) has been selected to lead MBC’s new weekend family drama Golden Years of My Life, also starring Lee So-yeon (Why Did You Come To Our House?). The drama is drawing attention with its writer-director combo: Surgeon Bong Dal-hee writer Lee Jung-seok and Trap of Youth PD Kwan Rok-eui. It follows the currently airing Woman of Matchless Beauty, Park Jung-geum.

Meanwhile, Seo Hyo-rim (little sis from Insoon is Pretty) has been cast with Song Hye-gyo and Hyun Bin in their upcoming KBS2 series The World They Live In, directed by Full House (and Insoon) PD Pyo Min-soo. The drama starts filming at the end of July and plans to air in November.

Finally, Moon Jung-hee, currently in SBS’s Friday drama My Sweet Seoul, has lined up her next project as SBS’s new morning drama Daughter-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law, to follow Aquarius. She’s the daughter-in-law who works through issues with the new in-laws in this “warm” family drama, starting July 21.

Via OSEN, Star News, My Daily, Sports Chosun, No Cut News

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Seung-gi - “미련한 사랑” (love that won’t let go) [ Download ]

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Jung Il Woo scores a “Triple”

I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Pretty boy and recent university entrant Jung Il Woo — last seen in the movie My Love opposite Lee Yeon Hee and the family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick before that — is making his return to television in the upcoming MBC figure-skating drama being produced and directed by Coffee Prince PD Lee Yoon Jung, titled Triple.

The series is currently in the process of finalizing casting for its female lead, while Jung Il Woo is already starting script readings and physical training. The sixteen-episode miniseries centers around Jung’s character, a short-track speed skater, and a female figure skater, as well as their two coaches (one female and one male, naturally!).

It’ll be nearly a year and a half since his last TV project (High Kick), and he’s started skating practice. He’s already encountered minor injury while training, which is the reason he sported a slight limp at last week’s Baeksang Arts Awards.

Okay, I admit the series sounds like it could be unbearably cheesy. Like, total cotton-candy puff-fest. But also potentially OMG-so-girly-awesome like a Meg Cabot novel. It could be awful like the late-1990s ice-hockey kdrama Icing (anyone remember that?), or awful like Disney’s predictable Ice Princess. But you know what? I watched both.

Via No Cut News

SONG OF THE DAY

Maya - “Maria” [ Download ]

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44th Baeksang Arts Awards


Best Actress winners Yoon Eun Hye (drama), Kim Min Hee (film)

The 44th Baeksang Arts Awards were held in Seoul on April 24, handing out top honors to the films and television programs of the previous year.

Big winners included films The Chaser and Forever the Moment (aka The Best Moment In Our Lives); Yoon Eun Hye won for her trend-setting turn as Go Eun Chan in last year’s smash drama Coffee Prince, while War of Money took home Best Drama.

SONG OF THE DAY

MC Mong - “옛날 옛적에” (Once upon a time) from his recently released fourth album. [ Download ]

 
Full awards list for the 44th BAEKSANG AWARDS >>


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