[News] Kim Hyun Joong and Ringo Starr, of the Beatles, share the stage.

 

[News] Kim Hyun Joong and Ringo Starr, of the Beatles, share the stage.
Cr. - en.korea

Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong recently shared the stage with world-class musicians at the U-Express Live 2013 concert, held in Japan. About 15,000 fans joined the frenzy.

The concert, a special collaborative performance hosted by Universal Music, brought together representative singers from five record labels: the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, Kim Hyun Joong, KARA, Far East Movement, Dreams Come True, Perfume, and Naoto Intiraimi.

Kim Hyun Joong performed eight of his hit songs, including “Heat,” “Kiss Kiss,” “Lucky Guy,” and “Your Story.” His dynamic dance performance along with the strong rock-band sound overwhelmed the audience.

Officials from his agency announced, “Kim Hyun Joong is getting global attention by getting his name on the representative list of world-renowned music labels.“

He has successfully completed his Asian and South American concert tours, and has zeroed in on his current Japanese tour,f titled Japan Tour 2013 Unlimited. Japanese fans will be able to see him by the end of March in Tokyo, Sappro, Fukuoka , and Osaka.

[News] “Bu Bu Jing Qing” Begins Shooting in Tianjin.

[News] “Bu Bu Jing Qing” Begins Shooting in Tianjin.
Cr. - jaynestars

Above: Cecilia Liu and Ye Zuxin in “Bu Bu Jing Qing”.

Bu Bu Jing Qing <步步惊情>, the highly anticipated modern sequel to the hit time-traveling serial Bu Bu Jing Xin <步步惊心>, officially began shooting in Tianjin, China on March 2. Starring original cast members Cecilia Liu (刘诗诗) and Nicky Wu (吳奇隆), Bu Bu Jing Qinq chronicles the life of white-collar worker Zhang Xiao, who is stuck in the midst of an internal power struggle between two high executives at a large-scale internet company.

Both “Tenth Prince” Ye Zuxin (叶祖新) and Annie Liu (劉心悠) are returning to star in major roles. On the other hand, “Fourteenth Prince” Lin Gengxin (林更新), who is currently entangled in a dispute with Bu Bu Jing Qing’s production company Tangren, will not be taking part in the reboot.

Currently filming for fantasy drama Hua Xu Yin <华胥引>, both “Eighth Prince” Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) and “Thirteenth Prince” Yuan Hong (袁弘) will be unable to commit to shooting for Bu Bu Jing Qing full time. However, both actors are currently negotiating to appear in a few episodes of Bu Bu Jing Qing as billed guest stars.

On March 2, a crew member from the Bu Bu Jing Qing Tianjin set shared a photo of Cecilia and Zuxin filming a scene in an office on Weibo, making it one of the most widespread photos to currently circulate on the social media site.

On the same day, Bu Bu Jing Qing producer, Karen Tsoi (蔡 艺侬), posted a quote from the drama on her Weibo, which read, “If you are to leave this place one day, I will go to your world to find you.” The post had nearly 25,000 reblogs by fans.

Stoking fans’ excitement even further, Yuan Hong reblogged the post and wrote, “If I am to leave this world, I will happen to bring you along the way.” Cecilia reblogged Yuan Hong’s post and wrote, “If you come to my world, I will bring along Tequila.”

Currently in Dalian to finish up the last final scenes of the espionage drama Severe Winter <寒冬>, Nicky Wu will not be able to begin shooting for Bu Bu Jing Qing until March 10. Coincidentally, March 10 will be Cecilia’s 26^th birthday.

[Interview] A man of no regrets: Song Seung Heon.

[Interview] A man of no regrets: Song Seung Heon.
Cr. - xin.msn

The Korean heartthrob talks about his time-travelling drama, co-actresses and ideal partner.

Thoughtful and sincere in conversation, Korean actor Song Seung Heon is what we'd call a man with a good head on his shoulders. Despite being one of the hottest Hallyu commodities around, Seung Heon does not try hard to upkeep with the image of a pristine and perfect man coiffed for Hallyu icons. He acknowledges his flaws and knows his shortcomings, and that, perhaps, is the reason why he feels more endearing in person than on TV.

While most actors, singers and idols strive to become multi-hyphenates and excel in all aspects of showbiz today, Seung Heon's steering clear of the singer route.
"Many have suggested this [doing a music album after singing for Dr. Jin] to me - but I don't sing well," he wryly mused. "This was all made possible with the advanced technology which helped with the audio sound (chuckles). I'm not very confident with my vocals."

Indeed. More popularly known for his melodramatic roles than for his voice, the 36-year-old catapulted to instant - and global - fame with the tearjerker series Autumn in My Heart. The woeful and self-sacrificial role left such an indelible impression in viewers' hearts that he has been affixed with the Mr. Nice Guy label ever since.

Professing his desire to play "killer and psycho" roles in future at the press conference for Dr. Jin, Seung Heon's attempts to flesh out his different sides on screen can be seen with his recent projects: 2011's rom-com vehicle, My Princess and a time-travelling gig in 2012's period drama, Dr. Jin.

When we raised the possibility of traveling back in time to return to his 21-year-old self, Seung Heon shared that he would like to "fully experience student life" again. "I didn't get a chance to try out activities like going on group dates or playing with my friends due to my early start in acting during University."

Though he laments at the lack of such memories and sometimes fantasises about pursuing a professional career in sports - soccer and golf, he says - Seung Heon will never trade his acting job for anything else in the world.

'Forward thinker' is how this 36-year-old prefers to describe himself, during our interview at ME@OUE, a new posh eatery in town. 'I'm not one who regrets and I'm satisfied with my achievements right now. While Dr. Jin is a time-travelling vehicle that tends to trigger a lot of what-if questions if we return into time, I'm a sort of person who prefers to look towards the future instead.'

Citing melodrama as his preferred drama genre, Seung Heon's latest venture When a Man Loves co-starring up-and-coming actress Shin Se Kyung, Yeon Woo Jin and Chae Jung An will put him back in his comfort zone.

With his well-maintained dreamboat good looks, Seung Heon has been romancing younger actresses on TV these days: Park Min Young (27 years old) in Dr. Jin and Se Kyung (23 years old) in When a Man Loves. The actor concedes to feeling the heat and need to maintain his body and looks in order to match up to these younger starlets but reasons that it's a 'good form of pressure' for him.

So do any of his co-actresses fit the bill of his ideal partner?

'If I really had to choose it'd be Song Hye Gyo and Kim Tae Hee, but I don't have any special feelings towards them,' shared the currently-single bachelor who also called 'inner beauty' the most important criteria on his list.

'There's no particular type of girl that catches my attention. I may have focused more on looks when I was under 30 but now the focus is on inner beauty,' he shared. 'My seniors and friends have also agreed with me and told me that it's most important to find someone who can really click with me.'

[News] Ming Dao’s driving license misused as loan guarantor.

[News] Ming Dao’s driving license misused as loan guarantor.
Cr. - xin.msn

The Taiwanese artiste’s brother used his driving license as a guarantor for a S$160,000 loan.

Taiwanese artiste Ming Dao’s driving license was misused as a loan guarantor by his brother, with debts of up to NT$6.5 million (approximately S$270000) chalked up now.

According to the Taiwan media, the debtor of Ming Dao’s brother revealed that the latter took  his brother’s driving license and the whole family’s resident cards and cited them as his guarantors for a NT$4 million (about S$160,000) loan, without his family’s knowledge.

He also promised the debtor that his brother Ming Dao would definitely help him clear the debts as soon as he is discharged from the army, if he cannot settle the debt himself.

However, Ming Dao’s brother started to avoid the debtor, and even called the police when the debtor went to his house to look for him. An arcade owner also claimed that Ming Dao’s brother borrowed money from him a few times and has yet to return him the money.

When reporters tried to reach out to Ming Dao when he ended his military service last month, his management company said that their artiste is is “unclear about the situation” and he can only find out what exactly happened after he returns to Taiwan.
His management company also added that they hope Ming Dao’s brother will take responsibility and face the matter himself.

[News] Details of Rainie Yang and Prince’s Luxurious Hawaii Vacation Exposed.

[News] Details of Rainie Yang and Prince’s Luxurious Hawaii Vacation Exposed.
Cr. - jaynestars

In the past, Rainie Yang (楊丞琳) had once expressed that she does not want to get married and have children.

However, she has changed her mind recently, and now wishes to get married and have a child before the age of 35. Was it possible that 28-year old Rainie sees the 24-year old Prince (王子) from JPM as her other half?

Last month, Rainie and Prince were spotted vacationing together in Honolulu, Hawaii. A hair stylist and five others were also invited to tag along, serving as a cover-up.

They stayed in the 5-star Halekulani Hotel, which was located on the Waikiki Beach. With professional facilities and a private beach, it cost 20,000 RMB per night.

Since Prince had to visit the Pearl Harbor’s Battleship Row, time was limited, and the alleged couple spent the majority of their trip tanning in the sun at the hotel, or walking along the nearby streets.

Rainie and Prince seem to be in a stable relationship, and both of them desires to have children in the future. Prince said, “I want to have a pair of boy-girl twins.”

However, their managers denied them as a romantic couple. Rainie’s manager said. “They’re just good friends going for a vacation.” Prince’s manager also remarked, “A group of good friends vacationing during their breaks. Nothing much to it.”
Both sides answered the media’s questions in the same manner, in hopes of avoiding the disapproval of fans and negatively affecting the artists’ reputations.

[News] Tsukamoto Takashi to star in a serial drama for the first time in about 5 years.

[News] Tsukamoto Takashi to star in a serial drama for the first time in about 5 years.
Cr. - tokyohive

It was announced that actor Tsukamoto Takashi will star in a new WOWOW drama “Haitatsu Saretai Watashitachi.”

The drama is written by scenario writer Isshiki Nobuyuki (“Watashi wo Ski ni Tsuretette”), based on his personal experience in overcoming depression. It will be a human comedy that depicts meeting, parting, and revival with love and humor.

Tsukamoto will play the protagonist, a 32-year-old man  ”Sawano”, who loses his job while suffering from depression, and his relationship with his wife and 6-year-old son is not going smoothly either. One day, at a ruin he visits in order to commit suicide, he finds 7 letters which were abandoned 7 years ago. He decides to deliver those letters, making it as the countdown of his life, and gradually, he starts discovering the importance of lives.

His co-stars will include Kuriyama Chiaki and Hasegawa Kyoko. Kuriyama will play a hairdresser who was abandoned by her mother when she was little. She will be the one who Sawano first delivers one of the letters to. Reportedly, there will be a love scene between Kuriyama and Tsukamoto. Meanwhile, Hasegawa will play Sawano’s wife.

This will mark Tsukamoto’s first starring serial drama in about 5 years since his last one, “Kansa Hojin” (NHK: June in 2008).

In the drama, Tsukamoto will play a man who is married and has a child, but in a real life, he is also the father of 2 children. “If I didn’t marry at the age of 25, and didn’t have 2 children, I would not have been able to play the role in the way I did.” Tsukamoto said.

WOWOW drama “Haitatsu Saretai Watashitachi” will start airing on May 12th (total 5 episodes).

[News] Broadcasting Time Slots for 2013 TVB Dramas.

[News] Broadcasting Time Slots for 2013 TVB Dramas.
Cr. - jaynestars

In the past, TVB Anniversary series broadcast near year-end were always at an advantage. Besides the heavy promotions, the TVB Anniversary Awards took place during the same time frame, placing emphasis on these dramas.

Allegedly, Beauty at War <金枝慾孽-貳> and Triumph in the Skies 2 <衝上雲霄II> were initially chosen as the two Anniversary series of 2013. Since Beauty at War’s producer Jonathan Chik (戚其義) left TVB, Rosy Business 3 <巾幗梟雄之諜血長天> was rumored to take its spot instead. Regarding this, TVB program director, K.C. Ho (何冠中), expressed that Jonathan has a good relationship with TVB and his departure had nothing to do with the broadcasting time of the drama.

Rosy Business 3 has not even started filming yet. Producer Lee Tim Shing (李添勝) said, “I heard rumors about the drama being aired this year. As to when and whether or not it will be an Anniversary series, it does not matter.”

K.C. revealed that the important dramas of the year would be selected to air in the fourth season. The first season had included Inbound Troubles <老表, 你好嘢!>. Below is the current schedule for the next three seasons. It is not set in stone yet, since all dramas are either still filming, or are yet to begin.

Second Season:

Beauty at War <金枝慾孽-貳>
Starring: Moses Chan (陳豪), Sheren Tang (鄧萃雯), Ada Choi (蔡少芬), Christine Ng (伍詠薇), Kenny Wong (黃德斌)

Third Season (Summer):

Triumph in the Skies 2 <衝上雲霄II>
Starring: Francis Ng (吳鎮宇), Chilam Cheung (張智霖), Myolie Wu (胡杏兒), Fala Chen (陳法拉), Ron Ng (吳卓羲), Kenneth Ma (馬國明)

Fourth Season (Anniversary months):

Rosy Business III <巾幗梟雄之諜血長天>
Starring: Wayne Lai (黎耀祥), Myolie Wu (胡杏兒), Edwin Siu (蕭正楠), Sire Ma (马赛)

Love Reverses Three Lifetimes of Fate <情逆三世緣>
Starring: Bobby Au-Yeung (歐陽震華), Esther Kwan (關詠荷), Ngo Ka-nin (敖嘉年), Ben Wong (黃智賢), Mandy Wong (黃智雯)

The Hippocratic Crush 2
Starring: Kenneth Ma (馬國明), Tavia Yeung (楊怡), Lawrence Ng (吳啟華), Louisa So (蘇玉華), Him Law (羅仲謙), Mandy Wong (黃智雯)

The Love Firm <傳愛事務所>
Starring: Wayne Lai (黎耀祥), Moses Chan (陳豪), Fala Chen (陳法拉), Christine Ng (伍詠薇)

[News] “Legend of Zhen Huan” Movie Script is Finished.

[News] “Legend of Zhen Huan” Movie Script is Finished.
Cr. - jaynestars

A film adaptation of the highly successful Chinese television serial, Legend of Zhen Huan <后宫·甄嬛传>, may hit the big screens soon.

On March 2, Legend of Zhen Huan director, Zheng Xiaolong (郑晓龙), revealed that script for the serial’s movie adaptation is already completed. To ensure a faithful book-to-movie adaptation, award-winning director announced that Liu Lanzi (流潋紫), author of the Legend of Zhen Huan novel and writer for the Legend of Zhen Huan television drama, has helmed the movie’s script.

Zheng assured that he will try his best to gather the original cast to star in the movie adaptation if he is hired to be its director.

After airing to record-breaking ratings in mainland China, Legend of Zhen Huan also received impressive viewership ratings in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Aside from considering a big-screen adaptation, the serial’s production company – Beijing TV Art Center – is also in negotiations to bring the serial over to South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Legend of Zhen Huan will be broken into a series of six mini-films for its American broadcast. Director Zheng said, “Several million US dollars are invested into this project. It is quite a hassle. Not only do we have to re-shoot some scenes, we also need to re-do some of its background music.

Inundated with the success of the serial, Betty Sun (孙俪), who starred as Zhen Huan, once said that she did not want to watch another episode of Legend of Zhen Huan anymore. However, Betty expressed that she is interested in working on a Zhen Huan movie if it is to be made. She stated through her manager, “As long as Zheng Xiaolong is returning to direct the movie, [I] will be willing to portray the role of Zhen Huan once more.”

[News] “That Winter” Continues Neck-and-Neck Race with “7th Grade,” IRIS 2”.

Actor Zo In-sung on the set of the SBS drama "That Winter, the Wind Blows." [SBS]

[News] “That Winter” Continues Neck-and-Neck Race with “7th Grade,” IRIS 2”.
Cr. - kstar10

The SBS series “That Winter, the Wind Blows” has grabbed its second crown on the Wednesday and Thursday ratings chart, after running neck and neck with two other series on MBC and KBS.

The three dramas were vying for the top spot during the week of February 27 and 28, but the SBS melodrama won by a nose with an average of 11.7 percent ratings, TNmS [Total National Multimedia Statistics] showed on Friday.

The tale of love and conspiracy has been getting good responses from viewers through its cinematic mise-en-scene and the two young and skilled talents, Zo In-sung and Song Hye-kyo.

The MBC romantic action drama “7th Grade Civil Servant” landed at No. 2 again after earning an average of 11.4 percent of total viewers, with only 0.3 point gap between the chart-topper.

At the bottom of the chart was the KBS action blockbuster “IRIS 2,” which posted an average of 11.2 percent ratings in the same time frame.

In the meantime, Nielsen Korea showed the three dramas in the same order yet far different numbers from those of TNmS’ during the last week of February.

While “That Winter” grabbed the top seed with 13.4 percent ratings, “7th Grade” and “IRIS 2” followed next with 10.3 and 10.1 percent, respectively.

[News] “Seo-young, My Daughter,” Closes its Curtain with Perfect Happy Ending.

The KBS series "Seo-young, My Daughter" director Yoo Hyun-gi (top left), actors Park Hae-jin (top second to left), Lee Sang-yoon (top right), Cho Eun-sook (bottom left), Kim Hye-ok (bottom second to left), Park Jeong-ah (bottom third to left), Lee Bo-young (bottom fourth to left), Gil Hwang-young, President of KBS (bottom fourth to right), actors Choi Yun-young (bottom third to right), Hong Yo-seob (bottom second to right) and Min Yeong-won (bottom right) at the show"s finale celebration in Seoul, Korea on February 22, 2013. [KBS]

[News] “Seo-young, My Daughter,” Closes its Curtain with Perfect Happy Ending.

Cr. - kstar10

The KBS series “Seo-young, My Daughter,” the ultimate chart-topper of the weekly ratings chart, has finally came to an end by depicting a perfect happy ending of families in trouble.

The popular weekend series pulled in amazing 45.2 percent of total viewers and topped the chart for the 22nd week during the week of February 25 and March 3, TNmS [Total National Multimedia Statistics] showed Monday.

The family fantasy sealed many of the emotional cracks that modern Korean families have by portraying on-screen families, centering around an age-old hatred and forgiveness of Seo-young [Lee Bo-young] toward her father, Sam-jae [Chun Ho-jin].

With a noticeable gap between the top drama, the KBS daily series “Cheer Up! Mr. Kim” continued at its No. 2 spot after earning an average of 29.2 percent of total viewers.

In last week’s episodes, Tae-pyeong [Kim Dong-wan] and Woo-kyeong [Wang Ji-hye] finally opened up about their true feelings toward each other, but their love does not seem easy because of the difference between their social status.

Sitting at the number three position is the KBS primetime news show “KBS 9 o’clock News,” which grabbed an average of 20.7 percent ratings in the same time frame.

While the KBS Sunday comedy show “Gag Concert” ranked at No. 4 with 20.4 percent support, the MBC period-set medical drama “The King’s Doctor” rounded off the top five with 20.3 percent ratings.

Other popular TV shows last week were MBC weekend drama “One Hundred Year’s Legacy,” SBS series “Queen of Ambition,” MBC soap opera “Maybe Love,” SBS reality show “The Laws of the Jungle” and MBC’s Saturday entertainment show “Infinite Challenge.”

Meanwhile, Nielsen Korea showed the top three programs in the same order and similar figures from TNmS’ during the fourth week of February.

While “Seo-young” broke its own record with 43.3 percent, “Cheer Up” and “KBS 9 o’clock News” followed next with 28.8 and 20.8 percent ratings, respectively.

[News] “New World” Reigns Weekend Box Office for 2nd Week.

Korean film actor Choi Min-sik on the set of "New World," opened in the local theaters on February 21, 2013. [NEW]

[News] “New World” Reigns Weekend Box Office for 2nd Week.
Cr. - kstar10

Korean film noir “New World” has continued its winning streak on the weekend box office, while “Miracle in Cell No. 7” followed with steady popularity.

The dark conspiracy and revenge story set in a criminal organization topped the local box office pulling in 849,376 moviegoers during the weekend of March 1 and 3, Korean Box Office Information System [KOBIS] showed Monday.

The tale of an undercover detective Lee [Lee Jung-jae], his senior detective Kang [Choi Min-sik] and merciless gangster Jung Cheong [Hwang Jeong-min] went over the 2.5 million mark in its 11 day of opening.

Sitting at the No. 2 spot is “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” the first 10-million-audience movie of 2013, which drew in 777,970 cinemagoers in the same time frame and surpassed 11 million audience mark.

U.S. fantasy adventure “Jack the Giant Slayer” made its debut at the third position with a support of 545,552 in admissions.

While Korean action blockbuster “The Berlin File” sat at No. 4 with posting 189,296 audiences, Park Chan-wook’s Hollywood debut thriller “Stoker” landed at the fifth spot after drawing in less-than-expected 165,412 moviegoers.

Other movies Koreas enjoyed last weekend were Chinese blockbuster “12 Chinese Zodiac Heads,” Indian animation “Delhi Safari,” U.S. animated picture “The Giant King,” American 3D animation “Sky Force 3D” and Korean thriller “An Ethics Lesson.”

[News] Actress holds rare, unique fan meet.

[News] Actress Kim Ah-joong holds rare, unique fan meet.
Joongang Ilbo

Kim Ah-joong brought fans to a facility for unmarried mothers in a rare domestic fan meet early last week arranged to mark the ninth anniversary of her debut, her agency said Saturday.

“Before celebrating the anniversary of the debut on March 12, Kim Ah-joong spent meaningful time with fans who have steadily supported her,” said the agency, Namoo Actors. “It was the first time in four years that she met with local fans.”

Her fan clubs, Cocoa and DC Inside Kim Ah Joong Gallery, volunteered with Kim at a facility for unmarried mothers where Kim frequently donates her time.

Kim, 30, starred in the sexy rom-com “My PS Partner” as Yoon Jeong who falls in love with Hyun Seung (played by Ji Sung), a stranger with whom she has phone sex after accidentally dialing the wrong number.

The movie has attracted more than 1.8 million moviegoers since its release in December, according to the Korean Film Council. This month, she will embark on an overseas volunteer mission in Liberia as part of an SBS program, “Hope TV,” the agency said.

[News] How Does Kim Bum Keep Himself Warm During the Outdoor Scenes of “That Winter, The Wind Blows?”

[News] How Does Kim Bum Keep Himself Warm During the Outdoor Scenes of “That Winter, The Wind Blows?”
Cr. - soompi

On March 1, actor Kim Bum’s agency “King Kong Entertainment” released behind-the-scene photos of the actor on the set of SBS’s drama “That Winter, The Wind Blows.”

In the pictures is Kim Bum during the breaks while filming the outdoor scenes. He appears to be wearing several layers of sweaters and a heavily padded jacket on top. He is also wearing a pair of black ear muffs on one of the photos.

An official from the drama set later revealed that despite the difficult schedule and weather, Kim Bum never lost his smile or complained.

Netizens that saw these photos admired, “Even in the cold, Kim Bum looks so handsome,” “Love his gentle smile,” “His lovely smiles melt my heart,” “He looks great with the red hair.”

[News] Han Ji Hye is More Than a Pretty Face for Aveda Korea.

[News] Han Ji Hye is More Than a Pretty Face for Aveda Korea.
Cr. - sg.entertainment.yahoo

Actress Han Ji Hye is the new model for beauty brand Aveda Korea.

On February 27, an Aveda representative said, “We decided that Han Ji Hye is the perfect model for our brand for her pure and bright image with a stylish charm.”

As the face of Aveda Korea, Han Ji Hye visited Kenya in early February for volunteer work.

With the support of Aveda, the actress helped dig wells and deliver relief goods. She also helped treat children with Tungiasis disease.

A source close to Han Ji Hye commented, “We are happy that Han Ji Hye is the new face model for a beauty brand with tradition. Han Ji Hye will continue to participate globally and through good deeds representing Aveda.”

Han Ji Hye, who recently received the Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards for her lead role in May Queen, is deciding on her next project. 

[News] Actor Lee Jong Suk reveals he’s mistaken as a flirt.

[News] Actor Lee Jong Suk reveals he’s mistaken as a flirt.
Cr. - allkpop

Two of the hottest actors at the moment, Lee Jong Suk and Joo Won, are apparently misunderstood “flirts.”

Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin shared how it was working with each other on the KBS 2TV drama ‘School 2013‘. The two co-stars also revealed their differences in taste when it comes to skinship.

Kim Woo Bin, who is close friends with Lee Jong Suk, shared, “Jong Suk has a lot of aegyo. Although I’m the type to have a lot of aegyo as well, I’m nothing compared to Jong Suk. Jong Suk is the first person I’ve seen who doesn’t act differently with male or female, young or old and naturally shows aegyo. He was born with it.”

Lee Jong Suk explained, “I grew up thinking that I was manly, but everyone kept saying that I had a lot of aegyo. That is why recently I admitted that I do have a lot of aegyo. I usually do a lot of skinship, so I like talking with people while holding their hands whether they’re a boy or a girl. If I’m with someone I’m comfortable with, I hug and pat them. Because of this, there are times when I get misunderstood. That is why Woo Bin told me that I’m a flirt. I realized that there are people who don’t like skinship. In Woo Bin’s case, he doesn’t like holding hands.”

Woo Bin suggested, “Meet up with Joo Won. He also has a lot of skinship and aegyo,” to which Lee Jong Suk responded, “So there is another person like me. It would be funny if I met up with him.”

Lee Jong Suk’s skinship with Kim Woo Bin both on and off screen was probably what led to their hilarious scandal.

[News] Park Shi Hoo’s History of Expensive Gift Receiving Surface.

 

[News] Park Shi Hoo’s History of Expensive Gift Receiving Surface. 
Cr. - soompi

Expensive gifts Park Shi Hoo received from his fans are garnering much attention along with his alleged rape charge. According to a source, Park Shi Hoo received a Jaguar, a luxurious British car, which was worth approximately 150 million Korean won at the time.

This source added, “The car is not the only thing Park Shi Hoo got from his fans. The home theater system at his house, which costs about 10 million Korean won, is also from his fans.” Park Shi Hoo’s fans have given more than just extraordinarily expensive gifts.

Previously, Park Shi Hoo’s fans visited filming sites during cold winter days with hot packs for all cast and staff members on the site and brought a snack truck for everyone, too. They also have given herbal medicine not only for Park Shi Hoo, but also for his family and friends.

Meanwhile, the international sales of SBS “Cheongdamdong Alice” has been stalled due to Park Shi Hoo’s case. Originally, SBS planned on starting the negotiation process through SBS Contents Hub with overseas buyers at the end of February, but all discussions regarding “Cheongdamdong Alice” has stopped as soon as the news about Park Shi Hoo’s alleged rape broke out on February 18. SBS commented, “It is true that we are facing some problems regarding ‘Cheongdamdong Alice’ overseas sales. We just have to wait and see how this works out.”

[News] Ming Dao Forced to Repay Brother’s Astronomical Debt.

[News] Ming Dao Forced to Repay Brother’s Astronomical Debt.
Cr. - jaynestars

From an outsider’s perspective, Taiwanese actor Ming Dao (明道) appears to be one of the most successful artists in the industry. He was honorably discharged from the Taiwanese military in January, and his period drama Beauties of the Emperor <王的女人> is slated to begin airing in Taiwan on March 6. Moreover, he is so popular in mainland China that filming a 30-episode-long drama can net him a total of 40 million RMB.

However, it was recently revealed that Ming Dao’s elder brother, Michael Lin (林明弘), borrowed up to 6.5 million RMB and then skipped town, leaving Ming Dao to bear the burden of his debt.

Ever since Ming Dao was young, his family has reportedly suffered from substandard financial circumstances. Starting from fifth grade, he had to set up a vendor’s stall in the street to help his family eke out a living. Despite his success in the entertainment industry, Ming Dao’s many accomplishments have been undercut by the financial ineptitude of his family, whose debts he has been helping to repay these past years.

The worst offender in his family is likely his unemployed elder brother, Michael, who racked up a debt of 6.5 million RMB by exploiting Ming Dao’s celebrity status in order to take out loans. To make up for his dabbling in the stock market, Michael had to use his family’s household registration certificate and his vehicle registration as collateral. He even went so far as to say that Ming Dao would be able to repay the debt for him, even though Ming Dao already covers his monthly living expenses. After borrowing 4 million RMB from one creditor, Michael seized the money and fled, forcing his younger brother to shoulder the debt.

Despite this taxing burden, Ming Dao is unwilling to let his family suffer, choosing instead to single-handedly support all six members of his family. In the past, he purchased both a mansion and a car for his parents, and it is suggested that he “evaded” his compulsory military service for so long because he wanted to find a place for his family to settle down before he enlisted. One staff member shared a touching story of how Ming Dao received a bowl of high-quality chicken broth during work, but was reluctant to drink it because he wanted his family members to have a sip as well.

[News] “Bu Bu Jing Xin 2” to Film on March 2.

[News] “Bu Bu Jing Xin 2” to Film on March 2.
Cr. - jaynestars

Above: Cecilia Liu will star in the sequel to “Bu Bu Jing Xin”.

The immensely popular time-traveling drama Bu Bu Jing Xin <步步驚心> recently released an alternate ending, in which the modern version of “Fourth Prince” (Nicky Wu 吳奇隆) is revealed to be the driver of the car that crashed into Zhang Xiao (Cecilia Liu 劉詩詩) and sent her back to the Qing Dynasty as “Ruoxi.” In the wake of this new ending, a Tangren staff member also confirmed that Bu Bu Jing Qing <步步驚情>, the highly anticipated modern-era reboot, is scheduled to begin filming in Tianjin on March 2.

Bu Bu Jing Qing will tell the story of businesswoman Zhang Xiao, who enters the workforce of a large-scale company but initially finds herself ostracized in the workplace. To her surprise, she gains the attention of her boss, Yin Zheng, setting off sparks of love from both sides. The kind and considerate Kang Sihan, however, also enters her world, and Zhang Xiao is forced into the center of the two men’s furious trade war as a result.

In a recent interview, Tangren producer Karen Tsai (蔡藝儂) revealed that although Bu Bu Jing Qing will integrate elements of business competition, the main plot will still revolve around love. She also added that the love story would not be of the “so-called sadomasochistic” type.

Ever since Nicky Wu, Cecilia Liu, “Tenth Prince” Ye Zuxin (葉祖新), and “Kangxi” Damian Lau (劉松仁) were confirmed to appear in Bu Bu Jing Qing, netizens have been wildly deliberating over the rest of the lineup. While it has been confirmed that “Eighth Prince” Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) will not participate due to scheduling conflicts, no official news has been heard about “Fourteenth Prince” Lin Gengxin (林更新), who is currently mired in a dispute with his management company, Tangren. It has also been rumored that mainland Chinese actor Sun Yizhou (孫藝洲), known for his role in the iPartment <愛情公寓> series, may be joining the team as well. As always, Tangren insists on remaining tight-lipped and said that they will announce the entire cast list when it is finalized.
- See more at: http://www.jaynestars.com/tv-dramas/bu-bu-jing-xin-2-to-film-on-march-2/#sthash.h48vcKtR.dpuf

[News] "That Winter, the Wind Blows" beats "Iris 2" and "My Girlfriend Is An Agent".

[News] "That Winter, the Wind Blows" beats "Iris 2" and "My Girlfriend Is An Agent".
Cr. - hancinema

While SBS drama "That Winter, the Wind Blows" is the lead out of three, MBC "7th Grade Civil Servant" and KBS 2TV "IRIS 2" are competing neck to neck.

According to Nielson Korea, the seventh episode of "That Winter, the Wind Blows" rated 13.9%, the twelfth episode of "7th Grade Civil Servant" rated 10.6% and the sixth episode of "IRIS 2" rated 10.1%.

"IRIS 2" came in second on the 27th of February. However, it's dropped from second place in just an episode. "7th Grade Civil Servant" increased 0.6% from 10% and went up to second place.

While "That Winter, the Wind Blows" is continuously in the lead, "IRIS 2" and "7th Grade Civil Servant" are competing for the next best place.

[News] Nam Sang-mi might star in "Goddess of Marriage".

[News] Nam Sang-mi might star in "Goddess of Marriage".
Cr. - hancinema

Actress Nam Sang-mi is considering whether or not to star in the upcoming weekend drama "Goddess of Marriage".

Kim Seong-min is also in the process of negotiating terms and conditions for the lead role of the drama. The actor and actress are looking into it, but haven't made any final decisions yet. There's still a lot of time left until July when the drama starts.

"Goddess of Marriage" is about the different stories of four married couples and is produced by Oh Jin-seok from "Shining Inheritance".

Meanwhile, Nam Sang-mi was in the KBS drama special, "Miraculous Miracles" as a liver cancer specialist and also broke up with Lee Sang-yoon whom she had been seeing for almost 2 years.  

Kim Seong-min laid low for two years after being accused of using drugs then returning to "Can We Get Married??" in 2012 - "Goddess of Marriage" will be the first drama in 3 years that he'll be returning to if he is casted in a role.