Choi Cheol-ho to work alongside Kim Hyun-joong

Choi Cheol-ho is set to star in the drama "City Conquest" which boasts Hallyu singer Kim Hyun-joong as the lead.
In the comic-turned-drama about a son who seeks vengeance on those who brought his family to ruins, Choi will play one of the villains who Kim must battle.

The show is set to be a hit; even before it went into production, the program's rights were sold to four markets in Asia.
Simply by having his name on the show, Kim has already made 118 million won ($9,986,254) for his production company.

Written by Shin Hyung-bin, the original comic has been in print since 1996 and its 270 issues have sold more than 10 million copies to date.

By Carla Sunwoo [carlasunwoo@joongang.co.kr]

Source : koreajoongangdaily.jo... ( English Korean )

Song Hye-kyo and Jo In-seong considering writer Noh Hee-kyeong

Actress Song Hye-kyo and actor Jo In-Seong are thinking about writer Noh Hee-kyeong and her project "Wind Blows in Winter".

They both have been offered roles in "Wind Blows in Winter" and are going through them.

The two of them have been away from TV for a long time. Song Hye-kyo last starred in the 2008 drama "Worlds Within" and Jo In-Seong in the 2005 drama "Spring Days".

"Wind Blows in Winter" is written by Noh Hee-kyeong and produced by Kim Kyoo-tae and is aimed for production next year.

Source : starin.edaily.co.kr/n... ( English )
Credit to hancinema.net

[Video] Rain's endurance test for R2B: RETURN TO BASE shocks viewers

The video clip of Rain's 9G pressure training is becoming a hot topic online. To prepare for production, the cast of "R2B: Return to Base" all underwent endurance tests to prevent symptoms that may be experienced from too much acceleration force in high-speed jets, including loss of consciousness and change in vision. The test measures G-force, which is a unit used to measure the force that a human body is subjected to when accelerated. A typical person can withstand about 5G before losing consciousness.

Wearing a G-suit, Rain shocked his costars and military trainers alike when he challenged himself with the pressure tests. Said his costar Kim Sung-soo, "Once you past the 6G test, you're ready to board a jet. Rain was the first one out of all of us to pass the 6G test". He continued, "You're pretty much set once you pass the 6G test. But Rain insisted that he do the 9G pressure test as well. He passed. Passing a 9G test is something that only the top 1% of jet pilots can do, and you certainly don't do a 6G and 9G test all in one day. The air force said that this is the first time anyone has done that".

Rain's costar, Yoo Joon-sang, succeeded in the 6G test after fainting during the first 2 tries. In order to get into character and into shape for the shooting of "R2B: Return to Base", the entire cast underwent training periods that lasted from 4 months to 1 year.

Source : www.r2b2012.com/... ( English Korean )
Credit to hancinema.net

Hyeon Yeong becomes a mother

Entertainer Hyeon Yeong gave birth to a girl weighing in at 3.18 kilograms (seven pounds) yesterday.

The actress went into labor about 3 a.m. at a clinic in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

The 35-year-old star's family and friends were present to congratulate Hyeon, who walked down the aisle just five months ago.

"The baby and mother are both fine", Hyeon's agency told local media. "The infant does take after the mother, but looks a lot more like the dad".

According to the agency, the versatile entertainer who has dabbled in modeling, acting and singing will be out of action for an indefinite amount of time.

Hyeon tied the knot in early March to a finance man when she was about a month pregnant, but confirmed that she was with child only after the wedding.

In April, she announced she was taking take time off from hosting various TV shows.

During the break, Hyeon took some prenatal classes and vowed that she'd resume her career after giving birth.

By Carla Sunwoo

Source : koreajoongangdaily.jo... ( English Korean)

Kong Hyo-jin & Ryoo Seung-beom Split Up

One of the most notable celebrity couples in Korea have called it quits.

Representatives of Kong Hyo-jin and Ryoo Seung-beom confirmed on August 15th that the two stars have split up. They've decided to remain just friends, and an official statement with the details will be released soon.

The two had met in 2001 after filming "Splendid Days". They've had an on and off relationship for the past 10 years.

Kong is currently preparing for a documentary film release, "Project 577", while Ryoo is filming his new movie "In Berlin".

Source : english.kbs.co.kr/Ent... ( English Korean )

'Gangnam' take 2 going out of style

A second version of Psy's current hit "Gangnam Style" was released online yesterday to a mediocre response from netizens.

There has been a lot of buzz about the remake as Hyun-a from 4Minute, who appears in the original video, has a larger role in singing the song's key phrase: "Oppa Gangnam style".

Although the girl group member was given a more prominent role, the video was a flop.

The video accrued some 700,000 hits in just 12 hours, but most of the comments voiced disappointment with Hyun-a's "poor vocals".

"It's like a chipmunk version", said one viewer who claimed to have been a fan of the original.

The decision to make the subsequent version of the song came after the video's huge popularity at home and abroad.

The upbeat predecessor was released over a month ago and has topped Korean sales and major music charts for weeks. CNN, The Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post have covered the song as well.

By Carla Sunwoo


Source : koreajoongangdaily.jo... ( English Korean )