Korean movie “Secret Sunshine” (밀양; Milyang) is the biggest winner with 3 major awards (complete list). Below are some pics from the event…

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung (best actor) and Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon (best actress)

Hong Kong based pop duo 2R

Taiwanese actor Chang Chen and Korean actress Song Hye-kyo

Hong Kong artists Kate Tsui and Miriam Yeung

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi and Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun

Chinese actress Joan Chen (best supporting actress)

Japanese actress Mika Nakatani and Korean actor Song Kang-ho

(Image via Dayoo, K-popped, Qq and Sohu)

Olive9 is responding to reports which claimed that the Korean actress was drunk and behaved inappropriately in the LVMH party last Friday (Mar 14, 2008). Choi and her reps strongly denied the reports and stated that she didn’t drink at all.

Choi Ji-woo at the LVMH party; the guy is Hong Kong star Chow Yun Fat

At first glance, Choi does seem like tipsy from the photos; but then, photos could be deceiving sometimes… we’ll have to choose what we want to believe.

Point is, it’s a party, people do get drunk. As long as they are not too misbehaved (thrown up or taking off their cloths etc) and have friends around to take care of them when needed… we should just let it be ain’t so? If normal people could get drunk and gone wild occasionally, why are celebrities forbidden to do so?

Director Kim Hae-gon, co-stars Kim In-kwon and Park Han-byul were also at the event.

Song Seung-hun and Kwon Sang-woo at the special press screening

Song, Kwon, actress Park Han-byul and co. at the special screening (Image via Chosun)

Destiny is about four buddies who find themselves confronting each other under unexpected circumstances, which involves love, betrayal and brotherhood.

The movie is highly anticipated by Korean drama/movie fans as it would be Song’s first act since discharging from his two-years military service. The movie will make its public screening on March 20.

You need a huge stage for a 13-member boyband

SuJu in action (Image courtesy of Newsen, hat tip to K-popped)

Super Junior is one of the most popular pop groups in Korea; their second album “Don’t Don” was Korea’s second best selling album in 2007.

Daniel Henney as Agent Zero (AZ image courtesy of Marvel)

The film is directed by Gavin Hood and is a prequel to the X-Men movie trilogy, focusing on the mutant Wolverine and Team X, before his skeleton was bonded with the indestructible metal adamantium.

Daniel will star as Agent Zero (also known as David North), a member of the Weapon X program and an expert tracker with lethal marksman skills. It should be a cool character, but I wonder if Daniel’s fans would cherrish the role as his face would probably be unseen for the whole movie.

Lee graduated from Chung-Ang University (중앙대학교; literally Central University) after 9 years of studies, while Ivy from Dongduk Women’s University after 7 years.

Lee is a veteran singer and actress; she was already quite famous when she enrolled into CAU in 1999. Ivy is relatively new but was arguably the most outstanding Korean female pop star in 2007.

Ivy’s graduation… shiny shoes and expensive bag

Lee Jung-hyun’s graduation… (Image credits to Newsen and Spn)

Koreans in general give high priority to education; lots of Korean artists took their studies seriously as well despite their hectic schedule, and most of them obviously took a longer period to graduate.

Other big names that have high level education include pop star Lee Hyori; actress Lee Young-ae, Kim Tae-hee, Ha Ji-won; actors Lee Byung-hun and Kim Jeong-hoon etc.

[Update] Actor Yoo Ji-tae was graduating on Feb 22 too… his achievement is more remarkable than the above two as he has obtained his master’s degree instead of bachelor’s degree.

Korean pop star and famous music producer Park Jin-young is set to wow the US audiences with The JYP Tour, featuring his protégés Wondergirls, J-Lim, Min and G-Soul.

The tour will kick start on Feb 9 at the Wamu Theater at New York’s Madison Square Garden, followed by Los Angeles’s Wiltern Theater on Mar 8. There are also plans for concerts at Atlanta and San Francisco, which are pending on announcement.

Besides the concerts, JYP will also hold auditions in NYC (Mar 9) and LA (Mar 15) to look for fresh talents to join his agency; more audition details from K-popped.

The 60-year-old crooner was at a news conference to deny rumour that his private part was cut off by a Yakuza (Japanese gangster), whom the media reported to be unhappy with Hoon-a for having a relationship with his mistress.

Na Hoon-a ‘dropping his trousers’ (Image courtesy of Chosun)

Hoon-a stunned the audiences when he jumped on the table and began lowering his pants, revealing his underwear (partially) before the live TV broadcast was cut. Later reports (video below) showed that he decided to pull his pants back up instead of revealing anything further.

The ‘castration’ rumour was spreading like wildfire online last week, that Hoon-a was in relationship with a Korean actress with ‘Kim’ as surname, who is actually a mistress of a Yakuza boss in Korea… thus resulting in the gangster’s revenge on the singer.

Hoon-a was not the only person affected by this saga; actress Kim Hye-soo, who was alleged to be the rumoured mistress, has to publicly deny the rumour as well.

SG Wannabe’s Chae Dong-ha is leaving the popular Korean R&B group soon. SG Wannabe’s agency, Mnet Media, has revealed that Chae will not be renewing his contract when it expires in May 2008.

SG Wannabe (L-R)… Kim Jin-ho, Chae Dong-ha and Kim Yong-jun (Image courtesy of Sina)

It has been a known fact that Chae is interested in branching out his career into acting and stage performances, but Mnet wanted SG Wannabe to focus in singing instead… Chae has no choice but to leave the group to pursue his own interest.

Chae’s decision has received blessings from his other group members, Kim Yong-jun and Kim Jin-ho. It’s not the end of SG Wannabe though, as Mnet has announced that they will find a replacement for Chae instead of disbanding the group.

SG Wannabe has been a hit group in Korea since making their debut in 2004. The trio’s 4th and latest album “The Sentimental Chord” is Korea’s best selling album of the year 2007.

SG Wannabe is expected to release their 5th album before Chae leaves the group.

The Recording Industry Association of Korea (MIAK) has announced that SG Wannabe tops Korea’s best selling album chart of 2007.

SG Wannabe’s “The Sentimental Chord” sold 190,998 copies, followed by Super Junior’s “Don’t Don” (164,058) and Epik High’s “Remapping the Human Soul” (120,301).

With South Korea’s 49 million populations, the sales figure is surprisingly low for a best selling album.

My take though, is that the video is trying to tell the young men that joining the army is a proud thing to do (girls will love ya). Korean men have to serve their mandatory military service for 24 months after the age of 18 (latest by 28) unless exemption is given under special circumstances.

Bae Yong-joon’s “The Legend” bags 8 awards and becomes the biggest winner of the MBC Drama Awards 2007. The award ceremony was held on Dec 30 in Seoul, with Shin Dong-yup and Hyun Young as the emcees.

Below are pictures of some Korean stars on the red carpet…

Bae Yong-joon in clutches because of injury sustained while filming The Legend

Gong Yoo and Joo Ji-hoon

Han Ji-min and Gong Hyo-jin

Jang Hyuk and Lee Junki

Lee Ji-ah (with her self-designed dress) and Lee Yoon-ji

Nam Sang-mi and Park Jung-ah

Park Shin-hye and Yoon Eun-hye (Image credits as labeled)

Some of the major awards winners…

Daesang (Grand Prize)
Bae Yong-joon (The Legend)

Top Excellent Actors
Kim Myung-min (White Tower) and Lee Seo-jin (Yi San)

Top Excellent Actresses
Gong Hyo-jin (Thank You) and Yoon Eun-hye (The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince)

Excellent Actors
Gong Yoo (The 1st Shop pf Coffee Prince) and Lee Jun-ki (Time Between Dog and Wolf)

Excellent Actresses
Han Ji-min (Yi San) and Nam Sang-mi (Time Between Dog and Wolf)

S.E.S made their public debut in Nov 1997 and was arguably the most popular Korean girls group in late 90s and early 2000s. The group was however disbanded (albeit unofficially) in late 2002 with all the 3 members (Bada, Eugene and Shoo) pursuing their solo career instead.

S.E.S 10th anniversary reunion… Bada, Eugene and Shoo (L-R)

(Image courtesy of Newsen)

These photos will be exhibited at Insa Art Center, Seoul, on December 12-19, with collaboration from Korean Social Welfare Society. Proceeds from this exhibition will be used to support child adoption welfare.

Among the stars that participated in this year’s photo shoot includes (from top to bottom) Han Hye-jin, married couple Hong Eun-hye & Yoo Joon-sang, Jang Hyuk, Joo Ji-hoon, Kim Jung-eun, Lee Mi-yeon, Park Jung-ah, Yoon Eun-hye, and the WonderGirls.

[Image courtesy of Lovefund]

More pictures from 6th Korean Film Awards…

Hostess Song Yun-ah and special guest Park Jin-young (JYP) performed on stage

Ji Hyun-woo and Jung Il-woo

Lee Hana and Lee Young-eun

Kwak Ji-min and Lee Yeon-hee

Kim Min-sun and Lee Hye-young

Jung Kyung-ho and best supporting actor Sung Ji-ru

Jun Hye-jin and Kim Ji-soo

Hyun Young and Jo Eun-ji

Jin Goo and Andre Kim