Actress Kim So-eun is currently pulling double duty with roles in two different KBS productions: On Mondays and Tuesdays, she’s the sassy best friend in the trendy drama Boys Before Flowers, and on weekends she plays the childhood counterpart to Chae Shi-ra’s grown-up warrior leader in historical series Empress Cheon-chu.

The latter has given her the nickname “Little Chae Shi-ra,” which is pretty high praise for a rookie actress given Chae’s respected veteran status. Kim’s performances have been well-received and, following her first appearance on Empress Cheon-chu, Kim’s name shot to the top of online searches.

On an entertainment program on the 17th, Kim said, “At first it didn’t seem real. Thank you so much for supporting me… I don’t even have much experience acting, and I hardly feel like I deserve to be called ‘Little Chae Shi-ra.’” She did, however, spent months training in action school for her role, enabling her to perform her own horseback riding and falling stunts.

Boys Before Flowers‘ ratings are high for its new episodes, but even re-broadcasts are holding strong — Sunday reruns recorded an 8.6% for Episode 3 and a whopping 13.4% for Episode 4. Not only is it unusual for a rerun to pull in double-digit numbers, it’s even outperforming Sunday’s new programming, such as MBC’s variety show We Got Married (10.2%).

(Compared to other reruns: Golden Age of My Life had a 6.4% and 7.4%; East of Eden a 5.1% and 8.8%.)

Granted, We Got Married hasn’t been as popular since losing a lot of its initial couples, but that’s still got to hurt. Especially when many critically acclaimed dramas can’t even pull in double-digit ratings in their first-run broadcasts.

Boys Before Flowers will see Goo Hye Sun playing a leading role. She expressed, “It would be a lie if I said I was not feeling the burden.”

The Korean version sees Goo Hye Sun playing Yeon Woo who is an average girl and whose family owns dry-cleaning shop that is located near the luxurious and well-known Shin Hwa College. Yeon Woo meets the four richest spoilt boys when she delivers laundry to the school one day. The boys are known as F4 and causes trouble to those who dares to oppose them. More surprises are in store for F4 when Yeon Woo surprisingly enters the college for studies.
Goo Hye Sun have participated in two period dramas in King and I and Strongest Chil-Woo in the earlier part of 2008. Both saw her acting in roles that were more mature than her actual age. However, for Boys Before Flowers, she will be wearing school uniforms and play a high-school girl.

Goo Hye Sun expressed, “It would be a lie if I said I was not feeling the burden. But I feel that I can assimilate myself into the role as time goes by. I have never been more happy just preparing myself for the role. I hope that this drama will meet everyone’s expectations and I will give it my best effort.”

In other casting news that’s confirmed, Han Go Eun will play Goo Joon Pyo’s (Lee Min Ho) sister while Han Chae Young has been confirmed in a cameo role as Yoon Ji Hoo’s (Kim Hyun Joong) first love. The 24 episodes Boy Before Flowers is likely to air just before 2008 ends in December on KBS2TV.

Add one more big name to the cast of Boys Before Flowers (Hana Yori Dango): the lovely Kim Hyun-joo, last seen in last year’s drama Insoon is Pretty, has been cast in the Tsubaki role, older sister to main character Doumyouji Tsukasa.

Kim Hyun-joo’s character is named Gu Jun-hee in the series and is the chaebol successor to the family enterprise, one of the nation’s top corporations. She lives in the States, but has taken care of her little bro, played by Lee Min-ho, since their youth, in the absence of their busy business-minded parents.

I’m a bit surprised, since Kim Hyun-joo’s image is a little softer than the sassy, kickass Tsubaki I saw in the Japanese version, but I don’t think this is necessarily a bad move. The older generation needs solid actors to back up their principal cast, which is on the green side, and she’s a stronger actor than her fellow “older” castmate, Han Chae-young (Han does fit her image to a tee, though, and plays Shizuka, Rui’s (Kim Hyun-joong) first love).

The new Monday-Tuesday drama will air on KBS in December.

The latest heartthrob for Korean women is the young actor Lee Min-ho, the hero of the new hit KBS 2TV drama (airing Mon-Tues) “Boys Before Flowers.” His casting as the hero of this drama series, extremely popular across Asia, created a buzz from the start. Any handsome actor would covet the role of one of the members of the “F4,” a group of rich and popular boys at a school where the story takes place.

The Korean cast for F4 was finally revealed and the casting of a complete novice actor, Lee (22), for the role of F4 leader “Gu Jun-pyo” was almost shocking.

The series has kicked off and Lee has literally become a star overnight, silencing doubts of how he would handle the heavyweight role. His name tops various Internet search-word lists and 100,000 fans visit his Internet homepage each day.

The “F4 craze” has hit Korea since the drama series was also made in Taiwan and Japan, and Lee is at the center of it all. But he had his share of trials thus far. He debuted in the 2006 EBS drama “The Secret Campus” but had to take a year off after a car accident. After his rehabilitation, he landed his first lead role in the SBS high teen drama “Mackerel Run!” but the series ran short.

Lee said, “If I didn’t have the accident and continued acting I might not have been able to meet ‘Jun-pyo.’ I shiver at this thought. What I suffered led me to this breakthrough role. I worried about the role because I’m unknown to the public, but of course I was thrilled to be cast.”

But the title role of the super popular Asian drama series is actually a heavy burden to shoulder.

Jun-pyo is the heir to Korea’s number one conglomerate group and a typical spoiled and arrogant character. He is hot-tempered and rough, but also has childlike innocence. A polar opposite of his friend Ji-hu (played by Kim Hyeon-jung), Jun-pyo has his heart firmly set on Geum Jan-di (Gu Hye-seon), the daughter of a working class family who runs a dry cleaning store.

Women viewers empathize with the rich F4 boys doting on Jan-di. They also get to love Jun-pyo as more of his sides are shown and say he is attractive in many ways. Women want to take care of him and be embraced by him at the same time.

He is a high school student in the drama, but Lee is actually on leave from Konkuk Univ. where he majors in cinema/art. What is Lee really like? He said, “I think I’m somewhere between Jun-pyo and Jan-di. I have both sides of them. This cute handsome guy role is unfamiliar though. I can totally carry a pathetic role as well (laugh). But for now, I hope to be Jun-pyo and him alone.”

Koo Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di aka Makino Tsukushi

Lee Min Ho as Goo Joon Pyo aka Domyoji Tsukasa

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo aka Hanazawa Rui

Kim Bum as So Yi Jung aka Nishikado Sojiro

Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin aka Mimasaka Akira

Lee Min Ho, who became wildly popular after acting as Goo Joon Pyo in “Boys Before Flowers”, recently revealed that he will have more love scandals in the near future.

Lee Min Ho plays the leader of the legendary F4 in the drama. Shortly after the broadcast of episode 1 on the 5th Jan, rumours regarding him and Davich member Kang Min Kyung in a love relationship were circulated on the internet. Hence, he was a little embarrassed recently because of the rumour.

During the interview, Lee Min Ho said: “Even before broadcast, I have already predicted that there will be such rumours regarding Kang Min Kyung and me. My intimate photos and KTV videos taken with her were widely discussed and spread around on the internet. But before this drama ends, there will be 3 others about to be in a rumour with me. They are Park Bo Young, Moon Chae Won and Choi Eun Seo.

Coincidentally, these are all the rising stars in the current Korean entertainment circle. Kang Min Kyung has maintained a very close relationship with Lee Min Ho since debut while Park Bo Young (Speed Scandal) and Moon Chae Won (The Painter of the Wind) have collaborated with him in “Our School E.T”.

Lee Min ho said: “They are like ‘brothers’ to me. I like to be close with my very good friends. I have two ex-girlfriends after 19, but none since then. I’m definitely not the one who steps on two boats (having 2 lovers at the same time) and will also not easily enter into a relationship. I like pure and demure girls.”

Tuesday January 20, 2009 Korea

MBC announced today that East of Eden will be extended by 4 episodes.

According to a person in charge, the original plan between MBC and Chorokbaem Media was to extend East of Eden by 8 episodes to cover up for the follow-up drama My Love For You abrupt cancellation. But because some of the cast members from East of Eden have other commitments, they decided to halve it to 4 episodes instead. The drama will thus end with 54 episodes. It’s believed that because the pace of the drama is progressing slower than expected, there isn’t any need to write any additional storylines.

But amidst the drama extension, there are worrying signs ahead for MBC with KBS Boys Before Flowers coming really close on the ratings front.

Boys Before Flowers set another new rating high on the 19th with 24.8% and the possibility that they could well knock East of Eden off the summit is very real despite the latter dominating for the past few months. East of Eden might still have won yesterday with 25.1% but the margin is now only 0.3%.

Since debuting, the ratings of Boys Before Flowers has been increasing with each new episode. And in only its 3rd week of broadcast, it has managed to whittled down the 10% lead held by East of Eden to only 0.3% yesterday. It will be interesting to see the final ratings after their respective episodes on the 20th. The battle between MBC and KBS has impacted SBS Terroir greatly as it registered only a dismal 6.5%, and effectively out of the equation.

Tuesday January 20, 2009 Korea

According to Kraze Entertainment today, Yoon Eun Hye has agreed to appear in Lady Castle and will be inking the contract shortly with the production company. This will be her comeback drama after Coffee Prince 1st Shop in 2007.

Lady Castle revolves around a family of 3 sisters (Eun Hye is the 2nd sister) and the inheritance left behind by their father. The broadcast station is yet to be determined, but it has already generated interest among many fans because of her stellar performance in her last drama Coffee Prince 1st Shop.

The production company behind Lady Castle is the one that caused Park Shin Yang to be suspended indefinitely by the Korea Television Drama Production Company Association last year after they refused to pay his unpaid wages. This has also led to a ban for future dramas under the production company to be shown on the 3 major Korean tv broadcasting stations and is the main reason for the delay over which tv station will Lady Castle be shown on.

The production company is now in talks with the Korea Television Drama Production Company Association and is hopeful that the ban will be lifted soon. Should there be a break down in talks resulting in Lady Castle being unable to be broadcast on the 3 major Korean broadcasting stations, then Yoon Eun Hye has the right to cancel the contract offer without any penalty at all.

According to the production company, “Other than Yoon Eun Hye, we are still in the process of selecting the other cast members. But despite the ban, we are now in talks with the tv statons and are thinking of airing it in the earlier half of 2009. If it’s not possible, then it will greet viewers in the latter half instead.”

1. What did you dream of yesterday?
YH: I can’t remember
CM: Didn’t dream
JJ: Can’t remember
YC: I didn’t dream
JS: I didn’t dream

2. What’s the first thing you see in the morning?
YH: Hand phone
CM: Manager’s face
JJ: Manager’s smiling face
YC: Hand phone
JS: Manager’s face

3. What do you feel like doing most right now?
YH: Snowboarding
CM: Travelling
JJ: Jogging
YC: Fishing
JS: Travel

4. What’s your hand phone ringtone?
YH: Hand phone ringtone (T/N: Think he means default ringtone)
CM: Vibration mode
JJ: [Mirotic]
YC: It’s usually on silent mode
JS: [Don’t Say Goodbye]

5. What do you do when you’re alone?
YH: Drive
CM: Read books
JJ: Sleep
YC: Roll around at home
JS: Drive

6. If you had a week’s holiday, what would you do?
YH: Ski resort
CM: Travel
JJ: Travel alone
YC: Snowboard
JS: Travel

7. What’s the pride of your room?
YH: Prizes we received
CM: It’s wide
JJ: Sofa
YC: Pecha (T/N: No idea what that is either.)
JS: The big window where the morning sunlight comes in from

8. What do you do to cheer yourself out when you’re sad?
YH: Dance, exercise
CM: Drive
JJ: Talk a walk
YC: Drink and talk to my brother
JS: Drive

9. What was your scariest experience so far?
YH: When I fell from the rooftop in my church
CM: When I saw a ghost (T/N: The Junsu? Or the bird? He mentioned it here)
JJ: When I injured my leg during a dance rehearsal
YC: When I first came to Japan
JS: When I heard Changmin sleep talk

10. The last time you cried?
YH: Award ceremony
CM: During a Korean award ceremony
JJ: None
YC: Not really
JS: A little during a Korean award ceremony

11. When did you feel that you’re really blessed/happy?
YH: When I’m singing on stage
CM: When I’m singing on stage
JJ: Award ceremony
YC: When I stand on stage
JS: When I lie on my bed after a day’s schedule

12. What’s your ideal type?
YH: Someone who’ll only believe in me, an optimistic person
CM: Someone who’s mature, with deep thoughts
JJ: A woman with pretty hands
YC: A gentle woman
JS: A bright/cheerful woman

13. Something a female does that makes your heart beat faster?
YH: When she brushes off the dirt/lint on my clothes
CM: When she places her hands on her chest when bowing
JJ: Nothing special, just when I feel she’s feminine
YC: When she’s washing clothes
JS: When she places her hands on her chest when bowing

14. What will you give to your girlfriend?
YH: I’ll write a song for her
CM: A bouquet
JJ: I’ll write a song for her
YC: Myself
JS: Necklace

15. What do you want for your next birthday?
YH: Shoes
CM: Car
JJ: Car
YC: Time to spend it with the people I treasure
JS: Holiday

16. If you found a million yen?
YH: Give it to the people in need
CM: Give it to the police
JJ: Give it to the police
YC: Save
JS: Give it to the police

17. If you were reborn as a girl tomorrow?
YH: Cry my heart out
CM: I want to go to an onsen
JJ: I want to buy clothes!
YC: I want to go to an onsen (T/N: hot spring)
JS: I want to go to an onsen

18. What do you want to say ‘bye-bye’ to?
YH: Injuries
CM: Cold/Flu
JJ: Muscle training
YC: Troubles
JS: Everything sad

19. You see a shooting star. What will you wish for?
YH: That time will fly faster. I want to be 30
CM: That my family will be healthy
JJ: That THSK will be a band that receives more love
YC: Happiness
JS: I want to win the lottery

20. A recent lie you told?
YH: None
CM: I didn’t lie
JJ: None
YC: Saying I wasn’t sick
JS: I can’t remember

21. What left the deepest impression on you in Japan?
YH: Eating at a restaurant with a pretty night view near the Tokyo Tower
CM: Budokan live
JJ: Appearing on [Kouhaku]
YC: Budokan live
JS: Budokan live

22. Your favourite Japanese food
YH: Motsunabe
CM: Ramen
JJ: Udon
YC: Ramen
JS: Natto

23. What food would you recommend that has kimchi in it?
YH: Tuna Kimchi rice
CM: Kimchi fried rice
JJ: Kimchi jjigae
YC: Kimchi jjigae (T/N: Kimchi stew)
JS: Kimchi fried rice

24. Your ‘enemy’ is?
YH: Myself
CM: Junsu
JJ: Myself
YC: Supper
JS: Changmin

25. What hair style would you like to try next?
YH: Permed hair
CM: Please give me Jude Law’s hairstyle
JJ: Blue hair
YC: Long and permed hair
JS: Bald

26. A secret you’ve never told anyone
YH: I don’t have anything to say
CM: No comment
JJ: I don’t tell my secrets ^^
YC: Actually, I’m lonely
JS: None

27. What’s a ‘rumor’ that you found interesting recently?
YH: That the economy will get better
CM: That the ice in the North Pole will melt
JJ: That Changmin has caught a cold
YC: I’m not interested in them
JS: Beckham’s AC Milan

28. How do you relieve stress?
YH: Drive
CM: Eat, sleep
JJ: I just blank out
YC: Supper
JS: Game

29. A recent drama/movie you’ve watched.
YH: [Mamma Mia]
CM: [Hanazakari no Kimitachi e]
JJ: [Ponyo]
YC: [Naruto]
JS: [24]

30. What would you do if you could read minds?
YH: I’d like to know what others think of me
CM: I’ll just read them
JJ: I would be boring if I could read everyone’s mind
YC: I think I’d be really distressed, and wouldn’t want to meet people
JS: Enter FBI

31. When do you feel lonely?
YH: Before I sleep
CM: Before I sleep
JJ: When I’m separated from my members
YC: When we’re on the move after our schedule ends
JS: I don’t really feel it

32. The theme song for today is?
YH: [Kiss shitamama sayonara]
CM: [Killing Me Softly]
JJ: [Wasurenaide] (T/N: Please don’t forget)
YC: [Kiss the Baby Sky]
JS: [I Believe I can Fly]

33. The first time you travelled overseas?
YH: Taiwan (T/N: That would be 2004 for the Golden Melody Awards, I think)
CM: Taiwan
JJ: Taiwan in summer 2004
YC: 1998, America
JS: Taiwan

34. What do you collect?
YH: Card keys (T/N: Hotel card keys?)
CM: CD
JJ: Accessories
YC: Plastic models from [Gundam Seed]
JS: Beautiful pictures from around the world

35. Who’s the person you want to meet most now?
YH: Obama
CM: Obama
JJ: Monkey King (T/N: Character from [Journey to the West], Sun Wu Kong, or Son Oh Kong in Korean)
YC: Santa Claus
JS: Jesus

36. Which animal do you think you resemble?
YH: Tiger
CM: Deer
JJ: Cat
YC: Polar bear
JS: Hyena

37. Truthfully, what’s your fetish?
YH: Voice
CM: Feeling
YC: Pretty nails. Not really magnificent things..
JJ: Forehead
JS: Hands

38. What do you buy unintentionally at convenience stores?
YH: Milk
CM: Hot lemon juice
JJ: Health drinks
YC: Donuts
JS: Fried chicken

39. Where do you start washing your body from in the bathroom?
YH: Hair
CM: Face
JJ: Chest
YC: Right arm
JS: Hair

40. When were you most embarrassed?
YH: When many people saw me fall
CM: When I fell in front of many people
JJ: During my audition
YC: When I fell in front of people
JS: When I was in 1st grade of elementary school, I went with my mum to the ladies section of the public bath and saw my female classmate…

41. Which part of the body do you first notice when you meet someone?
YH: Eyes
CM: Clothes
JJ: Nothing in particular, but I would notice how they pose
YC: Legs (Naturally since you bow when greeting someone)
JS: The overall atmosphere

42. If you had a kid, what kind of ‘dad’ will you be?
YH: A dad who’s like a friend
CM: I want to be a dad who’s like my dad
JJ: A tolerant dad
YC: A dad who would participate actively in my kid’s sports day
JS: A dad who’s like a friend

43. What’s something you have to do without fail every day?
YH: Celebrate
CM: Game
JJ: Half- bathing
YC: Watch [Detective Conan]
JS: Talk to my brother on the phone

44. If you could turn back time, where do you want to go back to?
YH: High school
CM: High School
JJ: Middle school
YC: Elementary school
JS: I don’t want to turn back time. The present is good!

45. What do you want to happen tomorrow?
YH: That our schedules will be cancelled and we’ll have a break
CM: That I’ll quickly recover from my cold
JJ: Win the lottery
YC: I want it to snow
JS: Turn invisible!

46. What will you be doing 10 years from now?
YH: Continue making music
CM: Continue making music and preparing for my wedding
JJ: Together with THSK
YC: The same thing as I’m doing now
JS: Singing on stage

47. What kind of year will 2009 be?
YH: A year where we’ll have lots of things to smile about
CM: A year where we’ll be able to carry out our activities without falling sick
JJ: A year busier than 2008
YC: The best year
JS: A year where we’ll all be healthy!

48. If you became the editor of [What’s In?]
YH: Only report about THSK!
CM: THSK’s tour around the world
JJ: Half of the magazine will be THSK
YC: Have a barbeque with all the staff and artistes!
JS: Have a [Globe-trotting with THSK] corner

49. A message to our readers
YH: Please support us in 2009 too
CM: Good luck!
JJ: To the readers, I’m always grateful to you
YC: Take care of yourself, don’t catch a cold!
JS: Thank you for always reading this magazine

50. A message to [What’s In]
YH: Thank you [What’s In] for always reporting on THSK from the very first time we arrived in Japan till today
CM: Please take care of us in future!
JJ: Although I feel like we’re indebted to [What’s In] since our debut days, please help us in future!! We’ll work hard
YC: Please take care of us in future. The cover too.
JS: Amongst all the magazines in Japan, [What’s In] was the first that ran a series on us. I was really happy. Please help us in future.

Tuesday January 20, 2009 Taiwan

ACTRESS Kelly Lin has denied that she married F4 actor-singer Ken Chu in Japan.

In an impromptu interview in the street last Saturday afternoon, the 33-year-old told Apple Daily she was just taking a break in Tokyo. 'I should marry in five years' time. It could be one year, or two, three years later,' the Taiwan-born Hong Kong-based actress said.

But questions remain about the hush-hush party she and Chu, 30, were said to have held that evening. They have been linked since they acted in The Tokyo Trial, a 2006 film on the World War II trials.

According to Apple Daily, their friends were asked to a dinner in Tokyo on Saturday, but not told of the place.

Lin's friend, jewellery designer Cindy Chao, also flew to Japan with a three-carat diamond ring for her, the report said.

When asked if it was a wedding band for Lin, Chao paused before saying: 'It's a belated birthday gift. She was filming in Beijing on her birthday in October last year and I couldn't give it to her in time.'

Asked about the expensive gift, Chao said: 'Friendship is priceless.' A report on China's Sina portal quoted a source as saying the party could have been for Chu, whose birthday was last Friday.

Tuesday January 20, 2009 Taiwan

Taiwan pop king Jay Chou celebrated his 30th birthday on Sunday with hundreds of fans at a cinema in Taipei.

At the party, Chou premiered the special effects-rich music video for his new single "Dragon Knight".

Among the audience members were Chou's mother and his grandma.

Chou will sing a duet of his song "A Herbalist's Manual" with renowned mainland soprano Song Zuying at China Central Television's Lunar New Year Gala on January 25, the event's general director Lang Kun said on Sunday.