Snow has Koreans heading to theaters
By Jeff Chung
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Happy holidays! Christmas in Korea this year is truly a white one. Parts of the country are covered in record amounts of snow with temperatures in the low 20s. You would think the cold weather would keep people at home, but everyone is rushing to theaters to see the new Jang Dong-gun film "Typhoon" — it drew 1.8 million viewers in its first five days.
Jang was in the drama series "All About Eve," Korea's all-time box-office hit "Tae Guk Gi" (directed by Kang Je-gyu, who was a juror for this year's Hawaii International Film Festival) and "Friends," another hit film.
The "Typhoon" budget was just shy of $15 million — almost three times the average cost of Korean films. Filmed in South Korea, Thailand and Russia, "Typhoon" has the same North-South confrontation theme as such South Korean hits as "Shiri" (also directed by Kang Je-gyu, it stars Kim Yun Jin of "Lost"), "Tae Guk Gi" and this year's highest-grossing film, "Welcome To Dongmakgol," which was shown at HIFF with director Park Kwang Hyeon in attendance.
In "Typhoon," Jang Dong-gun plays a North Korean pirate attempting to make a nuclear attack on the Korean peninsula while his counterpart, played by Lee Jeong-jae, tries to stop him.
"Typhoon" has already been picked up by DreamWorks for U.S. distribution, and HIFF hopes to showcase it next year. Invitations will go out to Jang Dong-gun but whether his schedule permits him attending the festival is another story.
K-NOTES
Remember Eric Moon from the Korean drama "Super Rookie"? Last week 1,000 fans mobbed him at the Tokyo's Narita Airport. He's there to promote "Super Rookie," which will soon air on Fuji TV. Moon was in the band Shinhwa before becoming an actor. This is his debut in Japan as an actor.
Reminder: JYP Entertainment, the talent and music production group run by music superstar Rain (aka Bi), and KBFD will hold an audition from 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Waikiki Resort Hotel. JYP Entertainment and SBS are looking for new talent in several U.S. cities with Hawai'i as its first stop. If selected you will have a chance to appear on national TV in Korea in February.
Jeff Chung is general manager of KBFD, which televises all of the K-dramas. Have a K-drama question or comment? Call KBFD at 521-8066 or reach him at jeffchung@kbfd.com.,/i>
KBFD AIRING TWO CHRISTMAS SPECIALS
'A FAREWELL TO TEARS'
EPISODES 31 AND 32
Tonight at 7: Yeon-shim forces Seo-young to go out on an arranged date to get her away from Jung-woo. Tae-bok loses millions of dollars in a scam. Do-jin quits the cafe to start working for his father, but Min-joo believes he's quitting because of their one night together.
Tonight at 8: Seo-young bids abrupt farewell to her blind date behind her mother's back. Sung-kyu's wife finds out he took out a cash advance from his credit card to help his brothers. Jung-woo comes up with a new product with Yeo-jin's help. Hee-sook finds Sung-min and Yeo-jin together when she visits the factory with Dong-ha.
TWO CHRISTMAS SPECIALS
MONDAY AT 7:50 P.M.: "VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS"
Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: "The Accidental Companion" (synopses not available at press time).
This time slot will feature a new series in mid-January. Until then, KBFD will broadcast popular one-part dramas with English subtitles.
'STAINED GLASS'
EPISODES 5 AND 6
Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Ji-soo realizes that Yuichi is Dong-joo when she sees the name on his business card. Ki-tae goes to the orphanage when he hears that Sister Theresa is sick. Yuichi also goes there and they finally meet. Ji-soo, Ki-tae and Dong-joo reminisce about their childhood years.
Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Ji-soo hides when Ki-tae comes knocking on Dong-joo's hotel room. Ki-tae is a little suspicious when he finds a woman's shirt button in the room. After Ki-tae leaves, Dong-joo tells Ji-soo that he was only trying to have fun with her and that he made a mistake. Ji-soo believes him and is hurt.
'LOVERS IN PRAGUE'
EPISODES 17 AND 18
Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Sang-hyun tries to get Jae-hee back but she only tells him never to meet another woman like Hae-joo or herself. Jae-hee's father opposes Jae-hee's marriage to Young-woo. Sang-hyun gives Jae-hee the ring he bought for her. The night before the wedding, Sang-hyun shows up at the wedding rehearsal.
Saturday at 7:50 p.m. (final episode): Sang-hyun is stabbed while trying to protect Young-woo. Sang-hyun falls into a coma and Jae-hee stays by his bedside. Young-woo asks for Hae-joo's cooperation in incriminating his father.
