Donations from Korean Stars ★ for Japanese Disaster Relief Exceed $5 Million USD

Thanks to the ongoing donation relays, it looks like the total donation fund made by Korean celebrities for the Japanese disaster relief will surpass $5 million USD.

On March 17th, SM Entertainment announced that they have donated $1 million USD to the Japanese disaster relief fund through the Red Cross Society.

On the same day, actor Won Bin also donated nearly $200,000 USD to the Korean Committee for UNICEF to assist Japanese childrens suffering from the disaster.

When cumulating the donations made on the 17th with the previous donations made by Bae Yong Joon, Lee Byung Heon, Rye Si Won, Song Seung Heon, Choi Ji Woo, Kim Hyun Joong, Jang Geun Seuk, Ahn Jae Wook, YG Entertainment, and JYJ, the fund amounts to about a staggering $49.4 million USD.

With Kara’s recent announcement to donate all proceeds from their new single, “Jet Coaster Love,” to relief funds (which could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars) and Suh Do Young’s donation of his performance fee from KBS 2TV drama “The Thorn Birds,” the total donation amount is expected to easily surpass $5 million USD.

Such donation parade was initiated on the 14th by Hallyu stars like Bae Yong Joon, Ryu Si Won, Kim Hyun Joong, Jang Geun Seuk. Bae Yong Joon donated about $1 million USD to a relief organization in Japan.

Also, Rye Si Won and Kim Hyung Joong each donated around $200,000 USD and $100,000 USD to provide assistance to those affected by the disaster. On that day, Jang Geun Seuk also donated around $140,000 USD to the Japanese relief effort fund. On the following day, Song Seung Heon and Choi Ji Woo both donated around $200,000 USD each to the Salvation Army and the Red Cross Society.

The donation relay of Korean stars also extended to the Kpop industry. On the 15th, YG Entertainment donated nearly $500,000 USD, while on the next day, JYJ donated roughly $600,000 USD.

Waves of donations were made by actors as well, with Lee Byung Heon and Ahn Jae Wook each donating about $700,000 USD and $100,000 USD.

Such avid donation relays from Korean stars have gathered attention not only from the Japanese press but also from various media outlets worldwide. On the 15th, numerous media sources such as France news agency AFP and US newspaper WSJ published in-depth reports about Korean stars taking action to help the relief effort in Japan.

Here are some of the ways that you can follow suit of your favorite stars and donate as well to the relief effort. Even a small gift would be greatly appreciated, as the victims are currently suffering from huge shortage of food and basic living supplies:

International Red Cross   http://www.icrc.org/eng
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent  http://www.ifrc.org/
UNICEF  http://www.unicef.org/support/index.html

"Dream High" plan for 2nd Season!!

KBS is currently in the works of finalizing a deal for another season of its hit drama series “Dream High.” According to KBS officials, “Dream High” is already in the early planning stages for its second season, under the goal of airing it as early as Jan. 2012.

“We are planning to produce the second season of ‘Dream High.’ We can’t reveal any detailed plans at this point as nothing has been confirmed, but the overall format will be similar to the first season and perhaps we’ll be able to air it from early next year,” an official from KBS told local media. It’s unclear if the star-studded cast of Season One, including Park Jin Young, Bae Yong Joon, miss-A’s Suzy, 2PM’s Taecyeon and Woo Young, and IU will star again in Season Two. But it’s reported that Key East Entertainment and JYP Entertainment will jointly work again for the production of this season, raising hopes for another show with a group of idol star appearances.

Before the first season of “Dream High” got aired, many questioned its quality of acting and storyline, as it involved a lot of idol stars with little acting experience. But as the show went on, the idol star cast displayed improved acting skills and the plot turned out to be quite interesting, resulting in the show garnering an average TV rating of 15.7%, which was the highest rating in the Monday-Tuesday prime time slots.

Following the news of “Dream High: Season Two,” many netizens have shown interest with high hopes of seeing it as soon as possible. Some said the first season ended too early while others were curious to see who the next cast will involve. Many idol stars are talented enough to do both acting and singing these days; Super Junior’s Siwon, Big Bang’s TOP, MBLAQ’s Lee Joon, former 2PM member Jay Park, and KARA’s Goo Hara have all made or are planning to make acting debuts. Who would you like to see in the second season of “Dream High”?

Jang Nara !! She Come back with new drama

Jang Nara, who is active in China, and Daniel Choi, who gained wide recognition for MBC’s “High Kick Through the Rook” (2010), have teamed up for a new KBS2 Mon/Tues drama “Baby-faced Beauty” which is aiming for a May broadcast. “Baby-faced Beauty” marks Jang Nara’s first appearance in a Korean drama in six years; her last k-drama was KBS’s “Wedding” in 2005. On the other hand, it’s been a year since Daniel Choi acted in “High Kick Through the Roof.” The romantic comedy tells the story about baby-faced beauty Lee So Young (Jang Nara), who’s academic career doesn’t exceed a high school diploma and has bad credit, as she matures. She longs to conquer both love and her dream.

Lee So Young is described as an aspiring designer who had to put her dreams aside because of her family’s financial troubles. She works at a fashion company and uses her beauty to live a topsy-turvy life. Daniel’s Choi Jin Wook is from a wealthy background with a family business in the food and beverage industry. His family owns a multi-million dollar jokbal (a Korean pork delicacy) restaurant chain. Jin Wook lives the good life, but left home to rebel against his father. He somehow ends up at a fashion company and then fate steps in. Jin Wook has always been against dating older women in the past, but he ends up falling in love with So Young who is five years older than him.

Jang Nara is well-known for her youthful looks, and many believe casting her for Lee So Young was perfect. She’s been preparing for a comeback in Korea and decided on “Baby-faced Beauty” after reading the synopsis. Jang has worked up an image as a bright and energetic girl with prior dramas like SBS’s “Successful Story of a Bright Girl.” Daniel Choi plans on showing a different side of himself in “Baby-faced Beauty.”

Written in Korean by girlalice@soompi; translated by hotshotlover30@soompi

"Rocky" of Korean Version

So Ji Sub and Han Hyo Joo will become the Korean Rocky and Adrian. The two will work together with Director Song Il Gon, whose previous works include “Feathers in the Wind” and “The Magicians,” for “Only You.” The movie is produced by Go Soo’s management company HB Entertainment and tells the story about how a former boxer finds the courage to come back to the ring through love. So Ji Sub plays Chul Min, a former boxer, and Han Hyo Joo acts as Jung Hwa, the one and only woman who opens up Chul Min’s heart.

Director Song Il Gon won the Golden Palm Best Short Film at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for “Picnic” (1999) and will express the delicate fate-like love line of the movie’s two leads. So Ji Sub is finally returning to the silver screen after focusing on dramas with SBS’s “Cain & Abel” (2009) and MBC’s “Road Number One” (2010). Since his discharge from the military, So has filmed three movies: a Korean film called “A Movie is a Movie” (2008), a Japanese movie called “Kitaro and the Millenium Curse” (2008), as well as a Chinese movie called “Sophie’s Revenge” (2009). “Only You” marks So’s return to the Korean big screen in over two years. His character Chul Min is described as a deep-hearted man who will do everything he can for the woman he loves.

Han Hyo Joo, who received much love for her role in MBC’s “Dong Yi” (2010), is also making a return to the big screen with “Only You.” Her previous films include: “Ad-Lib Night” (2006), “Ride Away” (2008), and “Postman to Heaven” (2009). “Only You” will be her fourth lead film, and her Jung Hwa will have similar characteristics to the actress herself – bright and bubbly girl with a lovely smile. While she is slowly losing her sight, Jung Hwa continues to remain high-spirited and optimistic.

Only You” also has a slew of strong supporting actors who have been active in both the silver and small screen. Kang Shin Il of MBC’s “Mate” and Park Chul Min of “Cyrano Love Agency” will star as Director Choi and Coach Bang respectively. Additionally, Jo Sung Ha of “Hwanghae” (2010) and Jin Goo of “Mother” (2009) plan on making a cameo. “Only You” plans on premiering this coming fall in Korea.

Written in Korean by songsoonjin@soompi; translated by hotshotlover30@soompi

Let's Solve the Case !! - Crime Squad (Detective in Trouble)

‘Crime Squad’ is the new Korean drama replacing KBS’s current idol drama ‘Dream High’. The drama leads Korean actors Kim Seung Woo (IRIS) and Song Il Gook (Jumong, A Man Called God).

The both leads will portray characters with an opposite working styles. Kim plays a cold and charismatic police chief with trustworthy verbal skills, while Song’s character is described as a reckless and short-tempered cop yet warm in heart.

In addition to the two, T-Max’s Kim Joon (Boys Before Flowers) as cowardly cop in cyber-crime investigation unit, Sun Woo Sun (Will it Snow at Christmas?) as a cold team leader, Jang Hang Sun (Baker King Kim Tak Gu) as team leader, Song Ji Hyo (Jumong, Running Man) as a bright and strong-willed intern reporter, and Park Sun Young (Sons of Sol Pharmacy House, Winter Bird) as a detective also added to the cast of cops.

Song Il Kook is a very versatile actor; he is able to change himself to fit any character. For example, he lost about 33 pounds (15kg) for his character in MBC’s “A Man Called God.” Song Il Kook is also a very serious and precise character – he’s the type who thinks over every answer before responding to a question. However, it was very hard to detect the Song Il Kook we knew and loved at the press conference for his new drama “Crime Squad.” He made the first approached to reporters, cracked jokes with them, and even told them about his experiences with the real crime squad. He was noticeably brighter and bubblier. In the past, Song Il Kook has always played the hero. Here, he has jumped in as the police who uses every means possible to chase after suspects. He also has a dead daughter who is buried deep in his heart. There have been many stubborn yet passionate inspector characters in the past, but Song Il Kook’s character is a bit more complex.

“Crime Squad’s” advantage lies in its diverse characters. While a big case occurs in the first episode, the drama still spent a great deal of time developing its characters. The first episode showed biology teacher-turned-detective Se Hyuk (Song Il Kook) go through the trauma of losing his daughter, as well as shocking.com’s intern reporter Min Ju (Song Ji Hyo) finding out about his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease. There were also scenes where veteran investigator Shin Dong Jin (Kim Joon) goes undercover as a gangster for a stakeout. The overall tone of the story changes from bright to serious depending on the character it follows.

The detectives in “Crime Squad” do not show off. They talk about their suspects with each other, and randomly take bets as to who will get hit. They freely talk about public searches and rewards. While we can’t expect these detectives to be like the dashing and honorable men from American dramas, we can still expect fun interaction between the characters. All the characters have extremely different personalities, making the exchange between them even more dynamic. The relationship between Park Se Hyuk and Jung Il Do (Lee Jong Hyuk) is very complicated. While on pursuit, Il Do accidently kills Se Hyuk’s daughter; and as a result, Se Hyuk quits his job as a teacher and becomes a detective. The two are also involved with Huh Eun Young(Park Sun Young), Se Hyuk’s ex-wife, further complicating their relationships.

“Crime Squad” is also the first Korean drama to be shot with a special camera called the Alexa. Its director Kim Jae Hwan has also directed KBS2’s “Chuno” (2010) using a special camera called the Red One. The Alexa camera allows for more depth and better resolutions. The drama aims to express pursuit scenes and others a little uniquely using this camera.

I actually really like the tone and feel of this show, which is a nice change up in the current k-drama landscape. It starts out light and goofy, but it’s well-acted, so the dramatic turns don’t feel weightless. I’m a fan of cop procedurals to begin with, but I’ve honestly never seen a solid one in kdramaland. This might actually be the first time I stick with one. We’ll see how it goes.

Take a look a couple of the episode...here is the link

Crime Squad - Drama