Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Military services is on for Lee Min Ho.

It has been confirmed by MYM Entertainment that actor Lee Min Ho will enlist for compulsory military duties this year. Lee has just finished filming the SBS drama Legend of Blue Sea with Jeon Ji Hyun.


Rumors are circulating that the model/actor will start compulsory military services either in March or April but no dates have been determined.


As expected most celebrities will not be serving as the front battle field men during enlistment and most of them are serving as standard duty officers or policemen.
Lee has sustained leg injuries in the accident in 2006 therefore he is enrolled for a position as a civil servant 'solider' in public.


We wish him all the best in serving the country and return back to the entertainment industry safely.













Monday, January 30, 2017

Fancy a fan meeting with the handsome Grim reaper?

According to King Kong Entertainment, actor Lee Dong Wook is gearing up for his upcoming Asian tour fan meeting. His first stop will kick off from his hometown Korea on 12th March before marching on to other Asian countries in April.


Lee Dong Wook has recently wrapped up filming the fantasy-comedy tVN drama Goblin. In the drama, Lee plays as the handsome Grim Reaper who lost his memories after committing a huge sin in his past life. When he discovered his past life was the jealous King Wang Yeo who ordered to wipe off the family of General Kim Shin played by Gong Yoo. And to his surprise, in the present life he falls in love again with Kim Shin's reincarnated sister Sunny whose past life was the Queen.



To everyone's delight, netizens and viewers love the bromance between the Goblin and Grim Reaper. The two started off quarrelling like enemies but at the end stayed together in the same villa and even consoled each other when they faced any problems.


Lee has starred in several big dramas such as My Girl in 2005 that shot him to stardom, he went off to army and came back in few dramas such as Scent of a Woman in 2011 and Hotel King in 2014.


So look out Lee's fan meeting dates near your countries! :D













Sunday, January 29, 2017

Crowing for Lunar New Year 2017 in Melbourne Chinatown.

Saturday morning- 28th January was somehow an exciting weekend for me since Lunar New Year 2017 with family and friends without taking any extra leave since it's not a public holiday. Reunion dinner was Friday night was perfect as most of us would have scoot off at 4pm or so to head home. Australian-Chinese community get to celebrate the

Surprisingly I woke up at 7.00am, showered, had breakfast, checked the train schedule and took the public transport down from Surrey Hills to Flinders St. I arrived around 9.30am and took another tram to Queen Victoria Market. The opening event was at 10.00am and it started off with a short lion dance and some crappy Chinese singing duet. I managed to grab some photos and stocked up 1 kg of cheap fresh red cherries! They were AU$9.00 per kg...sweet and juicy too.

I met up with a college-uni mate Rachael at Maccas for coffee and soon the two of went to
The prosperity dish with lots of prawns, scallops and abalone
Sam Sam Korean restaurant to have more 'chicken' meal since it's the Year of the Rooster.


We ordered a small original boneless fried chicken and small ginseng chicken soup. I went to Crown Casino to see more mini lion dance parade and beating of drums (kind of wasted my time 'coz it wasn't fascinating). Food and drinks at Hawker's Bazaar were expensive.


As for Chor-Yat (First day) dinner- I have managed to storm up a Fatt Pun Choy dish consisting of blanched bok choy, braised tofu and shitake mushrooms, prawns, Japanese scallops and Aussie small abalones topped with oyster gravy and black sea moss.


Come Sunday morning 29th January, I headed down to the city at 10-ish am to get into Chinatown CBD. It was packed with thousands of Asian community and Aussies to usher in the Lunar New Year. There were plenty of firecrackers and better lion dances in the heart of Chinatown. Everywhere was crowded and took me nearly 20 minutes to pass the crowd as we had yum-cha lunch at Shark Fin's House at Little Bourke Street. Caught up with ex-colleagues and friend of mine Ann and her hubby Mark. Yum-cha was quick but lots of conversations regarding jobs and etc...


Unfortunately my last dessert- tofu-fa was out of stock (finished) so we didn't manage to order anything else.


At time goes by, we walked around Chinatown grabbing a small box of coconut juice to hydrate ourselves from
the summer heat. It was sunny and very hot if one is not wearing a hat or protective clothes. I came back and rested at 3.30pm with a massive headache from the sun heat. Well- easy way out is popping in a Advil to ease the pain. Before I knew it, it was already late evening where 2nd day of CNY just went off so quickly.


And guess what everyone is back at work in Melbourne on the 3rd day of CNY.
I had to wake up early and start work at 7.30am. No big deal...the rest of Asia is still on holidays we are down at the South working our butts off. He he!

Happy Rooster Year and we still have more than a week to go...after all Lunar New Year lasts for 15 days until Chap Goh Meh! (*_*)

















Saimdang's first 2 episodes hit high ratings.

Saimdang Light's Diary was Lee Young Ae's first drama after been on hiatus for 14 years. Her breakthrough drama Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) was a massive hit that pusher her and co-actor Ji Jin Hee to Hallyu stardom around Asia and other parts of the world.


As I watched the first 2 episodes of Saimdang, it was quite interesting to know the drama wasn't purely on Joseon dynasty period but it has many scenes in the modern era. Lee Young Ae plays two characters- in modern era she is a historical researcher Seo Ji Yoon  who struggled to clear her name from the horrible Professor Min who wanted to outcast her after an incident. Ji Yoon discovers that the painting Geumgangsan wasn't a real one and behind the story, there was a mysterious portrait which she discovers in Italy. The mysterious portrait led her to reveal the real life story of famous poet and artist Shin Saimdang and her lover, Lee Gyeom.


Song Seung Hun plays the fictional character Lee Gyeom in this drama where he is a devoted lover to Saimdang even after her marriage. All those years, he cannot forget her and is always yearning for her. It seems as though Ji Yoon and Saimdang are sort of related or reincarnated as she could feel what the other party is doing in the past- as if like a dream.
Ji Yoon's present husband lost everything in his business so she had to move out from their luxurious home to rent a small flat in a poor neighbourhood.


Yang Se Jong plays as two roles as well in the drama- the teen Lee Gyeom and the current student Han Sang Hyun who is also a junior to Ji Yoon. He's always lurking around Ji Yoon's area and ends up assisting her in translating Chinese characters.


I must say Lee Young Ae still radiates her beauty in this drama...she hasn't aged a bit and still looked elegant. Her features and complexion were suitable for those noble ladies in the Joseon dynasty drama. As for Song Seung Hun, well due to his weird beard on his face, he doesn't look dashing at all and to be honest I am looking forward to see the story unfold as how Ji Yoon gets back at Professor Min for ill-treating her.










Thursday, January 26, 2017

Wonder Girls group disband after 10 years.

Idol girl group Wonder Girls have their hey days in the early years when they first started. However after 10 years debuting in the entertainment industry, the group has decided to go on separate ways.


On 26th January, JYP Entertainment confirmed that the girl group had discussions and decided to disband. Members Ye Eun and Sun Mi have left JYP Entertainment while Yoo Bin and Hae Rim renewed their contracts.


Wonder Girls are grateful and thankful for their fans support with love over the past 10 years. They will support each other in the future.


Goodbye to all Wonder Girls members and good luck in their future.







My thoughts of ending of Legend of Blue Sea.

This is my honest opinion and what I feel about the entire SBS drama Legend of the Blue Sea. Though it's written by scriptwriter Park Ji Eun who also wrote the famous drama My Love from the Star, has cooperated with actress Jeon Ji Hyun for the 2nd time...I don't find it quite as impressing as her other hit dramas.


Legend of the Blue Sea is marking itself as one of the top 2016 SBS dramas however it has lacked of some ummph....I can't describe it. No doubt Jeon Ji Hyun proves to be one of the best actress with her endless comical expressions at the start to warm heart touching scenes at the last few episodes, however it hasn't garnered as much attention as she was in My Love from the Star drama.



The drama finished at near 18% viewers ratings throughout South Korea for the final episode however it barely reached the mark of 20%. My Love from the Star which has similar story line and CG effects has shot actor Kim Soo Hyun to Hallyu stardom until today and still he remained one of the top A-list actors. Don't get me wrong, I am not against Lee Min Ho- no doubt he possesses good looks and shape, he still has room for improvement in terms of acting. I certainly preferred him in action-thrilling dramas such as City Hunter (2011) than a rich chaebol heir.


I have to admit that in fact Jeon Ji Hyun was the main pillar holding the drama so well- one of the factors most female viewers are nevertheless avid fans of fashion. Remember- her make-up, clothes or anything she carries somehow shot the sales up like a share market graph! One of the reasons as well is her fashion paraded in Legend of the Blue Sea captured the attention of viewers. Though she is a mermaid living on land, still she managed to parade an array of wonderful pieces of clothing's, earrings and make-up. Not forgetting the two main villains in the drama- Sung Dong Il and Hwang Shin Ae kept everyone gripping to their seats for the ill-fated relationship from the past to the future.


Though writer Park has written great dramas, there is no doubt her fantasy CG drama My Love from the Star has proven to be the best of all. Even her mini-series drama The Producers starring Kim Soo Hyun for 2nd time- didn't make such as great impact for viewers.


The happy ending story for Heo Joon Jae and mermaid Shim Cheong has ended in a good way, so everyone is happy for it. And so their ill-fated romance in the past as Dam Ryung and mermaid who died for love has turned to a better and sweeter romance.






Lunar New Year - Year of the Rooster 2017. Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

28th January 2017 marks the first day of Chinese New Year as millions of Asians throughout the world ushers in the Year of the Rooster. 2017 is also the year of element Fire Rooster. The rooster is one of the last 3 zodiacs in the Chinese astrology. What does that mean? When the divine summons for the animals on the earth to come to him, the first animal that turned up was the rat. It goes according to order. First was the Rat, second was the Ox, Tiger arrived at third spot, the Rabbit galloped to 4th position, Dragon came in at 5th...etc. The rooster makes it way at the 10th position.


As mentioned in zodiac cycle, the animal sign which falls on that year itself is always not a good year. So the Chinese believed that this year the Rooster will face the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui). It is a believe that all those born in the year of rooster will need to pray and appease the Tai Sui for a smooth sailing year.
Take note- each zodiac has its fated personality traits.


For those born in the Rooster year, it is nothing be ashamed for if it's literally called chicken as well. The rooster has the comb on its head that looks like a crown and in ancient times, it is said God has given the Rooster the grand role of crowing in the early hours of morning to wake people up and as a sign it's a brand new day.


Out with the old, in with the new... wishing everyone a happy, health and prosperous Lunar New Year.  After all it's once a year for a big celebration with family, relatives and friends... ensure you do please drive safely on roads and drink responsibly.


Gong Xi Fa Cai! Kong Hei Fatt Choy!


祝你 鸡年吉祥, 吉祥如意 , 身体健康 & 恭喜发财!


새해 복 많이 받으세요!





Tuesday, January 24, 2017

SBS Running Man will continue on.

The long running variety program from SBS- Running Man has been facing lots of issues since last year when rumors broke out stating members Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook were reported to be kicked out from the program.


Fans of the variety show can be at ease now since they have announced the much loved program will not be cancelled, it will continue to run as it is. Running Man has been airing since 2010 and they have progressed to such a popular show within the local and international market. Originally the 6 members- Yoo Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, Haha, Lee Kwang Soo, Kim Jong Kook and Song Ji Hyo will continue to film the program.


There were even rumors circulating around that MC Kang Ho Dong might run the 2nd season of Running Man but it turns out to be untrue.


The serious discussion was carried out with the fellow casts and finally it was determined that the program will not cease.


** In my own opinion, I've sort of lost my interest in Running Man for some time probably due to the lack of interaction, games are getting a bit lame and it isn't funny as before with other original members. They probably need to secure back Kang Gary and Song Joong Ki in future. ** 



Lee Seo Jin donates to Habitat- Human Community.

Actor Lee Seo Jin has joined the sponsorship club Habitat in South Korea.


South Korea's Habitat for Humanitarian Welfare has announced on 24th January, "Mr. Lee Seo Jin has been working as a public relations ambassador and volunteer for Korea Habitat since 2008. He has also contributed more than KRW$ 100 million won this year."



Photo courtesy from NEWSIS
Lee Seo Jin has became a member of Golden Hammer Club, Habitat's largest sponsorship. He is a member of 'The Premier Golden Hammer' who has contributed more than
KRW$ 100 million won.


Lee has been carrying out the project of building a house of hope together with his fans by conducting 'Lee Seo Jin Build' named after him every year.

In 2009, he participated in the Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with former US President Jimmy Carter and more than 1,000 volunteers, participating in massive projects for local residents.



Well done on the actor for his massive charity work!








Travelling in romance with Lee Je Hoon.

As faithful viewers of tVN drama Goblin are glued on every Fri-Sat for the epic story, they are bound to sit around for the next chapter which brings us to a new storyline.


The predecessor is a unique romance 16-episode drama  "Tomorrow With You 내일 그대와 " starring Lee Je Hoon, Shin Min Ah, Park Joo Hee, Kang Gi Dong, Oh Kwang Rok and Baek Hyun Jin. Directed by PD Yoo Je Won and written by Oh Sung Hye. Director Yoo has directed the drama Oh! My Ghostess and King of High School.


Lee Je Hoon plays as a time traveller So Jun who is not only has good looks but he is rich and smart too. He meets a struggling photographer Ma Rin who later in life becomes his wife.In midst of their relationship, Je Hoon possesses a special ability which makes him hop through different time zone on a moving subway. He finds out a mysterious link between Ma Rin and his life, so he decided to marry her. He finds it interesting and amusing to time travel and even gain massive wealth.


However there is one thing he could not predict or know is the time of birth and death.
And what would Ma Rin feel if she finds out her future husband somewhat could see the near future and is their marriage part of the time travel event?


Lee Je Joon is cute as a button while Shin Min-Ah looks glamorous in their new roles.
Looking forward to this time travel romance drama.
First broadcast episode is on February 3rd at 8.00 pm.







Monday, January 23, 2017

Most loved tVN drama Goblin finishes in strong ratings.

tVN drama Goblin has finished airing its 16 episodes where it portrays not only romantic comedy scenes but also lessons on life and questions to the divinity.


All the happiness received by Ji Eun Tak as she proceeds to her smooth working career ended up in one massive accident where her car was struck by a moving truck. Her happy blissful marriage life was cut short after she saved a bus containing several young children. Her death meant a lot for others as her sacrifice is beyond the control of God. Grim Reaper cannot see it coming either so they just have to accept the fact Eun Tak died in order to save the bunch of young kids. Of course it came as a big blow for the Goblin Kim Shin as he leads an immortal life while seeing his loved ones parting from him.


It's quite hilarious to see that CEO Kim who took over Chairman Yu's company was rather taken back seeing the magic powers from Goblin and Grim Reaper at their home.
Sweet ending for Grim Reaper and his loved one Sunny as they were reborn and returned back as a couple in the next life. It was the Goblin's wish to them as a happy couple again.


There are a few lessons to learn from this drama. The divine throws out the question and we have to find our own answers to it. And at times the answers do not come as expected and beyond our control. The biggest sin for Grim Reapers are their previous suicides and they have to bear with their unknown memories either to appreciate life in future. Everyone has 4 lives. As for Eun Tak, since she is a missing soul and lived to the age of 29, it was destined she will die one day. Her first life has been consumed and she chose not to drink the tea to wipe off her memories. She has further 3 lives to use and she chose to return to meet the Goblin in Canada.


New drama 'Tomorrow with you' starring Lee Je Hoon and Shim Min Ah is scheduled to replace Goblin



Thursday, January 19, 2017

Wealthy 'Roosters' influential people in South Korea.

Comes 28th January 2017, we usher in the Lunar New Year which marks the year of the Rooster. South Koreans do celebrate the Lunar New Year which they called Seollal. Instead of giving red packets containing money, they would dress in either Hanbok and visit their friends and family members on the day with gifts and food.


This year of Rooster marks an interesting year whereby there are four interesting influential people in South Korea are holding the pillars in the country's economy.
Hong Ra Hee is 72 year old director of Museum of Art in Seoul. She is considered one of the powerful women entrepreneur. She also happens to be the wife of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun Hee. Her three children Lee Jae Yong is Vice President of Samsung Electronics, eldest daughter Lee Bo Jin is the CEO of Shilla Hotel and youngest child Lee Seo Hyun is the President of Samsung's C&T Fashion.

Photo courtesy from Korean Herald site
If there is Samsung, there must be LG as well...indeed LG Group Chairman Goo Bon Mo leads the organization to be one of the wealthy 'roosters' since he is born in 1945. He has been the chairman of the group for a period of time since 1995. However LG has suffered a big blow from the production of hand phones due to its big competitor Samsung. Still LG has many group divisions from automobile to electronics.


Cuckoo Electronics group Chairman Koo Bun Hak is sustaining its position since its brand is famous for its rice cooker and proudly been endorsed by Hallyu star Kim Soo Hyun.
Koo Bun Hak is also born in the year of Rooster as he is the eldest son to the founder and CEO of Cuckoo Electronics.


Pharmaceutical co Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung Jin is also in the year of the Rooster as he expands his business tremendously after establishing the co in the market producing generic drugs through global co Pfizer. Their anti-cancer drug is entering the exports market where it might be a break through for cancer patients.


New couple BoA and Joo Won.

Just after the announcement of wedding bells for singer Rain and actress Kim Tae Hee on Thursday 18th, the media was given another treat of news whereby new formed couple within the entertainment industry.

Frenzy news were all over the place with the wedding announcement and now actor/model Joo Won has confirmed he is seeing singer BoA. Joo Won has starred in the highly
anticipated 2015 SBS drama "Yongpal" together with Kim Tae Hee and won several awards including the Dae-Sang (Grand Prize award). BoA under SM Entertainment has been actively participating in dramas and also been a singer since her young days.

While others know Joo Won for his appearance in Baker King Kim Tak Gu as the 2nd lead, he is well known for his great acting performances in Good Doctor and Yongpal. He is currently filming the drama version of My Sassy Girl in sageuk period.


Hwanhee becomes the next King of Mask Singer.

There is no doubt that the R&B singer Hwanhee from Fly to the Sky duo took the crown from Baby Angel in MBC's King of Mask Singer. During the first round Hwanhee was paired for a duet with gag woman Jang Do Yeon for a ballad One Late Night in 1994.

Dressed in red jeans and yellow knitwear, Hwanhee's character is Hoppang Prince. Hoppang Prince is a cute cartoon character which is a bread stuffed with red beans and he has two pink rosy cheeks. The panellists were joking that Hoppang Prince's mask has a little crown at the side, so who knows he is challenging the current Mask King.

Turns out Hwanhee beat the rest of the contestants easily. Veteran singer Jo Jang Hyuk was right on the spot that Hoppang Prince
would advance to final round. The rest of them started guessing that contestants with bright colored jeans always tend to be crowned...example Tin Man in pink pants and Get Excited Eheradio in green coloured pants became the Mask King. Come to think of it, I cannot imagine Hwanhee in bright red pants as he always project the classic, tough man look. 

On 2nd round, Hoppang Prince sang Taeyang's Only Look At Me with his groovy dance which impressed everyone out there. He cruised smoothly to the 3rd round where he sang Park Mi Kyung's Distant Memories of You. No doubt slow and touching romantic ballads fit Hwanhee's powerful baritone voice. I think the panellists would have a clue that Hoppang Prince is Hwanhee. 

Surprisingly he challenged against the current Mask King Baby Angle and won the crown easily. I'd definitely picked Hwanhee as one of the Mask Kings not just because of his looks or he was formerly a duo group...but he has this beautiful voice that attracts your attention no matter what songs he sings. His ad-libs are so unique and powerful as well. 

All the seasons that I've been watching this program, I've always hoped for Hwanhee to be one of the contestants but meanwhile I am worried that the audience could easily guess that it's him because of his distinct voice. His fellow member Brian Joo was part of the panellists at one time before Hwanhee was invited for this show.

So there you go, Hwanhee is crowned as the 47th King of Mask Singer. Woohoo!
Congrats to him! 


Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Romance whirlwinds in Hwarang: The Beginning.

The recent episodes of KBS drama- Hwarang brought the viewers to a standstill when Ah-Ro (played by Go A-Ra) finds out that Sun Woo (played by Park Seo Jun) is not her biological brother. At the beginning, she was a bit confused with her mixed feelings for Sun Woo due to her first encounter with him. She was attracted to him but held back because her father Ahn Ji-Gong introduced him as her long-lost brother.

After discovering that Sun Woo is not her brother, she cries desperately knowing her real brother has died. She was agitated too because Sun Woo has lied to her and kept the secret. Meanwhile she is always worried for his whereabouts and his doings. The same goes for Sun Woo. When the young King Jinheung (played by Park Hyung Shik) shows his liking for A-Ro, his feelings has not been reciprocated. She doesn't reject him but her expression shows she only has eyes on Sun Woo.

Meanwhile Ban Ryu (played by Do Ji-Han) is torn between his loyalty to his evil adopted father Young Shil and his newfound love for nemesis So Ho's sister, So Yeon. I pity him....Queen Ji So is infuriated hearing that A-Ro knows about the Jinheung's real identity. She gave orders to kill A-Ro but she is saved by
the bell- Jinheung came in time to stop. It's such a shame that A-Ro doesn't know that the man who saved her life is the one who caused her real brother's death...how ironic! Jinheung gave a royal order to Pan-Oh to strike anyone down who tries to harm A-Ro.

For shippers of Sun Woo-A Ro, it is the time we confirmed that they do like each other but not as siblings since they are not blood related. When Sun Woo passes out after being stressed out riding the horse and shooting arrows, A-Ro rushes to his side thinking he has died. She starts tearing up while confessing that her heart flutters whenever she sees him.

And of course we were panned to various scenes where Princess Sook Myung is brought into the palace with a main purpose of becoming Jinheung's bride. The Princess is cold as ever and doesn't smile while she finds a soft spot for Sun Woo. But Queen Ji So would not stand still as she orders Sook Myung to get rid of A-Ro. 

The mystery is there about Sun Woo's real identity. A royalty who used to be from the palace visits Ahn-Ji Gong is somehow related to Sun Woo while mentioning if it's fate to be in Hwarang House, it'd be better off. 



The wait is over- Rain is marrying Kim Tae Hee.

After been dating for nearly 5 years, the powerful celebrity couple Rain and Kim Tae Hee have decided to tie the knot.

Singer Rain (known by his real name Jung Ji Hoon) has debuted as a singer 16 years ago and he met the nation's most beautiful and intelligent actress Kim Tae Hee.

Rain has announced on his Twitter account with a handwritten letter that he will marry the actress but no date has been given out.

Speculations about the wedding is it's going to be a private ceremony among friends and family.

In conclusion, Rain is off the market and Kim Tae Hee ends her single life soon. The nation's beauty is soon to be named as Mrs. Jung.



Not forgetting Kim Tae Hee's younger brother Lee Wan who is also in the acting industry, he has been keeping a low profile. When asked if he knows more of his sister's relationship with Rain, he just mentioned he doesn't know the singer that well. There have been awkward times between Lee Wan and Rain but things will soon change when they become relatives. Hah!

We congratulate the soon to be newly-weds and wish them a happy marriage life ahead.









Friday, January 13, 2017

Milla Jovovich shows her love for Korea with Lee Jun Ki.

The Ukraine born Hollywood actress Milla Jovovich is in Seoul to promote her new movie Resident Evil: The Final Chapter which had the grand premiere on 25th January. Though she is a mother however she shows no signs of ageing and still looked pretty and hot. 

Her co-star Lee Jun Ki was with Milla during the press conference. The two followed each other on Instagram and started posting unique photos and shots of their press conferences and also food.

Milla's role in Resident Evil has come off strong as the main heroine Alice whereby it has been a trilogy for the film. Currently it stands at box office US$27.3 million. Lee Jun Ki is not playing a major role in the Hollywood film however it is a starting step for him. He plays Commander Lee under the evil company Umbrella Cooperation responsible for the virus turning humans into zombies. Uh-oh...are we talking about another film similar to Train To Busan- zombie invasion, blood and fighting everywhere? Indeed yes!- Resident Evil films are all about infection, blood, fighting and heroine saving the day!

So in conclusion, I'd say Lee Jun Ki's role in Resident Evil is a baddie...sighs... 


Milla has a great love for Korean food, culture and even Taekwondo. She has praised Lee Jun Ki on Instagram for being a versatile actor, ex-military and holds a black belt in Taekwondo. When Lee Jun Ki brought one of the most famous Korean snacks 'jokbal'- which is pig's feet, that has impressed Milla to the end. Definitely eating pig's feet is a bit strange for westerners but she found it to be very cool and interesting.








Wedding bells for final member of S.E.S

Female vocalist Bada or known by her real name Choi Seung Hee will be tying the knot and ending her single life journey.

From L-R: Bada, Eugene and Shoo (S.E.S girl group)

News reported that Bada will be marrying a restaurant entrepreneur. The age gap between the groom and bride is 9 years. Bada is older than her future husband. The wedding will take place on 23rd March in Seoul.


Bada is the lead vocalist for the first generation idol girl group S.E.S. When her group members all got married and have kids, Bada is still going strong with her strong participation on musicals. She has sung in big Korean musicals such as Gone With the Wind, 200 Pounds Beauty, Notre Dame in Paris and Legally Blonde.

Last year the 3 members decided to come back again. Members Eugene and Shoo are mothers and prepared for their come-back. Bada is the last member of S.E.S to tie the knot.
Congratulations to Bada and her future groom!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

JTBC's drama Strong Woman Do Bong Sun.

For shippers of the drama Hwarang and fans of ZE:A's Park Hyung Sik, we all do know he will never get the lead girl in Hwarang however there is another new drama where he is the main lead.

Park Hyung Sik is signed up for JTBC's new drama Strong Woman- Do Bong Sun 힘쎈여자 도봉순 which is scheduled to air on February 3rd. The female lead is the cute Park Bo Young who will be playing as the female bodyguard assigned to protect the rich heir Ahn Min Hyuk. Model/actor Ji Soo co-stars in the drama as Guk Do.


It is quite a cute combination with Park Hyung Sik and Park Bo Young along with Ji Soo as everyone is young and fresh. 

As far as everyone is concerned watching Hwarang seeing how frustrating Hyung Sik plays as the powerless King Jinheung, we would like his role to grow further and this round we get to see him as a chaebol. *sweet* ...I think he will fare well in this since he has played as chaebol before in the drama High Society. 







Filming drama locations swarmed by fans.

TV dramas are not only popular among viewers but even the filming locations have attracted many fans to reminiscence of the scenes. Among all are none other than the shooting locations for SBS drama Legend of the Blue Sea and tVN's Goblin.

Unhyeongung Royal Residence is one of the most interesting historical site where the colonial building within the grounds of Deoksung Women's University is used for the filming. It was once used to film the residence of Crown Prince Lee Shin in MBC's Goong (Palace) drama. Now the building serves as the house of Kim Shin in the drama Goblin. 


Seoul Choong Ang High School used to be the backdrop of the popular hit drama Winter Sonata where Kang Jun Sang met his first love Yoo Jin. Now it serves as the backdrop of high school student Ji Eun Tak in the drama Goblin.


And not forgetting the memorable Jumunjin Beach at Gangneung is where Eun Tak accidentally summons the Goblin and he appears in front of her. For one thing I am very sure about K-dramas, production team tend to film near the sea and beach. It seems to be a perfect getaway from stress or for couples to rekindle their relationship. Hah! 


Meanwhile Legend of Blue Sea uses Pocheon at Jeju as the background for the mermaid's home. This is where the mermaid Shim Cheong meets her love of her life, Dam Ryeong who is also reincarnated to Heo Joon Jae in the future. 


Gimnyeong Maze Park at Jeju-do is also used as one of the shooting scenes where Shim Cheong was running around with Heo Joon Jae from thugs. 



1 Night 2 Days- Act Your Age (Part 1)

As 2016 ends, we were panned to the last few scenes of KBS Entertainment Awards where the members were busy teasing how Kim Jong Min was one of the nominees for Dae-Sang award. KBS Entertainment Awards indeed gave away several awards for 1N2D program including New Artist Award to Yoon Shi Yoon, Best Viewers Program, Best Writer and also the Dae-sang went to Jong Min since he stuck to the program for 9 years with various PDs.
After ushering 2017, the members gathered at Seokcho facing the Donghae Sea with strong waves. It didn't seem to be smooth start but members were struck with awe upon seeing the strong waves pounding the cliffs. Defconn mentioned that it reminded him of the US movie- Point Break. PD Yu advises them to give some messages to the viewers since their program were voted the best. Each member gave some heart-warming messages including one from Jun Ho to Jun Young. They were then given a paper questionnaire to fill up and moved inside the Dong Myeong centre. They were given dominoes to stack up. PD Yu tells them it's for the lunch if they pass they will get to eat. One by one starts to get frustrated stacking up and crashing them after a few minutes. Their mission was 5 minutes to stack up the 1N2D dominoes however Defconn fat fingers didn't help much.


In fact a real psychologist is behind the screen watching every movement of the members. She is Dr.Kim judging their real mental age from the questionnaire they have filled along with the behavioural methods from the dominoes. Results were out! It turns out Jong Min has the mental age of 21 and the oldest goes to Shi Yoon with 42. The middle ones might be happy go lucky but they do show some weird mental behaviours too. Lunch menu is out where they get to feast on moray soup, fresh sashimi, pollack, sea squirts and other seafood meals. The lunch seating goes with eldest gets to eat first and the youngest will eat the left over. Jong Min gets worried because it's Defconn and Jun Ho before him. It is definite the two will grab everything they can that has been passed down. The lucky ones were Shi Yoon and Tae Hyun. Indeed Jong Min only get to gorge down on vegetables and some rice. Defconn didn't like the tail fin fish so he passed down the dish for Jong Min.

After lunch, the guys were walking down the beach area with strong winds blowing upon them. PD Yu tells them it's another palm fencing game they will be playing. Fencing suits with age notes were pasted on each part of the body suit. If they do not attack within 30 seconds, they will be deducted 5 years. Tae Hyun was up against Jun Ho where the two were busy using black soot attacking each other. Turns out Tae Hyun was the winner. Now Jong Min vs. Defconn. It was quite a sight seeing how big Defconn in size attacking Jong Min and slapping him across the cheek. Last but not least Jun Ho was ambitious to win over Defconn and Jong Min so he decided to play against Shi Yoon who is fast and agile.

Shi Yoon was way faster than anyone so he scored 76 total of age after a few deductions. In Jun Ho's case after many maths calculations, he ended up the same age total as he was- 59 which is the lowest of all. The 2 lowest scorers will have punishment of taking a dip in the cold sea water! 

Brrrr....Defconn and Jun Ho shivered as they went near to the sea water with strong waves behind. The camera suddenly had a caption reminding us of the stylish handsome scene of the tVN drama where Grim Reaper and Goblin walking side by side.

 However audience were shown Defconn and Kim Jun Ho jumping around the cold waters and exiting well not in a very charming way! Ha ha! What does that show? tvN's drama Goblin is very popular that even the 3 major broadcasting stations are making a parody out of it. Only thing is the two gag Jun Ho and Defconn covered in black soot on their faces and body are way far from the visuals of Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo. LOL!

And as we laughed out with captions while Jun Ho showers from the dirt and soot on his body, he is similar age to the 900-year old Gong Yoo's goblin ...well maybe not. Ha ha! 


Tune in next week for the 2nd part where someone gets dragged out to the sea to work in the cold harsh winter weather. 





Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Lee Young Ae, Go Soo Young and Uhm Jung Hwa- Ratings queens

The so-called sisters are back in line. Their commonality is that these three actresses were born in the late '60s and early' 70s, debuted in the early '90s and became top stars ten years later becoming icons in their field of activity. They are Lee Young Ae (46), Go So Young (45) and Uhm Jung-hwa (48). Three actresses are returning to TV drama from
January to February this year.

The interesting fact is three actresses have different characters in the dramas they are in. Lee Young Ae gained fame worldwide for her periodic drama Jewel in the Palace as Dae Jang Geum. Meanwhile Go So Young often carries the ordinary housewife image while   Uhm Jung Hwa usually plays as the sexy singer.

This year Lee Young Ae has signed on to play another sageuk drama entitled Shin Saimdang. Since her last drama Jewel in the Palace in 2004, it has been almost 13 years she was on hiatus with marriage and parenting. Saimdang is a pre-production drama and is scheduled to air on 26th via SBS station after Legend of the Blue Sea wraps up.

It has been 10 years since Go Soo Young played in her last drama Blue Fish in 2007. Now she will be playing in the drama Perfect Wife as the role Shim Jae Bok who has lived like a habit for her family rather than herself, as her husband's affair and mystery starts to happen. A woman who has forgotten who she is and the process of dreaming a new life in the worst moments of her life. 

Scriptwriter Yoon Kyeong-A who wrote All About Mom (2015), Brain (2011) and God of Study (2010) is writing the drama. It is scheduled to broadcast in February after Hwarang.

Uhm Jung Hwa has released her mini album "The Cloud Dream of the Nine" in December 2016. Though it didn't receive great ratings but it showed a unique stage control and she still carries the nickname Korea's Madonna.


She will be playing in the new MBC drama You Are Too Much about a star singer Yoo Ji Na and her 20 years of singing career. Writer of My Daughter Geum Sa Wol, Jang Bori is here along with I Summon You Gold PD are cooperating for this new drama. It will air after the drama Blow Breeze ends.




Girls' Generation Seohyun releases solo album

Girls' Generation youngest member Seohyun will be releasing her solo album on 17th.
She will debut herself as a solo singer with announcement coming through via SM Entertainment for her very first mini album release entitled Don't Say No.



Seohyun was recognised for her singing skills in the drama 'Fashion King' (2012) OST entitled 'I Will Wait'. In addition, she appears in various  musicals such as "Mamma Mia" and "Gone With the Wind". She also starred in the SBS drama "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart", and everyone is interested in what her first album will come out.

Her other fellow Girls' Generation members such as Taeyeon, Tiffany and Hyoyeon have already debuted as solo singers. YoonA, Yuri and Sooyoung are concentrated more on acting fields. 


Sunday, January 8, 2017

tVN drama Goblin scores 15% highest ratings ever.

Cable channel tVN currently airing the hit drama 'Goblin' is seriously continuing to enjoy massive popularity with 15% viewers ratings. 

According to Nielsen Korea on 8th January, episode 12 was aired on the previous day recorded the nationwide average audience rating of 14.9% (based on paid platform). On the 6th January, episode 11 scored 15.0% in viewers ratings.


'Goblin' has proved to be the most challenging tVN dramas. In January of last year, 'Reply 1988' - episode 20 scored 18.8% viewers ratings, which showed the highest ratings of all times. The drama was originally scheduled for 16 episodes, is expected to reveal the relationship between the characters that were hidden from the 11th episode, and the ratings continued to rise further as the conflict grows deeper.

Since Goblin is a romantic-comedy fantasy drama (written by Kim Eun Sook) focused on an immortal warrior Kim Shin in search for a human bride to end his life. And the goblin didn't expect his biggest nemesis Wang Seo would be the grim reaper staying by his side all the time. 

And of course, we as audience saw it coming the time when Sunny had the jade ring with her hinting to us that she is Kim Sun- the reincarnation of Kim Shin's sister who also happens to be the Queen. Not forgetting, we would love to hit or kill that evil Park Joong Won's wandering evil ghost who is making life miserable for all. 

And what I don't understand slightly is the almighty (God) who is manifesting from himself and entering into Deok Hwa's body from time to time. What is almighty trying to do?
He wants Kim Shin dead yet he brings around the ill-fated relationship into the same house?

The drama has also boasts plenty of interesting music from its original OST with artists lending their voices such as EXO's Chanyeol, Punch, Ailee, Crush, Eddy Kim, Sam Kim and Urban Zakapa. 

Blessings for new couple Ryu Shi Young and Park Ha Sun.

Actor Ryu Shu Young (38) and actress Park Ha Sun will be tying the knot.

According to their agency, the couple will hold a wedding ceremony in Seoul on the 22nd. The agency also mentioned the two people have been seeing each other for the past two years. They have supported each other in their busy entertainment activities. They have promised to be together for a lifetime partner based on mutual trust and love.

Ryu Shu Young and Park Ha Sun have starred together in the 2013 drama 'Two Weeks'.

The agency also said, "We want to bless the future of the two people ahead of the new start."

The wedding ceremony will be held privately with their family members. 

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Handsome 'Grim reaper' Lee Dong Wook with his drama scripts.

Actor Lee Dong Wook has been nicknamed as the 'script holder' when he was spotted the current tVN hit drama 'Goblin'. He has been capturing the attention from netizens and audience with his fair complexion and he seems to illuminates and gives the great visual appearance whenever he is around the scene. 

On 4th January, Lee's agency Kingkong Entertainment released a photo of the actor who is currently playing as the Grim reaper (or so-called reincarnation of Goryeo King) in the drama written by famed scriptwriter Kim Eun Sook.

Lee is seen studying the script carefully whenever he takes a break. Apparently he does not sit down or have the script out of his hand regardless where he is. 


On the other hand, lonely and great Goblin played by Gong Yoo has begun a bizarre cohabitation with the Grim reaper. The goblin needs a human bride to end his immortal life. It is a romantic tale that happens when a high school student Ji Eun Tak who is destined to die appears in his life. 

Goblin is broadcast every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m on tVN channel.


Group 2PM's final concert before enlistment.

For die-hard fans of 2PM boy band, this is your last chance to see the guys before they head off for compulsory military services. JYP Entertainment has announced that the boys will be holding a total of 6 concerts from Feb-Mar 2017. Current 2PM members are Taecyeon, Nickhun, Junho, Jun-K, Wooyoung and Chan Sung.


The concerts will be held at the Seoul Olympic Park Handball Stadium on February 24-26 and March 3-5. This event will be their time to see all of them together on the stage before enlistment. The members have been working in different fields since releasing their 6th album 'GENTLEMEN'S GAME' in September last year. 

This time, the company has been spending a lot of time practices including the members busy schedules so it will be a great stage to revive fans' expectations. Tickets will be available at Interpark, website as well as the same time from the fan club tickets on the 16th and 23rd. 


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Song-Song couple wins Dae-Sang at 2016 KBS Drama Awards

2016 would mark the best year for actor Song Joong Ki and actress Song Hae Gyo. Both of them won the Grand Prize (Dae-Sang) award for the 2016 KBS Drama Awards held on 31st December at the KBS Hall. 

The two have managed to Best Couple Award. Meanwhile for actor Park Bo Gum, he won Netizen Award, Top Excellence Actor Award, Best Couple Award for his performance in Moonlight Drawn By Clouds.

The other casts of Descendants of the Sun have also win various awards such as Best Supporting Actor, Best Couple Awards. Nonetheless Moonlight drawn by Clouds was the the second winner to snag in Rookie Awards. The casts of the popular weekend drama Five Children and The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop took home awards as well.

Some present included Lee Dong Gun, Cha In Pyo, Ra Mi Ran, Jo Yoon Hee, Sung Hoon, Ahn Jae Wook, Lee Se Young, Hyun Woo, Lee Sang Yoon, Kim Ha Neul, Lee Yoori and many more. However actor Jin Goo was down with flu so he couldn't attend, the same goes for actress Kim Yoo Jung after she was hospitalised from a series of netizens attack. 

Famed writer Kim Eun Sook was also absent since she is busy concentrating on tVN's Goblin drama so her co-writer Kim Won Suk took the award on behalf for her hit drama Descendants of the Sun. 

Child actress Heo Jung Eun who played 3 dramas last year - Oh My Geum Bi, Neighbourhood Lawyer Jo Deul Ho and the little princess in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds won the Best Child Actress Award. She was overwhelmed that she stood beside Song Joong Ki and hoped her next project is with him forgetting her current co-star Oh Ji Ho who plays as her father. Daddy Song of triplets (Song Il Guk) was awarded Best Actor in Mid-Length Drama for his role in Jang Young Shil. 

As for fashion wise, every single actress was dressed in either cream or white coloured so they looked the same and boring. The actors looked dashing in their tux and suits...those who presented awards were mostly in suit and tie. However Song Joong Ki decided to wear something more outstanding in brown coloured suit and black turtle neck inside. He was in tears after winning the Dae-Sang however Hae Gyo remained her composure while thanking everyone even thought she felt her acting was still lacking.