"Who are the best in their fields that the heart must come before ability, honor and money... "
"The attitude should be wholehearted and truthful."
-Bae Yong Joon-

Friday, January 27, 2012

[News] Will Bae Yong Joon Return to TV in 2012?

source: soompi
by lee23j

Will Bae Yong Joon Return to TV in 2012?

Actor Bae Yong Joon is getting ready to return to TV. Fans have been wondering about his future plans, since Bae Yong Joon has not been in a movie or drama for a while. The last TV appearance he made was on KBS2 "Dream High" as a cameo. Although some fans hoped that they would be able to spot him on "Dream High 2," Bae Yong Joon does not plan on making any guest appearances on the show. As a result, many fans as well as the entertainment industry is paying close attention to Bae Yong Joon's future plans with his acting career. 

An official from Bae Yong Joon's agency commented, "Many people assume that Bae Yong Joon is just taking a break from acting, but the truth is that he has been rather busy and productive. He's been going through some scenarios, looking for the right piece to work with. Although his comeback is taking a while, he is planning on continuously acting for sure. But as of now, it seems like he will make his comeback with a movie than on the TV screen."

Movie

Bae Yong Joon has been offered to star in TV Drama "Four Seasons," which is written by Lee Kyung Hee and produced by producer Kwak Jung Han. However, he politely rejected the offer. He has also been offered to star in some big-time movies, but nothing has been set yet. Bae Yong Joon's last on-screen appearance was back in 2005 on "April Snow" with Son Ye Jin

The agency's official emphasized again, "Bae Yong Joon is reading a lot and keeping himself busy. It's just that people don't see him. But he will pick a new movie or drama and come back to his fans as soon as possible."

Thursday, January 26, 2012

[News] Which K-Pop Star and K-Drama Are Japan's Favorite?

source: soompi
by xxxKrissKrossxxx

Which K-Pop Star and K-Drama Are Japan's Favorite?

What is Japan’s favorite Korean Drama? That would be “Winter Sonata.

And who is Japan’s favorite Korean artists? The answer would be Kara.

Younghoon David Kim, the chairman of the Korean Cultural Industry Exchange Foundation, has been researching the effects of the Hallyu Wave in Japan. His latest analysis of the Hallyu Wave in Japan has been made public through the fourth series entitled, “Forever Wave: An Original."

According to the book, 2,000 men and women aged fifteen and older, living in Tokyo and Osaka, were targeted for a Hallyu craze survey. “Winter Sonata” is still the number one favorite show with the Japanese, according to those who participated in the poll. They were also asked “Who is the most talented Korean actor?” Coming in first place was Bae Yong Joon, followed by Choi Ji Woo in second place, two of the main leads for "Winter Sonata."

As for favorite artists, Kara proved to be the most admired performers in Japan. The ladies came in first 34.8% of the votes. They held on to a lead of 17.8% over their next competitor.

The book also looked at the rate of import and export status in Japan, while focusing on the Korean Wave’s effects on international trade with Japan. It is clear that it has had an effect as the numbers have gone up there as well.

Monday, January 23, 2012

[news] Bae Yong Joon to open Waikiki cafe

source: lovebaeyongjoon
By

source: Honolulu Pulse
2012/1/23
BY JASON GENEGABUS / jason@staradvertiser.com

Korean celebrity Bae Yong Joon is working towards opening a coffee shop in Waikiki called Gorilla in the Café Hawaii, a spokesperson confirmed. The news was first reported by “K-Drama” columnist Jeff Chung in the Jan. 15 edition of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.



Bae Yong Joon. (Associated Press)
 
“We just got the lease … (and) the project is going forward,” said Timothy Lee, a Hawaii-based real estate agent who represents Bae’s Gorilla Life Way USA, LLC.

After successful acting roles in Korean and Japanese television (where he is known as Yonsama), Bae expanded his business interests into restaurant ventures in those two countries. A visit to Hawaii island last year got him interested in opening something here.

He really enjoys Hawaii and is an avid golfer,” Lee said. “When he was here in April, we were in Kona, and that’s where he really got to experience the coffee farms.

Back on Oahu, Lee connected Bae with the Korean owners of Teddy Bear World in Waikiki, who incidentally had a vacant space available to sub-lease. Once the necessary paperwork was finalized earlier this month, Gorilla in the Café Hawaii became a reality. While Lee will handle some aspects of the new business, he said Bae himself will oversee much of the process.

“He’s going to be directly involved,” said Lee. “He’s a big foodie (and) has a very good palate.
“My thing in Hawaii is that we really lack the outdoor dining options here. We have great weather all year long, but for some reason there’s not much outdoor seating.”

Lee said that while the new, 500 square-foot space isn’t that big, it’s a dedicated seating area outside that will help attract customers. Bae’s fans will also be drawn to design elements and merchandise that reflect the actor’s personality.

This project is personal,” said Lee. “It will be a lot of (Bae’s) personal preferences on the merchandise and everything that we do.

Gorilla in the Café Hawaii will be located at 2155 Kalakaua Ave. and is tentatively set to open in April. Bae is expected to attend the grand opening.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

[vod] message for Korean Ginseng Jpn

source: lovebaeyongjoon
By  

tomato: Happy New Year! 
sharing Yong Joon’s message video for Korean Ginseng Japan.

 source: KoreanGinsengShopHP

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

[News] Which Celebrity Owns the Most Expensive House?

source: soompi
by thunderstix

Which Celebrity Owns the Most Expensive House?

On January 16, KBS “Yeo Yoo Man Man” revealed a list of celebrities owning the most expensive houses in Korea.

According to the list based on the 2010 report by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, celebrity couple Kwon Sang Woo and Son Tae Young was ranked #3 with their apartment located in the upscale Samsung-Dong area. The estimated price of their apartment is $3.4 million USD.

The celebrity with the second most expensive home came out to be actress/model Han Chae Young. Her villa located in the posh Chungdam area is estimated to be worth around $5 million USD. With its amazing view overseeing the Han River and 6,000 sq. ft size, it’s widely called the “Dream Villa” by many.

So which Korean celebrity owns the most expensive house? It turns out to be none other than the veteran singer Cho Young Nam. His apartment is worth well-over $5 million USD, and has an indoor golf range, movie theater, gym, and even a lounge for chauffeurs in the building. Also located in the expensive Chungdam district, Cho Young Nam’s apartment has one of the best views in all of Seoul with Han River running right in front of it.



This report, however, brought us to Hallyu star Bae Yong Joon’s house (which surprisingly did not make it in the top 3 list). On the same episode, the filming crew of “Yeo Yoo Man Man” went to the home of Bae Yong Joon and showed us the surrounding area of his house. Located in another upscale neighborhood, Sungbook-Dong, it was surrounded by high walls and much tighter security, making it impossible to even take a glance at what the actual home looks like. There were also multiple surveillance cameras around the house, which restricted people from filming as well. It’s actually become one of the most popular tourist spots for Japanese visitors, but with the strict security and high walls, they usually end up just taking pictures in front of the main gate.

Among these houses, which one do you like the most?

[News] ‘Dream High’ back, but is it better?

Source: Korean Herald
By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120117001080


Park Jin-young believes that second season will be ‘more complete’ as a work


Now that the South Korean drama market has started to jump on board the multi-season series bandwagon, it seems there is no end to the trend.

When KBS’ “Dream High” ― a music-and-dance teen drama ― pulled in strong ratings during its winter run a little over a year ago, it should have come as no surprise that the team behind the series would decide to green light a second season.

In terms of production, little has changed. Holym ― a joint venture formed by JYP Entertainment and Bae Yong-joon’s agency, Keyeast ― is co-producing the sequel with CJ E&M yet again.

Furthermore, JYP Entertainment head Park Jin-young retains both his role as the series’ music and dance director as well as his stint as a teacher (which he played with endearing goofiness) at the art school where “Dream High” is set.

At the drama’s press conference Tuesday, Park highlighted the primary difference between the first season and “Dream High 2.”

“‘Dream High 1’ was my first time doing it all,” he said, referring to his involvement both behind-the-scenes and onscreen. “But with ‘Dream High 2,’ since I have done it all before, all that experience that I accumulated is a real boon. So, I believe that this series will turn out to be even more finished and complete as a work and I think that viewers can look forward to tuning in.”

From left to right: Park Jin-young, Kahi, Choi Yeo-jin and Kim Jung-tae attend the “Dream High 2” press conference Tuesday at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

Park revealed that when “Dream High” ended and the option of doing a second season was put on the table he really worried about whether or not he should do it. His primary concern was that young viewers loved the first installment so much that they might be disappointed by the sequel.

He also admitted that he had no idea what story to tell with a second season, that is, until autumn rolled around and he found his inspiration.

Of his role this time around, Park said, “In ‘Dream High 1’ my character experienced unrequited love.

“This time the situation changes a bit,” he said, hinting that his character will be luckier in love in the second season.

While Park remains a fixture of the series, the rest of the cast, however, has changed completely.

The first installment featured four JYPE singers, including boy band 2PM members Taec-yeon and Woo-young, along with hot property IU. First generation Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon also held a small role in the series.

The second installment is rolling out yet another eclectic mish-mash of K-pop idols.

Ballad-heavy male group 2AM’s Jeong Jin-woon, T-ara’s Ji-yeon (fellow member Ham Eun-jung starred in the first season), After School’s Kahi and SISTAR’s Hyo-rin will be starring in “Dream High 2.”

The entire cast, however, does not hail from the land of K-pop. “Sunny” actress Kang So-ra will be bringing her acting prowess to the series.

If the first installment’s premise was about a group of underdogs competing for a chance to become an international pop star, the sequel unfolds on a much larger scale, with the takeover of the art school by a major entertainment company. A flood of top idols enroll at the school, and art school veterans clash with these newcomers, leading to a battle between the two teams.

Though the plot and cast have changed, judging from the highlight reel that ran at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, it looks like the second season will retain the glitz, the bubble pop and dance-song heavy allure that made the first season so much fun to watch.

“Dream High 2” starts airing Jan. 30 on Monday and Tuesday nights at 9:55 p.m. on KBS 2 TV.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

[News] Actor to set up restaurant next to Teddy Bear World

source: staradvertiser
By Jeff Chung  




Korean megastar Bae Yong Joon, also known as Yonsama by his Japanese fans, will launch his first U.S. business venture in Hawaii in April, Gorilla in the Café Hawaii.

"Winter Sonata (Winter Ballad)" was the drama that launched Bae to fame. Since then he has written books and opened Korean-themed restaurants in Japan.

For more information, here's the link:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=137370083