Movie Buff : 'The Thieves' is rocking

The Thief

 

 

Choi Dong-hoon's "The Thieves" is set to become sixth Korean film to attract 10 million spectators.

"A total of 9.24 million moviegoers have seen the movie as of Sunday," said its distributor Showbox Mediaplex on Monday. The flick was released on July 25. "We expect the figure to surpass 10 million by Thursday."

If so, it will become the first Korean film to achieve the feat in three years after "Haeundae" by Yoon Je-kyoon in 2009. The first domestic film to attract such a large audience was "Silmido" by Kang Woo-suk in 2003.

Choi is credited with the immense success of "The Thieves." His three previous films were all commercial hits -- "The Big Swindle" attracted 2.12 million viewers, "The War of Flower" had 5.68 million, and "Woochi: The Taoist Wizard" sold 6.13 million tickets at the box office.

The Chosun Ilbo asked Choi on Monday whether he thought "The Thieves" would prove to be this popular. "No film director thinks about how many spectators their film will draw when making a movie," he said. "Because it was a crime film, I thought the reviews would be split, so I can't still believe that the film has been such a huge success. I even doubted if the figures by the Korean Film Council were correct, so I checked them again and again."

With the exception of "Woochi: The Taoist Wizard," all the other films he has directed revolve around criminals. "This is the kind of material I like to see as a cinemagoer. People have a boundless curiosity about crimes, accidents and so forth. Nobody wants such things to happen to them personally, but they still want to see them in a dramatic setting," said Choi.

 

Actor Lee Jung-jae (left) hugs a fan at an event to welcome the 10 millionth viewer of the film "The Thieves" at the Time Square plaza in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul on Monday. Also attending the event were director Choi Dong-hoon (second left), and actresses Kim Hye-soo (second right) and Kim Hae-sook.

This is the first film Choi has worked on with his wife and producer Ahn Soo-hyun. "Initially, we didn't like the idea of collaborating because we were worried that it would cause arguments. But there are actually a lot of positives to working together. Whenever I doubted myself as a director, she gave me very valuable advice. We stuck to our principle of respecting each other's work, and she is very good in keeping work and private matters separate. That made everything a lot easier. We are husband and wife, but also friends, so it was fun working together," said Choi.

Ahn, who joined in the middle of the interview, said, "As we used to work on different films, there were times when we couldn't see each other for three months at a stretch. This time, it was good because we worked in the same place and got to see each other all the time."

When asked about his future plans, Choi was tight-lipped, saying merely that he is "a young director who still has a long way to go."

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Korea: New Guidebook Highlights Seoul's Unique Style

Seoul has become the first city in Asia with a localized edition of Britain's premium travel guide StyleCity.

Published by Thames & Hudson, the guidebook has sold more than 500,000 copies since its launch in 2003 in 11 cities. It focuses on cities that boast a unique culture, character, and exciting travel activities, including London, Paris, New York, and Rome.

 

 

The premier issue of StyleCity Seoul features must-see sights that were selected by British travel writer Martin Zatko during his two-month visit to the city. It highlights unique locations in six areas around Seoul, with each section organized into sleep, eat, drink, shop and retreat.

Zatko concluded that Seoul's most distinctive characteristic is the coexistence of modern facilities engineered by Korea's rapid economic development and the renaissance of its traditional culture.

The area consisting of Samcheong-dong, Bukchon, Buam-dong, and Seongbuk-dong is described as the city's artistic nexus, where traditional beauty is represented by stylish cafes, restaurants, and art galleries.

 

 

Page 3 of North Korea : Kim Jong-un's Wife No Stranger to S.Korea

I am pretty sure, many of us always want to hear news from North Korea as its been aloof from the rest of the world. So today's news is none other than the head of the new reign Kim Jong Un's wife.

The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was apparently raised in a middle-class home, studied in China and is no stranger to South Korea. The National Intelligence Service told the parliamentary Intelligence Committee on Thursday that Ri Sol-ju was born in an "ordinary family" in 1989 and attended the Kumsong Arts School in Pyongyang and majored in singing in China.

She visited South Korea's Incheon in 2005 to attend an Asian athletics competition as a member of the North's cheering squad, and sang at a baseball stadium in the city. She also participated in a gathering of South and North Korean university students at Incheon City College. Ri said in an interview at that time that she was "deeply moved" to see young students gather to sing songs about reunification.

Left: Ri Sol-ju performs as a member of the North Korean cheering squad during an Asian athletics competition in Incheon in 2005.; Right: Ri Sol-ju waves on her way back to North Korea at Incheon International Airport in 2005. /Yonhap 

 

In December 2005, South Korean reporters went to Kumsong Arts School where Ri was studying. She told them that she wanted to join a state-run troupe of performers after graduation.

A North Korean woman with the same name also attended a tree-planting ceremony hosted by South Korea's Red Cross at the North's Mt. Kumgang resort in March 2003, and also attended an inter-Korean meeting of teachers at the resort in 2004 hosted by the South's Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union.

 

South and North Korean youngsters smile at a tree-planting ceremony hosted by South Korea's Red Cross at the Mt. Kumgang resort in March 2003. The girl in circle is assumed to be Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju. /Yonhap 

 

Ri married Kim in 2009 and continued performing as a singer for the Unhasu Orchestra. The Chosun Ilbo reviewed footage of performances by the orchestra and found that Ri first appeared at a concert in October 2010 marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Workers Party. She then appeared in a series of concerts celebrating the New Year in 2011, where she sang one to two songs each time.

Her last performance was at a Lunar New Year's performance on Feb. 17, 2011 watched by former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Jong-un and Chinese diplomats.

"It is extremely rare in North Korea for the future first lady to perform on stage," said an informed source. "She may have gotten engaged to Kim in 2009 rather than getting married to him that year."

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walks arm-in-arm with his wife Ri Sol-ju during the completion ceremony of an amusement park in Pyongyang on Wednesday. /[North] Korean Central TV-Yonhap 

 

Ri next appeared in the North Korean state media on July 7, when she was spotted sitting next to Kim at a performance by the newly-created Moranbong troupe. The NIS believes the couple had a child in the meantime.

It said the regime appears to have decided that she should be seen by Kim's side to project a "stable image" of Kim as a leader.

Fun to learn : Successes and Pitfalls of Star Power in Advertising

The decision by Coreana Cosmetics to hire actress Kim Ha-neul as a poster girl is paying off handsomely thanks to the tremendous popularity of the hit SBS soap "A Gentleman's Dignity" in which she stars alongside heartthrob Jang Dong-gun. The pink lipstick Kim uses in the drama has become such a hit that 20,000 of the products have sold so far across the nation, which is faster than the company can supply them.

Coreana has had to ramp up production to meet demand. "We paid hundreds of millions of won in modeling fees, but sales of the lipstick alone more than made up for that," said a company staffer.

Businesses are very cautious about choosing models for their products. It may seem that hiring the most popular star to endorse a product would guarantee its success, but things do not always turn out that way. Advertisers must carefully consider the type of product they are selling, whether it goes well with a particular model, how well-known the model is among the target consumer group, and how to differentiate the product from rivals.

 

From left, Kim Ha-neul, Jeon Ji-hyun and Kim Yu-na

One example of a successful pairing of product and model is actress Jeon Ji-hyun and Elastine shampoo, by LG Household and Health Care. Jeon was the poster girl for Elastine from 2001, when the product was introduced, until 2011. Although relatively unknown back then, her fresh appearance and long hair was a perfect match with the product and turned it into an instant hit. Elastine has been the best-selling shampoo since its debut and still holds that position with consumers associating that product with the actress. In turn, Jeon was able to consolidate her fresh image.

But relying too much on star power can lead to the merchandise becoming overshadowed by the celebrity. An example is actor Kim Soo-hyun, who suddenly became a star with the lead role in the MBC costume drama "The Moon that Embraces the Sun." During the first six months of this year, Kim appeared in ads for more than 10 products ranging from coffee, sportswear, jewelry, beer and electronic products. Because he spreads himself so thinly, consumers are often confused.

Now many businesses are trying to avoid this pitfall by turning to popular athletes. They are not only fresh faces but also felt to embody trustworthiness, the spirit of challenge and strapping health. Daewoong Pharmaceutical hired soccer legend Cha Bum-kun, his son and star soccer player Cha Du-ri and his brother to advertise its health supplements, and the ads proved successful.

Figure skating star Kim Yu-na appeared in 136 ads until June this year and raised the brand image of every product she has endorsed.

"Sports stars have a stronger image of trustworthiness than other models, and their personal stories of challenge and success have a positive impact on the product they endorse," said Park Jae-hang of advertising company Innocean Worldwide. "Rather than hiring them for a single ad, it could be more beneficial to form long-term sponsorship deals with them in order to boost the corporate image by giving an impression that the company endeavors to foster sports."

Make-A-Wish Korea Makes 2,000th Dream Come True

Make-A-Wish Korea, which grants wishes for children with incurable diseases, received an e-mail on June 2 from the mother of an 18-year-old who has been bedridden for the last three years.

"My son really likes Youn-ha and his only joy in life seems to be listening to her daily evening radio broadcasts," his mother Choi Hae-young (46) wrote. "Would it be possible for him to meet her just once?" The youngster has lived with his hearing-impaired mother all his life.

Kim Do-young has been collecting the siger's CDs, posters and photos.

Kim's wish, which marks the 2,000th wish for the foundation, came true when he met her on Thursday at the Han River Park in Yeouido.

Kim Do-young poses with singer Youn-ha (second left) and a guitar at the Han River Park in Seoul on Thursday.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was created in the U.S. in 1980 and the first wish it granted was for a seven-year-old boy in Arizona who had leukemia and dreamed about being a police officer. Make-A-Wish Korea was set up in 2002, becoming the 26th member of the foundation.

Over the last 10 years, the foundation made it possible for a girl with cancer, whose dream was to be a diplomat, to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and a high-school science buff with leukemia to fly to Microsoft’s headquarters to meet Bill Gates.

Actress Kim Tae-hee is most favored by those who apply to the foundation and granted the wishes of around 20 children from 2008 to 2012.

Kim's other wish is to go to university, so he spends four to five hours a day preparing for the college entrance exam.

Source: Choisun Ilbo

Saju of a man

By Janet Shin

Take a look at people who work in the same occupation and you can notice that some are quite content while others are not. Likewise, in our daily routines, we are sometimes satisfied while other times bored. Needless to say, the consequences in life do not always correspond to the amount of effort and one does not always get what he or she is longing for.

A man once used to be a waiter at a nightclub but became a lawyer. He entered a top ranking university to study law at 40 and passed the bar exam. His new occupation, however, didn’t bring him honor and money as he couldn’t please his clients. Instead, his unusual life story became interesting material for newspaper articles. Before long, a film about hilarious gangsters and a leader was released. It was “My Boss, My Hero” in 2001. And then, it continued to other titles in the series, like “The Mafia, The Salesman” in 2007. He thinks his life intrigued filmmakers and they used it as a basis for their works after his story was printed.

Life does not unfold as one expects or plans. For this reason, many people are lost on the voyage of life. Life sometimes pushes them to the edge of a cliff and even thrusts them off the precipice. They suddenly see themselves in a place where they have never been or don’t know where to go.

I often compare saju to a compass. It can be appreciated more because it reveals not only where to go but where we are from. Saju becomes a lighthouse in the vast ocean and a street lamp in a dark secluded road. When people ask me to read their saju, I see that it provides lucid answers. They are captivated because their solution is out of the box in many cases.

I read the saju of the lawyer. At that time, he was disoriented not knowing what to do and how to continue. Without perceiving an inner substance told by saju, his life would have seemed a successful one, having reached a certain position everyone else might highly approve of.

His saju didn’t show a life in the legal profession. It was actually closer to that of mobsters. He was born with yang metal energy having lots of friend stars. And there was no career star or fire element to refine him. It denotes that he, being born as a raw metal, would hardly be smelted. The career star is required for a profession, such as a lawyer, prosecutor or judge, which is lacking in his saju. So he would never be successful in legal circles. In lieu of the career star, he has many friend stars in his stems and expression and money stars in the branches. This is a typical saju structure for businessmen. I told him that a profession as a lawyer is not his calling. Alternatively he may make a good businessman. However, he should be aware of the fact that he will barely settle in whatever occupation he is engaged. Each pillar that represents his expression and money stars is not constant. It is the reason why he has kept changing vocation. In order to acclimatize, his business will have to maintain relationships with gangsters, which is his destiny.

Several months later, he informed me that he was managing passenger ships on the southern coast of Korea. And while running this business, as anticipated, he was dealing with many gangsters who derive benefits around the transportation industry. He added that he didn’t have any difficulty supervising them. Sometimes they were rather supportive, because there was no one like him, who could deal with not only the law but also people who commit illegal acts. He sounded very vibrant.

Information: Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny?” For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com.
The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea, and the author of “Learning Four Pillars.”

The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea, and the author of “Learning Four Pillars.”

Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny?” For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com.

Nationality for freedom fighters’ descendants