My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho cast addition: T-ara’s Hyomin

Lots of casting news lately — here’s one for SBS’s My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, and it involves another idol star crossing over into television. Pop group T-ara’s Hyo-min is joining her fellow members Eun-jung (Coffee House) and Ji-yeon (God of Study) in the acting game, and has been added to the Gumiho fantasy drama alongside Lee Seung-gi and Shin Mina.

Hyo-min takes a supporting role as a girl in a one-sided love with Lee Seung-gi; the latter is an aspiring action star and Hyo-min will play the daughter to the action school’s director. Her bright character, described as being friends with the two leads, does her best to win him over. This role is being called Hyo-min’s formal screen acting debut, but it’s not her absolute first time acting; she has performed in the musical production of I Really Really Like You (which was based off the TV drama starring Eugene).

This is also the first time I’m seeing a director attached to the project: the PD, Gu Sung-chul, previously did the weepie melodrama A Star’s Lover. I’m ambivalent about this, since it can go either way: I found the writing in A Star’s Lover tired and enervated by the drama’s end, but I was enthralled with the first four episodes, and a large part of that draw was the atmospheric, almost ethereal quality the director brought to the story.

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho will premiere on August 11.

credit : javabeans

Lee Jung-jin cast as Rain’s rival in Runaway

Rain now has his rival for the upcoming spy-melodrama Runaway, and it’s 32-year-old Lee Jung-jin (of I Love You Don’t Cry and Bottom of the 9th Inning with 2 Outs).

Also, we finally get more on the story of Runaway, which centers around an “astronomical sum of money that disappeared with the outbreak of the Korean War, which resurfaces sixty years later in 2010.” What follows is “a lively chase” that takes the characters through various Asian cities.

The two characters played by Rain and Lee Na-young, Ji-woo and Jin-yi, are involved in this case but acting independently of each other. (She approaches him to use him, but the romance that develops between the two is an unexpected development.) Lee Jung-jin plays the chief of investigation who finds the case suspicious and pursues Ji-woo, leading to close confrontations between the two.

Lee Jung-jin said, “I’m definitely blessed to be participating in such well-made projects like my recent movie The Fixer and the drama Runaway. Viewers will have big expectations, and I want to leave them with a strong impression.”

Runaway just began filming this week and will air later this year.

credit : javabeans

BEAST Showcase & Autograph session in Malaysia (26 & 27 June 2010)

Korean boyband BEAST a.k.a. B2st will be in Malaysia later this month. Here's how to get admission (tickets) to the BEAST SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA Exclusive Showcase on the 26th June 2010!

BEAST "SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA" Exclusive Showcase in Malaysia

Date: 26 June 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: KL Live, Kuala Lumpur
*Admission pass is needed for entry

**Notice: Video cameras and professional cameras (DSLR) are STRICTLY NOT ALLOWED at the showcase. Your co-operation is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Here's how to get your admission pass!



1. PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM
Pre-order the repackaged version of BEAST's 'SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA' album and you will get 1 (ONE) admission pass to BEAST's showcase in KL!

2. MAXIS USERS DOWNLOAD BEAST's CALLER RING TONE
From 14th June 2010, Monday, if you are Maxis user, here’s the chance to win BEAST” SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA” EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE IN MALAYSIA admission pass by download BEAST’s Caller Ring Tone!

Below are the methods to win the admission pass:
a. Download one of the BEAST’s songs, stated below:
Bad Girl - Dial *131*161675# (RM3/song)
Shock - Dial *131*161678# (RM3/song)
Mystery - Dial *131*161682#(RM3/song)

b. Complete this sentence： “I am a true BEAST fan because…” key in "QUIZ BEAST NAME COMMENT" to 29000. RM0.50/sms. Unlimited participation, the most creative comment will get the chance to win.

c. Expiry Date：21/6/2010

d. For more information, please go to this website: www.musicunlimited.com.my

e. Only for Maxis or Hotlink user.

3. DIGI USERS PURCHASE CALLER TUNE PACKAGE

From 15th June 2010 onwards, if you are Digi user, you may go to any of the Rock Corner video outlets to purchase a Caller Tune Package, you can get BEAST” SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA” EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE IN MALAYSIA admission pass！

The methods to get admission pass:

a. Go to any of the Rock Corner video outlets, purchase a Caller Tune Package (cost RM60)，you can enjoy Caller Tune’s preferential for one year, you also can get 1 BEAST” SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA” EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE IN MALAYSIA admission pass!

*** Those who wear the BEAST t-shirt from the repackaged album pack to the venue on the day of the showcase will be given priority admittance.

Hurry! Get your admission pass now. Have you got yours?

BEAST "SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA" Autograph Session

For those of you who didn't get an admission pass, or can't get enough of BEAST, you may go to the Autograph & Fansigning session on the 27th June!

For those who would like to get their albums personally autographed by all 6 BEAST members themselves, remember to clear your schedule and mark the following date on your calendar: -

BEAST "SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA" Autograph Session

Date: 27 June 2010 Time: 5.00pm
Venue: FCUK Entrance (New Wing), 1Utama, Petaling Jaya

The autograph session is open to anyone with the silver tag of hologram on the cover of BEAST "SHOCK OF THE NEW ERA" album.

Pre-order the repackaged album now and get one BEAST t-shirt and one admission pass to BEAST's showcase in Malaysia!!

*BEAST will only be signing ONE CD per person.

credit : kpopped

Super Junior Choi SiWon casted for drama ‘Athena’, a spin-off production from ‘IRIS’

Super Junior Choi SiWon is known to be casted for upcoming drama ‘Athena: The Goddess Of War’ a spin-off production from large scale action drama ‘IRIS’.

According to an official on 18th June, Choi SiWon has been casted for the drama. He will be taking up the role of Kim JoonHo, a rookie ellite. Earlier speculations for the role casting points to Kim HyunJoong but it seems that the speculations have misfired.

The other stars casted for the drama include Cha SeungWon, Jung WooSeong, SooAe and Lee JiaH, and the first filming was known to have started recently. The shootng will take place in 6 countries including Europe and Japan.

credit : sookyeong@kbites+as labeled

Jae Hee and Jo Hyun-jae complete military service

Actors Jae Hee and Jo Hyun-jae began their military enlistment within a day of each other back in August 2008, and they’ll be discharged within a day of each other as well; Jae Hee will be released tomorrow, June 18, while Jo Hyun-jae will complete his service the following day.

According to the reps for the actors, fans are planning to greet both upon their exits, including a contingent from abroad. (Jo’s side expects nearly 500 to be in attendance, hailing from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and more.) Coincidentally, the last drama project for both actors before their enlistment was the same series, Three Dads, One Mom. (They played best friends who may or may not have fathered their other best friend’s daughter; when the friend is unable to have children, he solicits his best buddies as sperm donors.)

There was quite a list of stars who enlisted in the latter part of 2008, which means that we’ll soon be able to see their returns, including Eric, Kim Dong-wan, Tony Ahn, Jo Seung-woo, Ryu Soo-young, and Ohn Joo-wan.

credit : javabeans

Park Bo-young in Playful Kiss?

Oh, this would make my day. Park Bo-young is the top contender for the Korean drama adaptation of Itazura na Kiss, which was adapted into the Taiwanese hit series It Started With a Kiss.

The 20-year-old actress is not only talented, but has a lovely presence that really comes through the screen, and she was wonderful playing a young single mom in the movie that made her a star, Speed Scandal. Back when the drama was first announced, I’d thought it would be great to get Park onboard but hadn’t had much hope, because she has been tangled up in legal disputes with her management, which is why she hasn’t acted since 2008’s Speed Scandal.

(In brief: A production company sued Park and her management, Humane Entertainment, of fraud and embezzlement. They accused Park of agreeing to appear in their movie production, Sound of Ice, while harboring no intention to actually participate. They also accused the management company of taking money under the pretext of using them as production funds for its own operations. The prosecutor found Park clear of charges and now she’s looking to get back to work.)

My interest took a sharp swing upward when director Hwang In-roi signed on (he of Goong and Return of Iljimae), and I’d LOVE to see Park Bo-young cast in this. Writing is Go Eun-nim of MBC’s Hon.

A source with the production explained that aside from Park, they had auditioned a hundred hopefuls for the lead role. After they finish casting in late June, filming will begin in July. The drama is aiming for a fall premiere and is eyeing the Wednesday-Thursday slot after MBC’s Road No. 1 airs.

credit : javabeans

Park ShinHye’s recent chubby features garner interests, “She looks like Yoon EunHye”

Talent Park ShinHye’s chubby features revealed through her recent photos garnered great interests.

On a portal site recently, there was a post by a netizen titled ‘I see Yoon EunHye in Park ShinHye’. Several photos of Park ShinHye seen at a recent event were revealed. Park ShinHye is known for her cute image in various CF and drama appearances, but what had caught the attention of many netizens was that she had seem chubbier than before in the photos released.

Netizen commented, “She is even pretty being chubbier”, “She is pretty even she don’t lose weigt”, “She looks like Yoon EunHye” etc.

More photos under the cut.

credit : sookyeong@kbites+as labeled

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