Kim Hyun Joong meets Oguri Shun

Kim Hyun Joong recently met famous Japanese actor Oguri Shun in Korea.

The two got together at a restaurant in Seoul on the night of the 20th. The reason they share a special relationship is because they played the same character in Boys Over Flowers.

The only difference was that Kim Hyun Joong was in the Korean version whereas Oguri Shun was in the Japanese one.

They spent about two hours together in the restaurant eating dinner and talking. Kim Hyun Joong has said before in an interview that he wants to meet Oguri Shun. The two even took a picture together holding their nation’s World Cup uniforms.

We can only imagine what they talked about.

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Playful Kiss + Lee Tae-sung = confirmed

They didn’t make us wait on this one long, did they? Lee Tae-sung, recently announced as frontrunner, is onboard with Playful Kiss.

He’ll be Kim Hyun-joong’s rival for the girl (played by Jung So-min), showing unfailing devotion whereas the hero, well, doesn’t. Lee’s character Jun-gu is based on the manga’s Kinnosuke, and hails from Gyeongsang-do in the south. (Historically, there has been prejudice against southerners by Seoulites, who consider themselves more urbane than the countrified masses. This Jun-gu character seems cast in that mold as “a character with the energy of a Gyeongsang youth and a tough appeal.”)

Playful Kiss is set for a September 1 premiere.

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Behind the scenes of Runaway

Runaway is shooting abroad at the moment, and these stills taken from the filming location were shot in Osaka. In them, the three main actors — Rain, Lee Na-young, Lee Jung-jin — paused for a brief rest in the hot weather.

The plot puts Rain and Lee Na-young on the run — at stake is a fortune in disappeared cash that has resurfaced for the first time in sixty years — while Lee Jung-jin plays the detective in pursuit. The chase takes them through a number of Asian cities, and the production will move its overseas shoots to Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China after wrapping up in Japan.

I’m still waiting to see how this will be a romantic comedy, but we may have to wait for trailers on that. The drama premieres in September on KBS.

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Taeyang’s special girl is Jung Joori

On a recent episode of SBS Strong Heart which aired on the 20th, Taeyang made his way to the show and displayed his impressive dancing skills melting the hearts of many.

When it came time to perform a part of his recently released song I Need a Girl, everyone was curious as to who the lucky lady would be to help him perform. Was it Kim Ji Hye (Taeyang’s usual lucky dancer)? Nope, it was none other than Jung Joori sporting the exact same outfit and hair!

We all know how Jung Joori is around male idols, especially last time Taeyang was on the show and this proves to be no different. Check out the hilarious segment below, and many thanks to Olihae for the tip.

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Kang So-ra joins cast of Dr. Champ

Twenty-year-old Kang So-ra has been added to the SBS medical sports drama Dr. Champ, which has already cast Kim So-yeon (Prosecutor Princess) and Uhm Tae-woong (Devil) as doctors in Taereung, the training village for national athletes (see: Taereung National Village). Jung Kyeo-woon (Loving You A Thousand Times) completes that main love triangle as a judo champ, although there are other characters who will complicate romantic matters, naturally.

Kang will play a swimmer on the national team and is a frank, lively girl who likes Jung Kyeo-woon. She has begun intense swimming training in preparation for her role.

Kang So-ra has hitherto been known mostly as “Yoo Seung-ho’s girl” or “Yoo Seung-ho’s first kiss” because she scored the leading female role opposite him in the teen thriller Fourth Period Murder Mystery after Kim So-eun dropped out. She drew added attention when she revealed that prior to her debut, she had weighed over 70 kg, and had shed 20 kg to realize her dream of being an actress

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Lee Tae-sung cast in Playful Kiss?

Another casting rumor in the media frenzy surrounding Playful Kiss:

Lee Tae-sung, of 9 End 2 Outs, Time Between Dog and Wolf, and Terroir, is being seriously considered for a supporting role in the upcoming MBC drama, although nothing has been finalized.

Group 8 announced that the decision isn’t final, but it seems that he’s the frontrunner. If he is confirmed, he’ll be joining Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So-min, with production to begin shortly. They’re hoping to bank on the popular manhwa’s fanbase, in the hopes of recreating the craze that was Boys Before Flowers. That would explain the hype factor before production has even begun.

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Lee Junki and Joo Ji Hoon to star in Voyage of Life musical

The special military musical production, Voyage of Life has been gaining a lot of attention ever since it was announced that actors Lee Junki and Joo Ji Hoon who are currently serving in the army, would be playing lead roles in it.

The musical which is co-produced by the Ministry of National Defense and Korea Musical Theatre Association to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, has recently revealed its promotional poster, generating more hype.

This will be the first time that Joo Ji Hoon and Lee Junki will be working together and they have been rehearsing for the musical since June with the other cast members.

Lee Junki expressed in an earlier interview that he was delighted to be in such a meaningful production and hopes that more people can have a better understanding of the Korean War through this and pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives. Joo Ji Hoon meanwhile said that all the cast have given their all for this production and that it would not disappoint the expectations of viewers.

The musical will run from August 21 – 29th at the National Theater of Korea.

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