Buhay sa Korea

Oh! Kim Min Soo, the other half of the duo Monday Kiz died early this morning in a motorcycle accident. He was 24. He and Lee Jin Sung debuted in 2005 with their first album titled “Bye Bye Bye.” Gone too soon…

Click here for videos on Daum.

Click here for photos of the funeral.

Choi Min Soo used to be in the list of my favorite Korean actors. I loved him in the hit Korean drama Sandglass together with Park Sang Won (Jang Dong Gun’s co-endorser for Parkland), Go Hyun Jung (HIT) and Lee Jung Jae (Air City). However, I was quite disappointed to see him in The Legend or Tae Wang Sa Shin Gi, the drama topbilled by Bae Yong Jun. He looked a bit older than I thought, yet he’s only 47.

Choi Min Soo is in the news for punching an old man. He had a press conference today and asked for an apology. News reports said that his victim is hospitalized but not serious. Mr. Choi acted like he was in the Sandglass.

Don’t you just love to see (and judge) what your favorite (and not-so-favorite) stars are wearing during an awards ceremony? Just like at the 2008 Baeksang Arts Awards, photographers and fans alike snapped pictures of the stars (female mostly) and their clothes. Choi Yeo Jin received a lot of attention and see for yourself why…

Click on the pictures to enlarge:

Park Jin Hee, Han Ye Seul, Han Yeong
Lee Ji A, Park Shi Yeon, Kim Jeong Eun

Ryeo Won, Yoon Eun Hye, Go Ara, Han Hyo Ju, Lee Yeon Hee

Kim Hee Ae, Choi Yeo Jin, Park Jeong Ah
Son Ye Jin, Yoo In Yeong, Kim Min Hee

I was watching the 2008 Baeksang Arts Awards on TV while mopping the floor. It was held at the National Theatre in Namsan Park early this evening. I would have gone there but I had an appointment and I wouldn’t want to drag my son there. Next time perhaps?

Anyway, the winner for Best Drama is War of Money. Park Shin Yang also best actor for that drama. Yoon Eun Hye won best actress for Coffee Prince. Kim Jeong Eun’s movie shown early this year, Our Moment Forever, won Best Picture. She didn’t win best actress but most popular actress. Kwon Sang Woo also won most popular actor. Kim Min Hee won best actress in a movie. Im Chang Jeong for best actor in a movie. Han Ye Seul won best new actress. Jang Geun Seok won best new movie actor. Here’s the official list of winners, it’s in Korean though.

Can’t blame Yoon Eun Hye for crying… you can find more photos of the event here. One thing I noticed, more Korean actresses are showing their cleavages.

Jang Dong Gun and Kim Tae Hee were at the Pink Ribbon Marathon in Busan City last April 20th. That day, my husband also joined a marathon called Inwangsan for the benefit of scholars in Jongro district. The former is for breast cancer research.

Busan City is a 5 hour drive south of Seoul. I’ve been there once in May 2004, four years ago. It’s the second biggest city in South Korea. HERA, the cosmetics company, sponsored the event. Jang Dong Gun and Kim Tae Hee are endorsers of the said brand that’s why their appearance. About 5,600 men and women joined the marathon.

I found exactly twenty-eight pictures of the said event in this blog from Daum. The page loads slowly because of the pictures so you need to be patient. If you want to save the pictures, better use Opera or Firefox.

I’m so glad to read that Lee Byung Hun will be back on the boob tube via the drama IRIS. This is his first after the highly successful “All In”, where he met and fell in love with Song Hye Gyo, about five years ago. He was in the Philippines last year with Josh Hartnett and Takuya Kimura filming his Hollywood debut “I Come With the Rain.”

Lee Byung Hun is one of my favorite actors. Though not as good-looking (subjective) as Jang Dong Gun, he’s definitely not lacking in the acting department. IMO, he’s one of Korea’s really good actors (even better than my favorite — again, subjective). I am surely going to wait for this drama.

Lee Dong Gun returns to Korea. He flew from Sydney and arrived at 6PM. He was carrying his brother’s ashes in an urn wrapped in white silk. Witnesses have noted the tears in his eyes. They will bring the ashes directly to Samsung Seoul Hospital Mortuary in Gangnam-gu. The funeral will be held on Monday, the 31st.

UPDATE:

I’ve been following this story because I’m a fan.

March 29, 12:37 AM UPDATE: After the taping of Han Ji Hye’s KBS drama, she went to the funeral at 11:30 PM. She wore a black sweater and used the back door, evading the media. She met and condoled Lee Dong Gun.

UPDATE: More videos of the funeral.
UPDATE March 31: News and pictures of the funeral in Korea(n).