An 'irresistible trickster' to meet viewers in 'My Girl'December 12, 2005
Another "sassy" girl is to meet TV audiences every Wednesday and Thursday nights beginning this week, as director Jun Ki-sang unfolds his jovial imagination in a new SBS drama "My Girl." As a "professional" trickster, this new heroine is promised to be cheekier and sassier than the last.
Through the KBS drama "Sassy Girl Chun-hyang," which ended with overwhelming success in March, director Jun has already proven his talent in producing romantic comedies with a "different" type of heroine.
Director Jun's motto is to produce a drama that he himself can "laugh his head off" while watching.
"It's not like I have an exceptional philosophy about drama-making. I just want people to have a good laugh, and realize in between the laughs that life is actually quite joyful," Jun told reporters in a news conference last week.
In the previous drama, Jun recreated the loyal woman Seong Chun-hyang from a well-known Korean classic "Chung-hyang jeon (Chun-hyang's story), into a headstrong sassy girl, receiving an enthusiastic response from females in their teens and early 20s. This time, the heroine Ju Yu-rin, played by actress Lee Da-hae, is a cheeky con-artist who learns from her troublesome father that ripping people off is the easiest way to make a living.
But meaning no harm by her "little" lies, Yu-rin is an irresistible character who never loses the sense of humor and optimism despite the bitterness of life.
"It seems that all female characters are standardized in TV dramas, and thus, I try to create a new character that viewers have never come across before," said Jun.
As the story unfolds, the lovable con-girl will meet Seol Gong-chan (Lee Dong-wook), a cool-headed businessman who asks her to act as his long-lost sister in order to fulfill his grandfather's last wishes. And Yu-rin slowly finds herself falling for this irritable and annoying man.
Director Jun's talent in romantic comedies has also been recognized overseas.
"Sassy Girl Chun-hyang" became the first drama to sell the remake copyright abroad. Buying the copyright to remake the drama in its own language, China also offered Jun the opportunity to direct the new version.
Aiming for fame throughout Asia, Jun has a solid view toward the current Korean Wave led by the popularity of Korean TV dramas.
"The Korean Wave is an opportunity for us to spread our culture throughout the world, which is actually far more important than selling 1 million cars," Jun said. "But it concerns me that Korea is causing anti-Korea sentiments in the neighboring countries by approaching the phenomenon too commercially."
Jun added that it is a must for Korea to map out solid policies to keep up the wave.
"We are actually getting paid to promote our culture, how good a chance is that? But if we are not careful, the wave will end up as a temporary phenomenon," he said.
Jun also made remarks on the current trend of more dramas being produced under the planning of producing companies. Unlike the past production systems, in which a drama was produced under the influence of three major broadcasters - MBC, KBS and SBS - more dramas are now produced by production companies.
With many companies investing large amounts of money in these production companies, more time and budget is spared for the drama-makers, allowing them to improve the drama's quality to a great extent.
Currently, about 60 percent of dramas are made this way, and "My Girl" is also produced by a major producing company Kallista.
Some experts warn of unexpected risks the new method may cause if the new phenomenon is dominated by only the largest production companies, ruining the diversity of the drama-making market.
But director Jun said that despite the shortcomings, it was a must for more Korean dramas to be made in the new method.
"Due to the tight budget and shooting-schedules, the quality of Korean dramas has not been improving," he said. "It is only a matter of course that more dramas should be produced under better circumstances."
Jun is also known for the ability to find new faces with potential, helping them become known to TV fans through his dramas.
"Yonsama" Bae Yong-joon, who made his debut through Jun's 1994 campus romance series "Greetings of Love," is just one example of talent found by Jun.
"Under the current situation, it is difficult and also wrong to cast only the most popular actors and actresses. I feel some sort of a responsibility to find new faces who will later lead the Korean TV screens, and hope that 'My Girl' will become another opportunity," said Jun.
(hayney@heraldm.com)
By Shin Hae-in
Source: The Korean Herald @
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00512120014.asp'Eric's girl' Park Si-yeon makes a leap to actingDecember 13, 2005
As the sweetheart of heartthrob actor Moon Jung-hyuk - better known as pop group Shinhwa's handsome rapper Eric - actress Park Si-yeon is widely dubbed "Eric's girl." But the 26-year-old actress now vows to be recognized on her own merits, taking her first leap into acting.
Immediately after Eric's love story was disclosed to the public earlier this year, Park has been at the center of attention. Her glamor and beauty had people taking more interest, but Park said that such fame had caused her great discomfort.
"Behind the full make-up and costume, I am actually a very shy person. I don't enjoy being at the center of attention, especially if it's attention earned from being someone's girlfriend," said Park at last week's news conference for the SBS new drama "My Girl."
Through this new drama which will be aired beginning tomorrow, Park will make her first appearance in a TV drama here, and be given the chance to prove her acting skills to viewers. "Love and career are two separate things. I feel bad about the fact that people do not see me as an actress but only as the girlfriend of a popular celebrity," she said. "But I have realized that getting all worked up over the current situation won't solve any problems, and thus, have been focusing only on developing my acting skills."
With hidden dreams toward acting, Park chose to major in journalism at Long Island University in 1998, thinking that it would help her in learning the TV world better. Striving to an start acting career, Park took auditions for Chinese TV series while attending college, and appeared in three Chinese dramas through small roles.
Park was later given the chance to begin an acting career in Korea, winning in the "Miss Korea" beauty pageant contest in 2000.
Since then, the actress has been slowly preparing herself for the right moment to take up acting, appearing on several TV commercials and music videos.
In the drama "My Girl," Park will play Kim Se-hyeon, a beautiful and talented tennis player who has everything - except for love. Desperate to win the heart of the main character played by actor Lee Dong-wook, Se-hyeon turns vicious and cunning, making the heroine (Lee Da-hae)'s life miserable.
"I am concerned about the fact that I have started off with a big role. It would have been much more relieving if I had started off with a smaller role and gradually built up my acting skills," said Park. "Because Se-hyeon will play an important part in complicating the romance between the hero and the heroine, I have a bigger burden on my shoulders."
Park added that she was all bruises and scars from practicing tennis. Since Se-hyeon is supposed to be a world-renowned tennis player, Park felt that she couldn't fool the viewers unless she played really well.
In the synopsis of the drama, Se-hyeon was described as Korea's Maria Sharapova and Paris Hilton. From that description, Park set up an image of the character inside her head, which she revives during the drama shootings.
Park has been analyzing the character day and night - so thoroughly that she is now having dreams about her.
"Because I am neither a glamorous nor an ambitious person, I have a hard time sympathizing with Se-hyeon," said Park. "But I can see that the woman is in fact a very insecure person when it comes to love. I have been trying my best to understand her with this empathy."
Park said that she would be very happy if people cursed and labeled her an "evil woman" after the drama was aired.
"Since Se-hyeon will do her best to torment the heroine, people hating me would mean that my acting is good, right?" she asked with a smile. "I don't expect things to turn out great from the beginning. I am prepared for criticisms of my acting, which will only make me strive harder for improvement."
(hayney@heraldm.com)
By Shin Hae-in
Source: The Korean Herald @
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00512130016.asp