This collects all the K-Drama News and Previews from our K-Drama Hub.

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PREVIEWS
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포도밭 그 사나이 (The Vineyard Man)
월화드라마 - Mon/Tue Drama [follows 미스터 굿바이 (Mr. Good-Bye)]
2006/07/24~ [Airs Every Mon/Tue Nights on KBS2]
PD: COLD
Park Man-Young
The man behind vanilla Daily Drama 백만송이 장미 (A Million Roses) makes his Miniseries debut... and it doesn't promise too well. Of course Daily Dramas have completely different dynamics and rules, so you never know -- just look at how Lee Ju-Hwan adapted to Sageuk settings in 주몽 (Jumong). But his past work was so average in just about every aspect that keeping your expectations low would be better.
WRITER: WARM
Jo Myung-Joo
Hmmm.... problematic. What I mean is depending on the situation, how the station handles the Drama, and if they let her follow the original, things could go pretty well, or we may see a car wreck. Now amongst her past works there's no real stinkers. Despite recording truly embarrassing (sometimes around the 2%) ratings, last year's 가을 소나기 (Autumn Shower) wasn't as horrible as advertised. Of course it was pretty bad, but nowhere near as bad as things like 웨딩 (Wedding) and 봄날 (Spring Days), shows which got way too much publicity considering their complete lack of anything even remotely appealing. She was also responsible for the interesting musical 내 인생의 콩깍지 (My Life's Bean Chaff) -- let down by average acting, but generally quite watchable -- and 1999's popular 안녕 내 사랑 (Goodbye My Love) with Ahn Jae-Wook. But Jo was also active writing film scripts: her works tend to be quite uneven, from the decent 오버 더 레인보우 (Over The Rainbow) to the pain inducing 연풍연가 (Love Wing, Love Song). One thing she did in the past was great though, she wrote the script for Jang Yoon-Hyun's lovely 접속 (The Contact), one of the best commercial films of the late 90s. Shouldn't be too bad, actually.
CAST: WARM
[Yoon Eun-Hye, Oh Man-Seok, Ok Ji-Young, Kim Ji-Seok, Kang Eun-Bi, Lee Soon-Jae, Yoon Moon-Shik, Seonwoo Yong-Nyeo]
Again, not bad. You should know Yoon Eun-Hye by now, 'star' of 궁 (Princess Hours) and that horrible mess 카리스마 탈출기 (The Legend of 7 Cutter). She hasn't shown even once she could act, but then again was never really given much of a chance. On the other hand, Oh Man-Seok of 신돈 (Shin Don) is quite good. He's also an excellent stage actor, and showed good range between this year's fantastic Sageuk and the comedy 라이어 (Liar). Ok Ji-Young of 고양이를 부탁해 (Take Care of My Cat) always leaves a mark, and the veterans are good enough. If anything, Kang Eun-Bi might possibly be even worse than Yoon Eun-Hye, so that's already two problematic choices in the main cast.
OUTLINE WARM
If, and that's a big if, they can stay true to Kim Rang's original, then it could be quite good. We're essentially dealing with a country girl who grew up in the city, and is forced to go back to the countryside. There she'll met Prince Bumpkin (Oh Man-Seok) and the shenanigans will start. Could just be the 황금사과 (Golden Apple) version of your average Trendy Drama, but the original novel is quite good, so unless the station plays tricks, it should be a pretty entertaining show.
WEATHER: Not too bad, I think? Cast is a little problematic in spots, and there's really nothing here standing out, but unless they embarrass themselves with the usual country vs city cliches and forget the original work in the second half, it should be smooth sailing. As always keep an umbrella handy, it's a Trendy Drama after all.

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발칙한 여자들 (Outrageous Women)
주말드라마 - Weekend Drama [follows 불꽃놀이 (Fireworks)]
2006/07/22~ [Airs Every Sat/Sun Night on MBC]
PD: WARM
Lee Seung-Ryeol
If it was 1995, we'd be in very good hands, but this is 2006, and veteran PD Lee Seung-Ryeol's last three Dramas -- coincidence or not, all on SBS -- were the classic star vehicles stinking up the place, and a perfectly fine career of a respected PD. Those last three Dramas are last year's unwatchable 해변으로 가요 (Let's Go to the Beach), 2004's 마지막 춤은 나와 함께 (Save The Last Dance For Me) and 2003's 스크린 (Screen). Still, the station and the star management agencies that 'push' their roster of pretty faces might be to blame, as just about everything Lee has been involved with prior to those three shows was at least good. Some of the highlights of his career are 애드버킷 (Advocate) in 1998, 파일럿 (Pilot) in 1993, the show that started the Trendy Drama craze 질투 (Jealousy) in 1992, and many more, including one of my personal favourites, 1994's 도전 (Challenge). Now that he's back to MBC, things could go back to the old days, but his 3 years with SBS might have changed things.
WRITER: SIBERIA
Moon Hee-Jung
And here's the big problem. The writer behind Let's Go To the Beach and especially this year's embarrassing 천국의 나무 (The Tree of Heaven) doesn't promise too well, especially if the show will go the 인새이여 고마워요 (Thank You, Life) way. Just hope things will stay in the slightly comic realm, otherwise it'll be twouble.
CAST: WARM
Yoo Ho-Jung, Im Ji-Eun, Jung Woong-In, Ahn Yeon-Hong, Oh Ju-Eun, Jung Joon-Ha, Lee Gi-Woo
Could be better, but a lot worse too. Yoo Ho-Jung and Jung Woong-In are very good actors, but I don't have too many nice things to say about the rest of the cast, but at least Jung Joon-Ha should make things enjoyable. With a few top notch veterans, it should be OK, but you never know.
OUTLINE: WARM
The initial reports stressed this would mix mystery, romance, comedy and melodrama. It features a wife taking revenge on her past husband as one of the many subplots, and promises to focus on laughter a lot more than drama. You never know with outlines like that, so until more details are revealed, we'll just give them the benefit of the doubt.
WEATHER: Honestly doesn't promise too well. Yoo and Jung could turn things up a notch, but the other MBC Weekend Drama starting in August, 누나 (My Sister), sounds much better. Cloudy, I'm afraid.

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천국보다 낯선 (Stranger Than Paradise)
월화드라마 - Mon/Tue Drama [follows 101번째 프로포즈 (The 101st Proposal)]
2006/07/31~ [Airs Every Mon/Tue Night on SBS]
PD: COLD
Kim Jong-Hyeok
Mmmmh... I'd say we're in problematic territory. On one hand, the Dramas he was responsible for, like 봄날 (Spring Days) and 순수의 시대 (The Age of Innocence) failed for reasons other than production values (always SBS' forte). Actually, you could say those were the only bearable points of those shows, brought down by bad writing and/or acting; on the other, he never really did anything to raise above the material he was given. We'll have to wait and see, whether he'll silently follow the usual SBS mantra (good looking stuff first, and we'll worry about the rest later. Maybe) or add some personal touch.
WRITER: COLD
Jo Jung-Hwa
Again, not too promising. At least one positive is that she worked with Kim already, in the 2004 SBS Drama 햇빛 쏟아지다 (Sunlight Pours Down), so they know each other's working style, and that should help a little. Problem is, she hasn't written anything special either, from the failed melodrama 화성으로 간 사나이 (A Letter From Mars) to the weakest of the brilliant 묻지마 패밀리 (No Comment)'s three parts.
CAST: HOT
Eom Tae-Woong, Lee Sung-Jae, Kim Min-Jung, Kim Bin-Woo, Son Byung-Ho, Kim Hae-Sook
Kim Bin-Woo's acting is quite wretched, but who cares: Eom Tae-Woong, the best 'new face' (even though he's been with us since the late 90s) in ages, who after his stunning performance in 부활 (Rebirth) has become one of the most sought after actors in Chungmuro; Lee Sung-Jae, who returns to TV for the first time since Noh Hee-Kyung's 1998 Drama 거짓말 (Lies), and despite suffering from bad career choices pretty often, can be excellent when in the right context; and last but not least, young Kim Min-Jung, one of the most talented young actresses in the business, last seen in 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest). It doesn't matter if the story will go to Andromeda like most other SBS shows, the top trio might save the show anyway. And of course anything Son Byung-Ho touches turns into gold, I still watch that ugly mess 위대한 유산 (Kindergarten Love) for a few moments of his acting genius.
OUTLINE: COLD
Promising film-like production values, this show tells the story of an adopted lawyer from Canada (Lee Sung-Jae), a Korean singer dreaming of escaping abroad (Kim Min-Jung) and her manager (Eom Tae-Woong). Little problem? You guessed it, the two boys are lost brothers, and they love the same woman. Whooo... feel the tension. That is, feel how hard the experienced crew will have to work to make such a trite outline look shiny and fresh.
WEATHER: One one hand we'll probably have the best non-Sageuk production values of the year and a top notch cast. On the other a trite storyline and possibly vanilla script. Might be another 프라하의 연인 (Lovers in Prague), or the actors might actually save the day and make this watchable.

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투명인간 최장수 (The Invisible Man)
수목미니시리즈 - Wed/Thu Miniseries [follows 위대한 유산 (Kindergarten Love)]
2006/07/05~ [Airs Every Wed/Thu Nights on KBS2]
PD: SIBERIA
Jung Hae-Ryong
부모님 전상서 (My Precious Family) worked marvelously because of the acting, and of course Kim Soo-Hyun's great writing, but I wouldn't say production was much of an asset (not that Weekend Dramas focus on that anyway. Production is almost always very simple). And despite being one of the many PDs who worked on 학교 (School), what sticks out is last year's horrible 웨딩 (Wedding). Let's be honest, Yoon Seok-Ho can't tell a story to save his life, but at least he makes his Dramas pretty decent eye candy until the horrible writing and predictable pacing butts in. But Oh Su-Yeon's usual mess wasn't the only thing to blame (along with putrid acting from Jang Na-Ra and Ryu Shi-Won). Production was also incredibly inconsistent, with gaps in continuity that looked quite surprising for an experienced professional like him. And coupled with the story, things don't sound too exciting, to be honest.
WRITER: COLD
Park Gye-Ok
Another writer going back and forth between Chungmuro and the TV World of Yeouido. Problem is her works aren't too good on either side of the fence, so it doesn't make much of a difference. She worked with Kim Dae-Woo in her early years, collaborating with him on 투캅스 3 (Two Cops 3) and 깡패수업 (Hoodlum Lessons) -- she also wrote the script for 돈을 갖고 튀어라 (Millions in My Account) and 행복한 장의사 (The Happy Funeral Director). That was the good part, but from 2000 on she pretty much did nothing right, from 줄리엣의 남자 (Juliet's Man) to 첫사랑 사수 궐기대회 (Crazy First Love) and last year's horrible 건빵 선생과 별사탕 (Hardtack Teacher and Star Candy). Get ready for the worst.
CAST: HOT
Yoo Oh-Sung, Chae Si-Ra, Choi Yeo-Jin, Han Yeo-Woon, Jo Yeon-Woo
And here's what could save the show. Yoo Oh-Seong has had a difficult career after 친구 (Friend) as he always seems to pick the wrong projects, but he and Chae Si-Ra are very good actors, so if melodrama antics are kept in check things could be watchable. Choi Yeo-Jin and Jo Yeon-Woo have improved a lot in the last year, so with a few good veterans it should be quite a good cast.
OUTLINE: WARM
Another 시한부 인생 (Time-Limited Life) Drama a la 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink). Only difference is the Super-Hit from last year had actually a good -- if a little too predictable -- writer in Moon Young-Nam. So another Human Drama, as Detective Choi Jang-Soo learns he has very little to live, and spends his last days trying to make his life worthwhile. There's been fantastic Dramas with outlines like this, like 네 멋대로 해라 (Ruler of Your Own World), but the key is how you treat those 'last few moments'. Life in Pink was as over the top with melodrama as you get, but it compensated with great dialogue and characters, and some of the best acting seen last year. I can expect good acting from Yoo and Chae, but as for writing and production... hmmm.
WEATHER: Quite chilly. Could get ice cold in the second half, especially if the ratings go up. Keep your expectations very low.

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내 사랑 못난이 (My Lovely Fool)
Friday Drama [follows 나도야 간다 (I'm Going Too)]
2006/07/28 [SBS]
PD: COLD
Shin Yoon-Seop
Past works include 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven), 연인 (Lovers) and 카이스트 (KAIST). Doesn't promise too well, but then again production values aren't the be all end all of Friday Dramas.
WRITER: COLD
Jung Ji-Woo
No, not THAT Jung Ji-Woo. And why would the director of 해피엔드 (Happy End) and 사랑니 (Blossom Again) debut with a Friday Drama anyway? This is the Jung Ji-Woo who wrote 선택 (Choices) and the recent SBS Daily Drama 들꽃 (Wild Flower). I haven't seen the former, and only a few episodes towards the end of the latter, so I can't really say. But I haven't read anything particularly positive or negative about this writer, so who knows.
CAST: WARM
Kim Ji-Young, Kim Yoo-Seok, Park Sang-Min, Wang Bit-Na
Seems like a good cast, especially the returning Kim Ji-Young (the young one, not the veteran) after having a baby. She's always been a little underused, and she can pull off cute roles like this one in her sleep. Kim Yoo-Seok is quite the solid actor, mixing arthouse on the big screen (and theater) with plenty of different TV Dramas, and the returning Park Sang-Min clearly has enough charisma to go by. Sounds good, and with a few veterans could actually be excellent.
OUTLINE: WARM
It's about a young woman (Kim Ji-Young) working in Saipan after going through all kind of jobs. Seems like one of those low-key 'hope' stories without too many love triangle shenanigans, although the Friday Drama slot makes me worry there'll be some romantic intrigues screwing it all up.
WEATHER: Could be warm and sunny if they let the actors do their stuff, but bring an umbrella. It's SBS.

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오버 더 레인보우 (Over The Rainbow)
수목미니시리즈 - Wed/Thu Miniseries [follows 어느 멋진 날 (One Fine Day)]
2006/07/26~ [MBC]
PD: WARM
Han Hee
Han was planner on the enjoyable 영재의 전성시대 (Young-Jae's Golden Age) earlier this year, and the.. uh... Bizarro World Melodrama 넌 어느 별에서 왔니 (Which Star Are You From), but also on 신입사원 (Super Rookie) and that little gem which was the Daily Drama 어쩌면 좋아 (I Like You... Maybe). He can create Dramas with an enjoyable, low-key atmosphere quite easily, which is probably the biggest reason why I trust this Drama will not enter the pits of hell, combined with the writer's talent.
WRITER: HOT
Hong Jin-Ah
If Noh Hee-Kyung called this young writer (and her sister Hong Ja-Ram) one of the most promising new faces in Yeouido (TV's equivalent of Chungmuro), there's a reason. Last year's Best Theater 태릉선수촌 (Taereung National Village) was truly a gem, and Hong's other shows (other Best Theaters, two episodes of the Omnibus 떤니는 가슴 (Six Love Stories) and Youth Dramas) are interesting. Her writing is a mix of In Jung-Ok's urban melodramas with Kim Ji-Woo's striking characters, so we're in good hands.
CAST: WARM
Fanny (Fly To The Sky), Seo Ji-Hye, Kim Ok-Bin, Ji Hyun-Woo, Im Ha-Ryong, Na Hye-Mi
Now, before you get strange ideas, no, I'm not saying the Fly To The Sky member shows promise as an actor (who knows? He's a pretty by-the-numbers singer, from a group usually involved with producer-driven R&B; pap), but the key here is that he's a singer in the show too. So at least the singing will be adequate. But the rest of the cast is quite good, from veteran Im Ha-Ryong of 웰컴 투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol) to Ji Hyun-Woo, who's pretty good in small doses. But best of all, we have two of the most promising young actresses in the business, Kim Ok-Bin and especially Seo Ji-Hye, who reunite for the first time since their film debut in 여고괴담 4: 목소리 (Voice). That's good enough.
OUTLINE: COLD
And this might be the problem. The show is going to be about a group of youngsters hoping to become stars (with singers, backdancers, b-boys and the like), and if not well written this could turn into the American Idol version of 백만장자와 결혼하기 (To Marry a Millionaire). Still, this is not SBS, so I still have faith.
WEATHER: Cast is good enough, writer is excellent and the PD can be good when he wants. The storyline might be a time-bomb ready to explode if not handled with care, but it could go well. Cloudy skies, but the Sun's still there. Bring a jacket with you, just in case. Could get chilly.

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돌아온 순애 (The Return of Soon-Ae)
수목드라마 - Wed/Thu Drama [follows 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again)]
2006/07/12~ [SBS]
PD: COLD
Han Jung-Hwan
Doesn't promise too well, as we're dealing with wastes of time like 요조숙녀 (My Fair Lady), 정 (Affection) and 로펌 (Law Firm), coupled with a few Holiday Specials. But then again this is neither a Sageuk nor some flashy Miniseries shot overseas (I hope), so the hand of the PD has much less weight. Shouldn't be that bad, all considered.
WRITER: COLD
Choi Soon-Shik
Not too familiar with this writer, although he's been active for a good 15 years. But most of his works have been in the Daily Drama and Short Drama field, so I can't really say.
CAST: HOT
Shim Hye-Jin, Park Jin-Hee, Jung Woong-In, Lee Jae-Hwang
The first three names should be enough, especially since this will be a romantic comedy. Shim Hye-Jin can still be great in comedies, as seen recently in 안녕, 프란체스카 (Hello, Francesca), and Park Jin-Hee is one of the most underused young talents in the business. As for Jung Woong-In, he's shown admirable range in both comedies and Dramas -- and even Sageuk, with his role in 홍국영 (Hong Guk-Young) standing out. With a few good veterans thrown in the mix, could be great.
OUTLINE: HOT
For once, something a little fresh, at least by K-Drama standards. We're talking body exchange, which has been done many times on the big screen, but rarely on Korean TV. The idea of Park Jin-Hee playing an Ajumma and Shim Hye-Jin going into sexy mode sounds just about right (the initial setup is the opposite, obviously), and if the script builds on the interesting outline, this could be fun.
WEATHER: Sounds like a nice day, for once. Now the final word goes to the writer.

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NEWS
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More good news for those looking for some diversity on TV. KBS2 will broadcast a new 사전제작 (100% Pre-Broadcast Shoot) 4 Episode Drama entitled 특수수사일지: 1호관 사건 (Special Investigation File), starring 부활 (Rebirth)'s So Yi-Hyun and Yoon Tae-Young. The show is produced by Kwon Gye-Hong, and is a detective thriller along the lines of 24. At the center of the story is a series of murders happening in the Blue House, with Yoon playing a detective on the case, So a forensics agent. The show will start airing from August 30, after the conclusion of 투명인간 최장수 (The Invisible Man). [MSN News - 7/5]

Eric Moon's return to the small screen, after the accident on the set of 늑대 (Wolf) was going to raise some eyebrows no matter what -- some say because of the ridiculously high price tag the young actor is getting, in the 4.2 Billion MBC Drama 스위트 가이 (Sweet Guy). But now another possible element of interest has been added: the last film star to debut on TV will be Lee Beom-Soo, who will star in the show as Eric's rival. The show, which debut this September, is written by Go Bong-Hwan and produced by Kim Young-Min, and Lee will play a gangster with a very quick 성질 (temper). The show will start shooting from early August. [Hankyoreh - 7/5]

KBS' racing blockbuster Drama 스피드 (Speed) just got a little faster. The Drama, which will broadcast in the Mon/Tue spot from January 2007, just cast Lee Da-Hae of 마이걸 (My Girl), who will work with male lead Lee Seo-Jin. The 12 Billion Won Drama, produced by Jin Hyung-Wook and written by Ma Jin-Won, marks the first co-production between Korea and Turkey. Story features Lee Seo-Jin as Yi-Soo, a car racer who smuggled himself into Turkey; Lee Da-Hae will play sexy shrink Ji-Won, and closing the 삼각관계 (love triangle) will be a 2nd Generation Chaebol who also happens to be a racer (Kim Myung-Min). Speed starts shooting from mid-August in Turkey. [Hankyoreh - 7/4]

We've heard of changes in the writing team before broadcast -- last in line Yoon Seok-Ho's 봄의 왈츠 (Spring Waltz) -- but I don't remember any Drama changing its writer while broadcasting in recent years. SBS' 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again) in fact went from the original writer Yoon Sung-Hee, who wrote the script up to Episode 8, to new writer Park Shi-Wan (which is a pen name). Yoon had to abandon the project because of unavoidable personal issues, so if the Drama starts smelling even more than it is now, don't blame the (original) writer. The Official site still doesn't mention any change, but we'll have to see how things turn out now that this change is out in the open. After starting with decent ratings in the mid 10s, the Drama is slowing down considerably, with ratings around the 11% now. [MSN News - 7/4]

Perhaps because they want people to understand it's BIG BUDGET this time, SBS' upcoming Sageuk 연개소문 (Yeon Gaesomun) is starting the race in wild fashion. Now, before we go on with the news, understand that while 주몽 (Jumong) might be a contender for the SBS Drama simply on the merits of being a Sageuk broadcasting around the same period, the Song Il-Guk Drama shows on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the SBS Drama on Weekends, so technically there's really no competition between the two. But Lee Hwan-Kyung's Drama will try to make an impression straight from the first two episodes, which will last 100 Minutes (90 Minutes for those who don't watch the show live on TV). The show starts on July 8, after the conclusion of 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven), and will be much more of a traditional Sageuk (politics, intrigue, battles, very little melodrama and women) than Jumong -- which in some ways is nice, as we'll have the different spectrum of sageuk all on the screen, with KBS' upcoming 대조영 (Dae Jo Young) a sort of mix of the two. The production team commented that to shoot these two episodes (out of 100 of the 40 Billion Won Drama), it took 4 months, with plenty of CG, thousands of extras and some of the most impressive battle scenes ever filmed in Korean TV History. And, while I still worry writer Lee will just go heavy on the politics and forget about the Drama, the photos I've seen so far look mighty impressive. Just like all the upcoming Sageuk, Yeon Gaesomun will get its monthly Sageuk World spot, with episode commentaries, historical background, character introductions and more. [DC Inside - 6/30]

If the saying 'tell me your cast, and I'll tell what the Drama will be' is true, then what to make of the upcoming blockbuster Drama 카인과 아벨 (Cain & Abel). We reported quite a while ago this would be Kwak Kyung-Taek's ZinInSa Films' first entry in the Drama world, with Kwak acting as planner and Taewon Entertainment and ZinInSa co-producing. Now the cast has been announced, and it sounds more like a 'SBS Special Project' type more than just another big budget Drama, and it's starting to smell like Korean Wave bait. Anyway, what will be the cast? Choi Ji-Woo, who just completed preliminary negotations, and --- although nothing has been confirmed yet --- the Cain and Abel of the title will probably be played by Jo In-Sung and Lee Jung-Jae. The story features two long lost brothers who build their lives in different countries and then meet once again, one as a criminal, the other as the man on his tail, with a woman in between. Korean Wave bait indeed. Choi Ho-Sung produces, and 가문의 위기 (Marrying The Mafia 2)'s Kim Young-Chan writes. [DC Inside - 6/30]

The Hong Sisters are coming back... to MBC. The station, which is slowly but surely regaining its place as the Drama Kingdom, just signed a contract with Hong Mi-Ran and Hong Jung-Eun, the duo behind past hits like 마이걸 (My Girl) and 쾌걸춘향 (Sassy Chunhyang). The two will come back in 환상의 커플 (Fantasy Couple), a new 16 Episode Drama which will air this September. The show, in line with the sisters' past work, will be a romcom pairing together a bratty and arrogant rich girl and a stupid but passionate man. Producers are Eight Peaks of 궁 (Princess Hours), and the show will follow 발칙한 여자들 (Outrageous Women) from 9/23. [MyDaily News - 6/27]

Should I call this good, or bad news? It'll certainly be good news in terms of ratings for MBC, as one of biggest 'star writers' in the country is coming back to the station. 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven)'s Im Sung-Han has in fact decided to go back to her roots, signing a contract with the station for 200 Episodes (contracts in Yeouido do are like that, Episodes regardless of Dramas. So if she starts with a Daily Drama, the contract will run out pretty fast). Many of Im's past works on MBC, including 보고 또 보고 (Again and Again), 인어 아가씨 (Mermaid Girl) and 왕꽃 선녀님 (Heaven's Fate), were really successful, confirming her as one of the most important writers in the country, at least in terms of popularity. This move of course happens because MBC realizes where the audience is today (mostly Daily and Weekend Dramas, save a few exceptions), and anything Im write is a surefire hit. Problem is the quality of her shows, which start pretty nice, but then quickly turn crazy by their middle point, just like her latest. [MSN News - 6/27]

Now this is unique... the country's first trade, of leading actors. As we talked in the past few weeks, Jung Woong-In was supposed to star in 돌아와요 순애씨 (Please Come Back, Soon-Ae), the 'body exchange' Drama starring Park Jin-Hee and Shim Hye-Jin. Also, Yoon Da-Hoon was cast in 위기의 주부 (Housewives in Crisis), MBC's take on the Desperate Housewives canon. But then, go figure, they exchanged the leads! The two, who worked together in the sitcom 세친구 (Three Friends) will now star one in the other's show. Jung's casting in the SBS Drama went belly up because of problems with Investors and producers, so Yoon Da-Hoon took over at the last minute. And the MBC Drama, out of a leading star all of a sudden, found a last minute replacement in Jung. But actually there's something more behind this, as Yoon felt a little uneasy starring next to Yoo Ho-Jung in romantic entanglements, since she happens to be the wife of his good friend Lee Jae-Ryong, of 상도 (Sang Do) and 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo) fame. [Daum News - 6/22]

It might be a little too early to report about this, but these two are too good to wait: writer Kim Ji-Woo and PD Park Chan-Hong are coming back. And who could they possibly be, you may ask? They're the duo behind last year's 부활 (Rebirth), the best K-Drama since 네 멋대로 해라 (Ruler of Your Own World), suffering in the ratings because of 내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon)'s popularity but creating a huge following online, which resulted in the release of that lovely Director's Cut DVD. Details are still sketchy, or better, they're not revealing a thing. But one thing's for sure: the duo is coming back, for a KBS Drama to be shown around January. In other news, this time a lot more on the rumour side, it seems Lee Kyung-Hee of 미안하다 사랑한다 (I'm Sorry, I Love You) is trying to work with Sidus for her next Drama, and it seems Jo In-Sung will end up as a lead. But nothing set in stone yet. [DC Inside - 6/22]

Her latest film 아랑 (Arang) is debuting in theaters soon, and while we wait for the horror/thriller also starring 마이걸 (My Girl)'s Lee Dong-Wook, Song has been cast in a new Drama already. The veteran has been added to the cast of 누나 (My Sister) [formerly known as 그리운 여자 (The Woman I Miss)... up to yesterday]. This marks Song's return to the small screen in 16 months, after SBS' 홍콩익스프레스 (Hong Kong Express). Song plays the older sister of the title, while as reporterd yesterday, Heo Young-Ran will play her younger sister. [MSN News - 6/21]

After a 2006 that so far has given us a series of wretched Weekend Dramas -- with the usual exception of Kim Soo-Hyun's 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition), here's a possible contender for turning the tides. Weekend Drama Queen Kim Jung-Soo is in fact coming back to the small screen, for the first time since the underrated 한강수 타령 (Ode to the Han River) -- which might have been a 'minor' work for Kim, one of the best writers in the country, but smokes ridiculous tripe like 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (Love Truly) and especially Im Sung-Han's increasingly over the top 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven) -- in 2004. Starting in August after the end of Love Truly, the new show will be entitled 그리운 여자 (The Woman I Miss), and will be produced by veteran PD Oh kyung-Hoon of 불새 (Phoenix). Cast features 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong)'s Heo Young-Ran in the leading role, as a 'perfect wife', frugal to the point of obsession, and loving her husband so much she still marries him despite knowing he's having an affair. The problem? His parents side with him. Although the story might sound predictable, the same was true for the super classic 그대 그리고 나 (You and I), Kim's best work, so I wouldn't worry too much. Rest of the cast will be announced soon. [Daum News - 6/20]

Heo Young-Man continues to be the favourite manhwa artist in Chungmuro, as after 다모 (Damo) and 형사 (Duelist), along with Choi Dong-Hoon's upcoming 타짜 (War of Flowers), two other projects have appeared on the radar. And, just like for the two Sageuk on TV and the big screen, we're getting two adaptations of the same source, one and TV, the other in theaters. I'm talking about Heo's popular 식객 (Freeloader), which will be produced by JS Pictures for a TV Drama starring Kim Rae-Won, and adapted for the big screen in a film starring 태풍태양 (The Aggressives)'s Kim Gang-Woo. The Drama will be the first to see the light of the day, for a February 2007 broadcast on MBC, but Show East's film version also plans to release in Early 2007, so we'll be dealing with the unique situation of a movie and TV Drama about the same thing competing against each other for the first time. The Drama will start shooting once Kim finishes the shoot of his upcoming film 해바라기 (Sunflower), while the film version will start shooting in August. A similar situation is happening with the film and TV versions of 황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi), the former still looking for a leading lady after Ha Ji-Won seems to have turned down the role, the second about to start shooting with Song Hye-Gyo as Joseon's most famous concubine. [Hankyoreh Sports - 6/19]

내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) might have brought fame to Hyun Bin, but he doesn't necessarily want to repeat the same role over and over... which explains the latest development concerning the new Kim Do-Woo (the writer of My Lovely Sam-Soon) Drama 여우야 뭐하니 (What's Up Fox?). The young star received a synopsis months ago, but decided not to star in the Drama as the role was too similar to Sam-Shik in the super-hit of 2005. Now the show, which was supposed to start broadcasting in September, will have to go through casting once again, and might be delayed. Hyun Bin is still under contract with MBC for one Drama, so we'll see him star in one of their shows sooner or later. Actually there were rumours about this show going beyond the simple casting, rumours putting the blame on the station -- who wanted another Kim Sam-Soon, whereas writer Kim wanted to do something closer to her past work 눈사람 (Snowman), more melodrama than romantic comedy. But we'll have to see how this turns out. [DC Inside - 6/19]

With MBC's 볼꽃놀이 (Fireworks) now headed for its second half, MBC has already announced its follow up. After the conclusion of the Drama with Han Chae-Young and Kang Ji-Hwan we're getting a 4 Episode Miniseries entitled 도로시를 찾아서 (Looking for Dorothy), which will be written by Seo Shin-Hye and produced by Choi Yong-Won of 환생 (Next). The show tells the story of a couple losing their child while arguing, and -- the key here -- this time we're not dealing with your simple 'family-ism' theme, as this will mostly follow police procedural tropes (at least that's what they say). The leading roles will go to veteran Ji Su-Won -- a regular on Daily Dramas -- as Soo-Ah's mother, a once famous announcer now slowly losing all her dreams because of this loss, while the role of her husband (a '9 o'clock news announcer' himself) goes to Lee Se-Chang. Kim Young-Ho of 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong) will play the detective following Soo-Ah's case, while Park Shi-Eun will play one of his colleagues. The show starts on July 15. [DC Inside - 6/16]

Ahhh... a new Golden Age for Historical Dramas? I don't know, but we're sure getting a lot in the future. 대조영 (Dae Jo-Young) hasn't even started broadcasting, and now we know what will follow after its 100 Episodes. After telling the story of Balhae's founder Dae Jo-Young, with Choi Su-Jong leading the show, KBS will focus on 세종대왕 (King Sejong) -- yes, the guy who created Hangeul. Slated for a September 2007 broadcast, this is another 100 Episode Sageuk based on the life of the national Hero, someone who usually doesn't get too much attention from TV Drama makers as his life wasn't full of important wars like other rulers. But hey, if they throw in all the controversies between Yangban and Sejong's 'clique' about the establishment of the Korean alphabet, this could bring us back to the great Political Dramas of Im Choong shown in the 90s and early 00s. Taking care of the script will be 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin)'s Yoon Seon-Joo. [DC Inside 6/15]

Does this woman ever rest? One of Chungmuro's busiest actresses, Ha Ji-Won, has become the top choice for the upcoming Gisaeng Drama 황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi). Ha, who recently turned down a role in 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again) to focus on the shoot of Yoon Je-Gyun's 1번가의 기적 (Beginners' Luck) is PD Kim Cheol-Gyu's Number 1 choice for the role of Joseon's most famous female entertainer, in the upcoming KBS2 Historical Drama up for a September broadcast. This is not the only work telling the story of the famous gisaeng, as a film starring Song Hye-Gyo will also make its way to theaters this year. Problem, of course, is her schedule. Ha is currently working on Yoon's film, and shooting will not complete until mid-to-late Summer. PRs from Ha's management say there's a 50/50 chance she'll accept the role, as she's trying to adjust her schedule accordingly. Ha would be perfect for the role, as she already has plenty of experience in the genre, going as far as her debut days in 용의 눈물 (Tears of The Dragon) to 다모 (Damo) and 형사 Duelist. [Naver News - 6/14]

Currently protagonist of a little controversy over her starring role in next year's 궁 (Princess Hours - Season 2), and lately voted the best Singer turned Actress amongst the new Actors emerging last year (competition was incredible. I'm not kidding you), Yoon Eun-Hye has been cast in a new Drama already. The former Baby V.O.X. member will in fact lead KBS2's new Mon/Tue Drama 포도밭 그사나이 (The Vineyard Man), which starts broadcasting on 7/24, after the conclusion of 미스터 굿바이 (Mr. Good-Bye). In the show, Yoon plays a city girl moving to the countryside to do farming, in order to raise funds for a business she wants to start (!). This is adapted from a famous novel of the same name by Kim Rang, which will also be the foundation for a film later this year. Rest of the cast should be announced shortly. [Daum News - 6/13]

We talked a few weeks ago about Korea's own Desperate Housewives in the making, MBC's upcoming Weekend Drama 위기의 주부 (Housewives in Crisis), but only info about its writer (Moon Hee-Jung) and PD (veteran Lee Seung-Ryeol) had been announced. Now you can add one of the leads to the list, as Yoo Ho-Jung has been cast in the show, which will start from this July. This is the first Drama appearance in 4 months for Yoo, who recently starred in the popular KBS2 Drama 인생이여 고마워요 (Thank You, Life). Although the setup is similar to the popular ABC series, the content and tone of the Korean show, a mystery comic drama, will be completely different. Yoo will star as a divorced, who after being betrayed by her cheating husband because of a dentist becomes a dentist herself, and moves next door, trying to become the 'Lady Vengeance' of this Drama. Other leads should be announced shortly. [MSN News - 6/10]

Not a soccer/football/축구 fan? Then you're likely to be even less by the end of this Month, as the World Cup is literally raping TV Schedules, with TV Dramas (popular or not, doesn't matter) facing difficulties for the next few weeks. Let's see some of what will happen: For MBC, 주몽 (Jumong) will skip three dates in a row, not airing episodes on the 12th, 13th and 19th; 어느 멋진 날 (One Fine Day) will skip the 14th and broadcast two episodes back to back on the 15th, and 불꽃놀이 (Fireworks) will air one episode on the 17th, and nothing on the 18th. In KBS' case, 미스터 굿바이 (Mr. Good-Bye) will skip the 12th and 13th, 위대한 유산 (Kindergarten Love) will skip the 14th and broadcast one episode on the 15th, and 서울 1945 (Seoul 1945) will broadcast two episodes back to back on the the 18th, after skipping the 17th. Finally, SBS is considering whether they'll broadcast two episodes back to back of 101번째 포로포즈 (The 101st Proposal) or not broadcast at all between 12th and 13th; 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again) will skip the 14th and air two episodes on the 15th. And, while 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven) will broadcast as scheduled, 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition) will show two episodes on the 17th, and skip the 18th. Thankfully it only happens every four years... [DC Inside - 6/10]

Seems like her good performance in 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again) changed the cards a little for young Yoon Se-Ah, as she's been cast in the upcoming MBC Daily Morning Drama 얼마나 좋길래 (That's The Way I Like It), which will start next month after the conclusion of 사랑은 아무도 못말려 (Love Can't Wait). The show is written by So Hyun-Kyung of 그 여자 (That Woman), and produced by Park Hong-Gyun of 영웅시대 (The Age of Heroes) and 환생 (Next). Since Smile Again will conclude on June 6 (if everything goes according to plans), Yoon will be able to join the shoot of the new Drama without too many problems. The other leads will be Kim Ji-Hoon who's currently starring in the KBS2 Drama 위대한 유산 (Kindergarten Love), and Jung Chan. [Daum News - 6/9]

Add another actress to the list of stars returning to the small screen, as Park Jin-Hee is making her comeback to TV for the first time since 2002's 그대를 알고부터 (Since I Knew You). Park will star in the upcoming SBS Wed/Thu Drama 돌아온 순애 (The Return of Soon-Ae), which is produced by Han Jung-Hwan and written by Choi Soon-Shik. In the show, we start with Shim playing an average ajumma in her early 30s, Park a sexy stewardess. But, and here's the key of the show, after an accident they end up in the other's body, and forced to live by their rules. So sexy Park starts acting like an Ajumma, and Ajumma Shim starts acting sexy... something like that. The rest of the cast looks quite good, with Jung Woong-In and Lee Jae-Hwang joining in as the two's partners. The show will start broadcasting from July 12, after the end of 스마일 어게인 (Smile Again). [Yahoo Korea - 6/5]

Yoo Oh-Sung is coming back to the small screen. After 장길산 (Jang Gil-San) and all the controversy surrounding it, Yoo will star alongside Chae Si-Ra of 해신 (Emperor of the Sea) in the upcoming KBS2 Drama 투명인간 최장수 (The Invisible Man), which follows 위대한 유산 (Kindergarten Love). The show is produced by Jung Hae-Ryong of 웨딩 (Wedding), and written by Park Gye-Ok, responsible for last year's horrible 건빵 선생과 별사탕 (Hardtack Teacher & Star Candy), 댄서의 순정 (Innocent Steps), 첫사랑 사수 궐기대회 (Crazy First Love) and more. The 16 Episode Drama stars Yoo as an humble and warm hearted husband and father, who also happens to be a former Judo athlete. What happens then? You guessed, he learns he has very little to live, and spends the rest of his life trying to find that happiness that was sorely missing. Sounds like the male version of last year's 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink), but while I certainly trust the main leads to give a good performance, the writer promises pretty nefarious things. The show starts shooting later this week. [Yahoo Korea - 6/1]

Seems like I'm not the only Lee Bo-Young fan... SBS just cast the two main leads for the upcoming Weekend Drama 게임의 여왕 (Queen of the Game), and the star of 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong) and the current KBS2 Drama 미스터 굿바이 (Mr. Good-Bye) will partner with Joo Jin-Mo of 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies). The show, which will follow 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition) from September 16, is written by Lee Yoo-Jin of 불새 (Phoenix) and produced by Oh Se-Gang of the popular Daily Drama 여왕의 조건 (The Queen's Rules), and will shortly depart for New Zealand, where some of its shoot will take place. Lee will play the daughter of an hotel manager, Joo an M&A; expert working there. More details on the rest of the cast as they're announced. [Yahoo Korea - 6/1]

Now that it's doing a little better in the ratings, Kim Soo-Hyun's remake 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition) is getting a 궁 (Princess Hours) treatment. Meaning, more episodes for you. Producers Su&Young; Production confirmed that 10 Episodes will be added to the show, which at the beginning was slated for a 50 Episode run, but will now get to 60, a little closer to the original show in the 80s (written by Kim and produced by Kwak Young-Beom just like this), ending its run at 97. With this recent move, SBS will have more time to prepare and choose the following Drama -- another sign of the industry moving more and more towards 사전제작 (100% pre-broadcast shoot) or at least pushing the usual 'hybrid' production methods to the limit. [Yahoo Korea - 5/29]

Casting for the upcoming MBC Drama 썸데이 (Someday) has finally completed, and the surprises continue. Airing from November, this is a live action/animation hybrid written by Kim Hee-Jae of 실미도 (Silmido) and 한반도 (Hanbando), and produced by Yellow Film of 연애시대 (Alone in Love). We already reported about Bae Doo-Na's return to TV as the lead on this show, and the following casting of Chae Rim. But now we know the rest of the cast: Kim Sung-Soo, whose latest film 모노폴리 (Monopoly) is debuting next week, and talented newcomer Oh Yoon-Ah. Oh has become one of the busiest new faces on TV, quickly cast in 미스터 굿바이 (Mr. Goodbye) after her role in 연애시대 (Alone in Love). She's also shown some acting talent on top of her impressive screen presence (think Lee Gi-Yong and you're not far off), and this will be another chance to prove it. The show, another 사적제작 (100% pre-broadcast shoot) starts shooting in July, and is directed by Kim Kyung-Yong of 카이스트 (KAIST). [Yahoo Korea - 5/27]

Despite the bad ratings and average to poor reviews, the KBS1 Historical Drama 서울 1945 (Seoul 1945) is adding 10 more Episodes to the story, which will conclude at the end of August -- followed by the new Sageuk set in the Balhae Kingdom, 대조영 (Dae Jo-Young) with Choi Su-Jong. This will mean the show will continue up to episode 80, which is still quite long for a show like this. Actually at the beginning of production, last year in September, the initial plan was to go for 100 Episodes, but then they decided for 70. As 70 Episodes didn't look enough to tell the whole story, the additional 10 Episodes were required. Dae Jo-Young has been shooting since March, and will soon join the big battle of Historical Dramas, with MBC's fantastic 주몽 (Jumong) and SBS' upcoming 연개소문 (Yeongae Somun). [Yahoo Korea - 5/25]

After the injury he suffered on the set of the now defunct 늑대 (Wolf), Eric Moon has finally found a new home on TV. The Shinhwa member-turned actor will lead 스위트 가이 (Sweet Guy), a new MBC Drama which will start broadcasting around September/October. The show is written by Go Bong-Hwan and produced by newcomers Opus 101. Lee Da-Hae of 마이걸 (My Girl) will play his love interest, in what looks to be a rather predictable story, involving fake marriages and orphans trying to save her orphanage. Eric has been also cast in another Drama with Lee Joon-Gi, tentatively entitled 개와 늑대의 시간 (The Time Between Dog and Wolf), which is an action Noir. [Yahoo Korea - 5/24]

Seems like Korea is getting its own CSI, as a Seasonal Crime Investigation Drama is under production right now. Yellow Film of 연애시대 (Alone in Love) is producing this new 'Hardboiled Crime Drama' called 에이전트 9 - 서울 (Agent 9 - Seoul), a 24 Episode, 15 Billion Won project following the American 'season' format. While the rest of the episodes will be 60 Minutes, the pilot will be 100 Minutes long and cost a good 2 Billion Won. Writing the script is one of Chungmuro's most famous writers, Kim Hee-Jae of 한반도 (Hanbando) and most of Kang Woo-Suk's more recent films, and she'll work alongside 5 other writers, with many different PDs directing two episodes each. 50% of the 15 Billion Budget for Season 1 comes from Japanese investors, and Yellow Film is already preparing spin-offs targeted at the Asian market to be aired later, including Season 2 에이전트 9 - 도쿄 (Agent 9 - Tokyo) and Season 3 에이전트 9 - 상하이 (Agent 9 - Shanghai). Shooting will start from May 2007. [Yahoo Korea - 5/24]

With SBS just starting its new Friday Drama, 나도야 간다 (I'm Going Too) with Kim Mi-Sook of 말아톤 (Marathon), they didn't waste time announcing their next Friday Drama. Returning after giving birth, Kim Ji-Young will star in 내 사랑 못난이 (My Lovely Fool) alongside Park Sang-Min (back on TV after 4 years), Kim Yoo-Seok and Wang Bit-Na. The show started shooting recently in Saipan, and is the first Drama production from DVD Company Starmax, which recently got into film and Drama production. After losing everything, orphan Kim Ji-Young escapes to Saipan looking for anything that will put food on the table -- that 'anything being... a trot singer! Seems like Friday Dramas, usually dealing with adultery and very serious themes, are moving from their original conception and getting closer to the Miniseries sphere -- perhaps they want to attract a different audience. [Naver News - 5/24]

The world will end soon. Another of Nostradamus' prophecies? Nahh, something quite simpler: A member of uber-creepy teenybopper band Dong Bang Shin Gi is going to make his full-fledged acting debut, in a Drama written by Kim Soo-Hyun (!). Kim, known as a rather 'traditionalist' writer in both casting choices (she mostly casts seasoned veterans with a few exceptions) and writing style -- her last work being the remake of her own 80s classic 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition) -- will in fact have to cope with Choikang Chang-Min (also known as Max), as he'll lead her upcoming Drama 눈꽃 (Snowflower) alongside the 'new Moon Geun-Young', young Go Ah-Ra. Nothing is set in stone, but it looks like Choi will sign pretty soon, and the show will continue casting until the end of Summer. The Drama tells the story of a Broadcast writer facing death (played by Kim's muse Kim Hee-Ae) and all her struggles with her young daughter (Go Ah-Ra). It's adapted from one of Kim's own novels. The entire DBSG group has been recently cast in Eight Peaks' 힙합 (Hip Hop), which is still under planning. [Yahoo Korea - 5/23]

After the announcement that a TV version of 황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi) would be made, here's more Dramas about Gisaeng. MBC's upcoming 해어화 (解語花, Flowers of Charm) -- the title refers to the (enchanting) language the Flowers (the gisaeng) learn to understand -- has cast Kim Hee-Sun and the returning singer/actress Park Ji-Yoon -- whose latest Drama 비천무 (Bichunmoo) still hasn't found a home in Korea -- in the Drama, produced by Starmax (yes, the DVD Company, making its debut in the TV world) and broadcasting its 24 Episodes starting in early 2007. This is another Fusion Sageuk, and will be written by Kim Sung-Hee of 홍콩 익스프레스 (Hong Kong Express). Obviously it will be set in the Joseon Dynasty, telling the story of a 'Gisaeng School', where four women enroll and find success. The show will try to break the stereotype that the life of gisaeng (female entertainers) was all about prostitution, and is already attracting interest overseas. [Star News - 5/23

After winning the Best Drama Actor award at the latest Baeksang Awards, Kim Ju-Hyeok is going to return to the small screen after 프라하의 연인 (Lovers in Prague). His choice? The third (and probably final) installment of the 'Lovers' saga - which started with 파리의 연인 (Lovers in Paris) -- entitled just 연인 (Lovers). The show is produced by Shin Woo-Cheol and written by Kang Eun-Sook, the team behind the two previous 'Lovers' Drama, and will broadcast this September on SBS. The show is produced by Newcomers K Dream, and will be a remake of the 1998 film 약속 (A Promise), which starred alumni from the Lovers series like Jeon Do-Yeon and Park Shin-Yang. Kim will play a gangster falling for a female doctor, who will sweeten him up a bit, like in the popular film. His partner? Kim Ha-Neul, whose recent romcom 청춘만화 (Almost Love) had a good run at the box office, and is coming back to TV Dramas after the major failure of 유리화 (Glass Flower). [Yahoo Korea 5/22]

Korea is getting its own Desperate Housewives pretty soon. The popular ABC TV Series has a sort of cult following in Korea (don't ask me why), and it seems that was enough to move MBC to follow on its footsteps, and create Korea's equivalent of the show, which will air from this July. The show will be called 위기의 주부 (Housewives in Crisis) -- very similar to the Korean title of the US show. The Drama is written by Moon Hee-Jung of 천국의 나무 (Tree of Heaven) and 해변으로 가요 (Let's Go To The Beach), while Lee Seung-Ryeol of 질투 (Jealousy), 애드버킷 (Advocate) will be the PD. The show will feature three women of different ages living together (still no casting announced) and will be produced by Logos Film. [Sports Today - 5/19]

Some good news for Chae Rim fans. After her recent divorce with singer Lee Seung-Hwan, she's been out of the limelight for a few weeks, and more importantly, out of TV Drama for two years -- her last appearance being on the KBS2 Drama 오필승 봉순영 (Oh! Feel Young). But reports leaked out in the Media today that she was recently cast in the potentially interesting new Drama 썸데이 (Someday). This is a live-action/animation hybrid, in that we get to see the manhwa its leading character (played by Bae Doo-Na) draws through animation. Chae Rim will play her boss in the show, which starts shooting this July, for a November release. The show is produced by Yellow Film of 연애시대 (Alone in Love) fame, written by Kim Hee-Jae of 실미도 (Silmido), and produced by Kim Kyung-Yong of 카이스트 (KAIST). [Yahoo Korea - 5/15]

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