올해 서른. 김동욱이 돌아왔다. <발레교습소>의 우울한 소년가장, <커피프린스>의 발랄한 하림의 여운은 찾기 힘들다. 최근 개봉한 김대승 감독의 <후궁: 제왕의 첩>에서 모습을 드러낸 그는 불운하고 유약한 왕자가 광기와 욕망에 사로잡힌 제왕으로 변해가는 과정을 섬뜩할 정도로 설득력있게 표현해낸다.주연 배우들의 노출을 화두로 한 선정적인 홍보 마케팅 끝에 베일을 벗은 <후궁>은, 사실 단순히 "에로틱 사극"으로 정의내리기엔 굉장히 복잡다단하고 다양한 욕망과 가치가 상충하는 영화다. 슬픈 제왕 "성원 대군"으로 돌아온 김동욱을 만났다.- 첫 사극 주연이다. 성원 대군이란 캐릭터의 어떤 면에 끌렸나.▶ (끌렸다기 보다는) 일단 가여웠다. 성원은 화연을 만나기 전까지 단 한번도 누군가를 진정한 의미에서 사랑한 적도, 사랑 받아본 적도 없는 인물이다. 아주 어린 아이였을 때부터 본인의 인생을 자신의 것이라고 말할 수 없는 인생을 살고, 자신이 원하는 것은 단 하나도 가지지 못한다. 그런데 아

Podcast May 30, 2012

In her recent works, actress Ko Hyun-jung has been nothing but a powerful, ruling woman.She starred as Korea’s first female president in the 2010 SBS drama “Daemul,” and the ambitious, manipulative royal concubine Lady Mishil in MBC’s 2009 hit biopic drama “Queen Seondeok.” Even in her 2007 police procedural TV series “H.I.T.,” Ko played a fierce detective who would not take no for an answer.In her upcoming movie “Miss GO,” however, Ko returns to the screen as a timid, dowdy woman. In the highly

Film May 29, 2012

Local scene gets busy, with major shows to hit SeoulThe long, hot and humid summer may not be favored by everyone in Seoul, but some are excited by the seasons’ arrival. Local musical fans would certainly be among them. Three of the most anticipated shows of the year are finally going onstage in Seoul this summer ― all for their first runs ― to the delight of the musical goers here. This Thursday will mark the opening of the popular Broadway musical “Wicked.” The show, which is based on Gregory

Performance May 27, 2012

Runway Cop (Korea)Opening May 31Comedy. Directed by Shin Tae-ra. Detective Cha Cheol-soo (Kang Ji-hwan) does not care about the way he looks or what others think of him. He is fat and does not wash enough. His hair is always greasy and his clothes smell. But when he is assigned to a drug case in Korea’s flashy fashion industry, he is ordered to lose at least 20 kilograms and pretend to be a fashion model to investigate undercover. Granny in 1st Grade (Korea)Opened May 24Drama. Directed by Jin Gw

Film May 25, 2012

Richard John has one of the most interesting closets in America.A Barbra Streisand concert gown. Costumes from “The King and I,” “Camelot” and “The Ten Commandments.” Suits worn by Bob Hope on stage and Laurence Olivier on the big screen. A Lana Turner necklace. Sequined shoes from Phyllis Diller’s final Vegas act. An Elizabeth Taylor ensemble from a television appearance.After more than 20 years of collecting clothing and accessories from classic-era movie stars, John’s wardrobe is bursting at

Film May 25, 2012

(Asia Literary Review) By Michael Breen et alAsia Literary Review, an English-language quarterly journal distributed globally, has dedicated its Spring 2012 issue to Korean literature.“Koreans are rightly proud of their unique culture and their literary heritage; they respect and appreciate their writers and poets,” wrote Ilyas Khan, the journal’s publisher.“And if any place could be described as a country of readers, it would be South Korea. Their writers, however, have yet to be discovered by

Books May 25, 2012

Buzz Bissinger has already called someone a moron on Twitter this day, but really, the virtuosic vitriol that has characterized his Twitter feed has been somewhat subdued lately.Instead, Bissinger is sitting on a chair in a family room off the kitchen of his house in Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood and talking about stuff so personal, so self-flagellating, that it would make you gasp if it weren’t comically shot through with F-bombs.Next to him is his son, Zach Bissinger, 28, well know

Books May 25, 2012

The World Heritage Map, released each year in English by UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris, has been published in Korean for the first time by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU).  The world map points out a total of 936 world heritage sites around the world, including 10 sites in Korea such as Changdeokgung in Seoul and Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju. A total of 30,000 copies have been printed and distributed to more than 200 locations in Korea, including the World Heritage sites an

Culture May 24, 2012

National Folk Museum exhibition features wooden furniture from Joseon periodRenowned artist Kim Hwan-ki was known for his attachment to Korea’s traditional wooden furniture.An avid collector of the wooden pieces, he often used them as the subjects of his famous paintings. A 1956 piece features simple wooden shelves filled with white porcelain jars of different shapes. A special exhibition hosted by the National Folk Museum of Korea introduces the world of Joseon wooden furniture and its distinct

Performance May 24, 2012

Jo Yeo-jung stars in Kim Dai-seung’s highly convincing noir ‘The Concubine’Despite the media frenzy and concern for her “going nude too often,” actress Jo Yeo-jung appears to have a fine taste in selecting her roles.After breaking into Korea’s film scene by going nude in her 2010 erotic period drama “The Servant,” the actress has chosen another period thriller with explicit sex scenes. But despite the media hype about Jo’s graphic nude scenes, “The Concubine” is actually an alluring thriller rev

Film May 23, 2012

 Having overcome a troubled childhood, ‘Drifting House’ writer is fascinated by survivorsAuthor Krys Lee found out what her “obsessions” are after writing her first collection of stories. They are “survivors of different forms,” or “people who don’t quite belong.” And the Korean-American writer’s obsessions are evident in her powerful debut collection, “Drifting House” (Viking/Penguin Press). The stories take place in Korea, the U.S. and even North Korea, but all of her characters are struggling

Books May 22, 2012

A children’s book by a Korean author was published in the Czech Republic last week, just in time for the country’s biggest international book fair.It is the first time a Korean work of children’s literature has been published in the Czech Republic.The book, titled “Dream about Joy of Music,” is written by children’s writer Park Eun-young and illustrated by Koo Bo-ram. The book chronicles the life of the legendary classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).The Czech Embassy in Seoul s

Books May 21, 2012

Reality TV star publishes his memoir in KoreaIt’s hard to imagine Korean-American reality TV star and former lawyer Yul Kwon being timid and quiet as a child.But his latest Korean-language memoir reveals something that most of the public, well-aware of Kwon’s academic and professional triumphs, would find a surprise.The 2006 “Survivor” winner and Yale Law School graduate said he had severe social anxiety disorders as a child, and was very often a target for bullying, in the book titled “I Evolve

Books May 20, 2012

Runway Cop (Korea)Opening May 31Comedy. Directed by Shin Tae-ra. Detective Cha Cheol-soo (Kang Ji-hwan) does not care about the way he looks or what others think of him. He is fat and does not wash enough. His hair is always greasy and his clothes smell. But assigned to investigate a drug case in Korea’s flashy fashion industry, he is ordered to lose at least 20 kilograms and pretend to be a fashion model to investigate the case undercover. Granny is in 1st Grade (Korea)Opening May 24Drama. Dire

Film May 18, 2012

Many times Hollywood came calling, wanting to make her book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” into a movie. But Heidi Murkoff said “Huh?”It’s a best seller, yes, with some 40 million copies in four editions in print. But it’s a self-help book, packed with answers to the burning questions a lot of pregnant women and their husbands ask. Murkoff, 53, didn’t see a movie in that.“These movie pitches never survived my gut check,” Murkoff says. She was waiting for somebody who “got it,” that “What

Film May 18, 2012