Horan of the trio band Clazziquai has been booked without detention for drunk driving, Gangnam police said Thursday.   She hit a cleaning vehicle near Seongsu Bridge in Seoul on Thursday morning while driving under the influence. The driver of the cleaning vehicle was taken to hospital with a minor injury.   Horan's blood-alcohol level was 0.101 percent, higher than the legal limit, which could lead to her driving license being revoked.   The singer's agency said Horan had been drinking the previous night and caused the accident on the way to her radio show early in the morning.   "There's no excuse for that. She will withdraw from all her programs", it added.   Source : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/30/2016093001368.html

The movie "Asura: The City of Madness" made a record on the first day of release. According to the Korean Film Council, "Asura: The City of Madness" hit a number of 476,527 on the 29th. The initial record breaker was "Hwai" on the 9th of October 2013 with 362,280. This was also a holiday as it was 'Hangeul Day'. "Asura: The City of Madness" did a better job on a normal day. "Asura: The City of Madness" is based in the city of Annam, a virtual city which is a playground for crime where Han Do-kyeong (Jeong Woo-seong) a detective, Park Seong-bae (Hwang Jeong-min) a corrupt major and Kim Cha-in (Kwak Do-won) a prosecutor commit crime for their own benefits. Source : http://news.nate.com/view/20160929n04394?mid=e1100

Fast becoming one of the most prolific actors of his generation, Kang Dong-won (Violent Prosecutor) is considering adding yet another film to his busy schedule. This time, he’s up to be the main lead in Golden Slumber, a mystery-thriller Korean remake of a Japanese movie by the same name. It’ll be his seventh time working with production company ZipCinema, with whom he has created some of his most notable films including Jeon Woo-chi and Black Priests. He and ZipCinema’s CEO Lee Yoo-jin are known to be close, after having worked together on numerous projects.   Golden Slumber is about an ordinary delivery boy who becomes involved in a huge conspiracy. He is framed for the assassination of the new prime minister during his inaugural parade. Kang Dong-won will play the delivery boy who goes on the run while trying to clear his name by finding out who is ultimately behind the ruthless death of the influential politician. The director of this remake film will be Noh Dong-seok, who is most known for Boys of Tomorrow, starring Yoo Ah-in.   I’m convinced Kang Dong-won must’ve stolen Hermione’s time-turner. How else would he find the time to fit in all of his projects? He started 2016 off with blockbuster hit Violent Prosecutor, which still holds the title of second highest grossing film of the year in Korea. In November, his fantasy movie Hidden Time is being released, followed by his crime thriller Master in December. Currently, he has already signed on to do two other movie projects: the dystopian-reality film Jin-roh: The Wolf Brigade and the melodrama Burning.   According to his agency, he is tentatively planning to start filming Golden Slumber first, then Burning and Jin-roh afterwards. The final casting rounds for Golden Slumber are set to finish later this year, and filming is planned to start at the beginning of next year.  Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/kang-dong-won-as-delivery-boy-on-the-run-in-remake-of-japanese-film/

Park Bo-young (Oh My Ghostess) finally has a leading man for her new drama Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, which has been in the works since early June. I know the show isn’t set to air until next year, but it seems like it took an extra long time to find her a co-star. The role went to idol-actor Park Hyung-shik (High Society), who’s been stacking up his filmography with prominent supporting roles in projects like Nine and hit weekend drama What’s With This Family. He just wrapped his upcoming sageuk Hwarang: The Beginning, and will be taking on his first big leading role in Strong Woman.  The new JTBC Friday-Saturday drama comes from PD Lee Hyung-min of Ms. Temper and Nam Jung-ki and writer Baek Mi-kyung of Beloved Eun-dong. There’s very scant information about the premise, and all we know is that Park Bo-young is playing the title role of the physically strong woman Do Bong-soon, in a story that represents women. Previous reports said it was a comedy-action-fantasy, but I’m still waiting to find out what the actual deal is, and whether she’s just strong for her petite size, or mutant-ninja strong.  Park Hyung-shik has signed on to play a “bright tsundere” character, which seems like an oxymoron, but I guess there’s nothing to say you can’t be a cheerful guy who’s prickly on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside. Who knows, maybe it makes him happy to be gruff to others. The character is a young CEO and a self-made man, which already makes me like him; it’s infinitely better than his spoiled chaebol character in High Society, that’s for sure.  I’ve liked Park Hyung-shik in his dramas so far, and I think a bright upbeat character suits his style. It should be a cute pairing (let’s face it — Park Bo-young is cute enough for two), but what I’m really hoping for is that the heroine will be as sassy as she is strong. Strong Woman Do Bong-soon will begin shooting in October, and is being planned for a January broadcast on JTBC.  Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/park-hyung-shik-confirmed-to-romance-strong-woman-park-bo-young/

Okay, now you’ve really got my attention. I cared a little about this project when it was a castaway story called Gaia, lost much of my interest when there was a writer/cast/title change to Picnic that featured young idols as castaways, and perked up when a new writer came in (of Police Unit 38) and changed the title yet again (to Missing 9) and turned the idol (Jung Kyung-ho) into a has-been former K-pop star who crash-lands on an island with his stylist.  Now Jung Yumi (Discovery of Romance, Train to Busan) has been offered the leading lady role, and if she confirms, I will be so all over this drama. Not just because I love Jung Yumi (although I do really love Jung Yumi) but because I have a particular soft spot for her and Jung Kyung-ho together; they’ve acted a couple times together before, and 2010’s Drama Special The Great Gye Choon-bin really won me over. She played a weird Amelie-type character who would go around marking up posters to change words into other words, and he was the perplexed therapist who had no idea why she liked him so much. It was super sweet.  Exo’s Chanyeol and Lee Sun-bin (Police Unit 38) were both in the mix in earlier rounds, and have survived the title and writer change to play supporting roles. He plays an idol group drummer with a cute playboy personality, who’s weighed down by a drunk driving incident he caused that someone else got blamed for. She will play a “Hallyu goddess” who suffers from hemolytic anemia, which means that the smallest cut has difficulty healing, and in her efforts to keep her condition hidden, she deliberately gets snappish and loses her temper.  Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/jung-yumi-up-to-reunite-with-jung-kyung-ho-in-missing-9/

Films starring Song Kang-ho have attracted over 100 million moviegoers in the combined numbers of audiences, according to Warner Brothers Korea on Wednesday.In 2015, veteran actor Oh Dal-soo became the first actor to achieve the feat with supporting roles in a string of box-office hits, but Song is the first leading actor to do so.Song started as a stage actor and made his film debut in "The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well" in 1996.He appeared in a number of hit films including "Swiri" in 1999, "The Host" in 2006, "Snowpiercer" in 2013 and "The Attorney" in 2013.His latest movie "The Age of Shadows" has attracted some 7.02 million viewers.Source : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/29/2016092901275.html

The first stills from tvN’s Entourage are out, and for a remake of an HBO series that depicts the cutthroat entertainment industry where egos and emotions run high, our first glimpse is decidedly sunlit and understated. I was totally expecting to see the talent agent played by Jo Jin-woong (Signal) holler into his phone or chuck his dissatisfying lunch across the room. Or at his assistant. But perhaps they’re saving the good stuff for when the show premieres. The fully preproduced remake is about a movie star and his entourage consisting of his close circle of childhood buddies and his agent, navigating the frequently vapid, occasionally glamorous world of showbiz. Seo Kang-joon (Cheese in the Trap) plays Young-bin, the hot young rising movie star, and Park Jung-min (You’re All Surrounded) plays his best friend and manager named Ho-jin. Lee Kwang-soo (Dear My Friends) plays Joon, Young-bin’s cousin and C-list actor, and Lee Dong-hwi (Answer Me 1988) is Turtle, friend of Young-bin and worrier of nothing. And finally, Jo Jin-woong takes on the role of Kim Eun-gab, Young-bin’s powerful talent agent. In the top still, the boys are looking cool and youthful with their easy stances. In the bottom stills, Jo Jin-woong appears very much like a talent agent in his tailored suit. Of course he’s looking at his phone, and his office wouldn’t be his if there weren’t stacks of scripts on the table. With a cast like this, I’ll definitely be tuning in. I loved tvN’s sleek remake of The Good Wife and have high hopes that Entourage will be another remake success story. Fingers (and all other crossable parts of the body) are crossed! Entourage is a Friday-Saturday tvN drama that will premiere on November 4. Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/first-still-cuts-of-the-boys-of-entourage/

Actress Kim Ok-bin is turning into a killer. She's starring in the movie "Femme Fatale".   The movie directed by Jeong Byeong-gil is about a child who was raised as a killer in China, coming to Korea to seek revenge. This is the first time a Korean actress is starring in her own action movie and it's being called the Korean version of the American "Nikita". Kim Ok-bin is working on the movie "Femme Fatale" after "Top Secret". The movie will start filming this year.   Source : http://star.mk.co.kr/new/view.php?mc=ST&no=682891&year=2016

Actor Han Juwan is starring in the KBS "Drama Special - Twenty Thousand Won to Pyeongyang" as Park Yeong-jeong. Out of the 10 special dramas planned by KBS this year, "Drama Special - Twenty Thousand Won to Pyeongyang" is the first and it's about the main character who is a Catholic disciple, giving up his dreams to become a priest and living life as a substitute driver. Yeong-jeong is from a Catholic school and was on the path of God but suddenly decided to give up his dream. "Drama Special - Twenty Thousand Won to Pyeongyang" is about his job as a substitute driver. This drama is being reviewed as the right balance between lyrical and commercial codes. The drama's story-telling also has 'meaning' and 'fun' at the same time. Han Juwan debuted in the 2013 "Drama Special - Yeon-woo's Summer" and continued to star in dramas which led to his Rookie Award in the same year. He is currently in the drama "Blow Breeze". Source : http://news.nate.com/view/20160929n05467?mid=e1100

Seolhyun of girl band AOA and Zico of boy band Block B split up after dating some six months, their agencies said in a separate press release on Tuesday.   Their romance was first revealed last month when gossip website Dispatch caught them on a date and disclosed several photos.   The two reportedly felt burdened after attracting more public attention than they could handle and eventually broke up due to their busy schedules.   Source : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/28/2016092800911.html

Lee Jin-wook was found 'not guilty' of rape and was passed over to the prosecutors.   The Sooseo Police conducted an investigation on Lee Jin-wook regarding the charges made on his for rape but couldn't find anything to blame him for.   A woman had sued him on the 14th of July for rape. She claimed that Lee Jin-wook followed her home after dinner with mutual friends and raped her. Lee Jin-wook claimed it was consensual sex and countersued her for false accusations.   The woman came forth with evidence like her underwear and alleged wounds that occurred during the 'rape' but the results showed that there was no force involved.   The police have submitted an arrested warrant on the woman but it has been declined twice.   Source : http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2016092808340469070&type=1&outlink=1

Han Sun-hwa decided to depart from girl group Secret after seven years with the group, her management agency said in a press release on Monday."Han is set to leave the group as her contract is terminated in mid-October, and she will start her own career in showbiz like acting", it added.Meanwhile, the other three members renewed their contacts with the agency and will remain in the group.Source : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/27/2016092700955.html

Singer Lee Seung-chul has been on nationwide tours to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his singing career."I feel now that I've come to know about music to some degree, and hope to sing more comfortably without having the pressure to release many new songs for fans", Lee said in a press event on Monday.Lee, who has been holding about 30 concerts every year, made his debut with rock band Boohwal in 1986. He rose to fame after releasing his first solo album in 1989. Since then, he has released about 50 albums.He plans to hold concerts until late this year.Some of the proceeds from the concerts will be used to build a school in Africa, which he has been working on since 2010.Source : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/27/2016092701196.html

The time is set.Sources say that the SBS drama "Saimdang, the Herstory" will broadcast in January next year.The drama was initially thought to be seen on weekends but that changed to Wednesdays and Thursdays.Therefore, "Saimdang, the Herstory" will have higher viewing percentage as it's played on a weekday which guarantees more viewers. The drama also comes after Jeon Ji-hyeon and Lee Min-ho's "The Legend of the Blue Sea"."Saimdang, the Herstory" is a retold story of Saimdang Shin from the Joseon times. Lee Young-ae plays two roles: Seo Ji-yoon, a university professor and Saimdang. Song Seung-heon plays Lee Gyeom who only has eyes for Saimdang ever since the first day he laid eyes on her.Source : http://isplus.live.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=20640311&cloc=

Funny actor Jung Sang-hoon (Jealousy Incarnate, Lucky Romance) has been confirmed to join the growing cast of Woman of Dignity, which already boasts the likes of Kim Hee-sun (Angry Mom), Kim Sun-ah (Masked Prosecutor), and Lee Ki-woo (Memory), in the story about women turning their lives around. Actresses Lee Hee-jin (Trick) and Lee Tae-im (Twinkle Twinkle My Heart) are also set to appear in supporting roles.Woman of Dignity is a comedy about a homemaker named Woo Ah-jin, played by Kim Hee-sun, who goes from a life of luxury to rock bottom when her husband up and cheats on her, and her chaebol father-in-law loses his fortune. Kim Sun-ah will take on the role of a mysterious and ambitious worker at a nursing home named Park Bok-ja, who strives to reach the upper echelons of high society despite her humble countryside beginnings.Jung Sang-hoon will play the cheating husband to Kim Hee-sun’s character, the source of major conflict in the household. It was the role that Shim Hyung-tak (Five Kids) had taken on in previous casting rounds (and he must not have been confirmed, if it went to Jung Sang-hoon), so it seems like they’re going for a comedic character, based on the two actors. Jung Sang-hoon is great at playing characters who simultaneously make us laugh and want to smash his face into a desk (see: Jealousy Incarnate), so he should be a perfect fit.Lee Tae-im is the art teacher the husband has an affair with, named Yoon Sung-hee. She’s an obscure artist that no one knew until Woo Ah-jin came along and became her first customer. The two strike up a close friendship, but Yoon Sung-hee longs for her friend’s beauty and class. And when Woo Ah-jin decides to sign her daughter up for art classes, so begins her husband’s affair with the art teacher. Lee Hee-jin has been cast as the typical Gangnam housewife who also happens to be a very influential blogger named Kim Hyo-ju.It’s promising to see so many talented women cast in this drama. I just hope they pass the Bechdel test and are as complex as they are beautiful because Kim Hee-sun and Kim Sun-ah in one drama would be too good to waste!Directed by PD Kim Yoon-chul of My Name Is Kim Sam Soon fame and written by Baek Mi-kyung who wrote Beloved Eun-dong, Woman of Dignity will be 100 percent pre-produced and is expected to premiere sometime during the first half of 2017. Production will begin next month, and no broadcaster is attached at this time.Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/jung-sang-hoon-marries-kim-hee-sun-for-woman-of-dignity/

Well, it was missing its leading lady, but the script read proceeded (otherwise) as normal for SBS’s upcoming drama Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, with the other two leads, Han Seok-kyu (Secret Door) and Yoo Yeon-seok (Warm and Cozy) in attendance.It’s too bad Seo Hyun-jin (Oh Hae-young Again) wasn’t able to make it — she was hit with a sudden bout of stomach pains — because while I quite enjoy the actors solo, it’s really the triple-whammy of leads that gets me excited about this show. The story is fairly familiar stuff, centered around a genius doctor with an accomplished career who somehow ends up leaving it all behind to be a neighborhood doc. And while the title of this drama makes me think first of Doctors, the description seems more akin to Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho, with a main character falling from grace and building himself back from nothing.Teacher Kim (played by Han Seok-kyu) then becomes a mentor figure to two younger doctors, played by Yoo Yeon-seok and Seo Hyun-jin. At the outset, Yoo is a man who became a doctor to win out over someone, while Seo pursued the career in order to gain recognition from someone, and as they learn from Teacher Kim, they realize the value of life and grow into true doctors. The drama is set in a dinky, unglamorous provincial hospital, which they build into a solid, state-of-the-art hospital that won’t be swayed by people’s money or power. So basically, the ultimate underdog triumph story, driven by a mentor-mentee relationship and a solid cast. So far, so good.The drama is directed by PD Yoo In-shik (You’re All Surrounded, Incarnation of Money) and written by Kang Eun-kyung (Baker King Kim Tak-gu, Gu Family Book). At the script reading, PD Yoo greeted the cast by explaining that heading into production on a drama leads to pressure and stress, and stated that on set, his answer to that issue would be communication. He also explained the “romantic” part of the title to mean more of a sense of romanticism of life (as opposed to a love relationship), and that it is a kind of romance to be absorbed by and appreciate one’s work.The (extensive) supporting cast includes Im Won-hee (You’re All Surrounded), Jin Kyung (Uncontrollably Fond), Kim Hong-pa (Police Unit 38), Kim Min-jae (My Little Baby), Kim Jung-young (Heard It Through the Grapevine), Choi Jin-ho (Oh My Venus), and Tae In-ho (Descended From the Sun). Not a shabby lineup.Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim will be the Monday-Tuesday drama that follows Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and premieres on November 7.Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/09/finding-romance-and-healing-in-romantic-doctor-teacher-kim/