byj (Open This)

Actor Park Yong-ha [NOA Entertainment]

Singer and actor Park Yong-ha was found dead at his home today morning after apparently committing suicide, according to a police source.

Gangnam Police Station said Park’s mother found the 32-year-old celebrity hanging himself by from the cord of his mobile phone charger at around 5:30 a.m.

Police have yet to announce the details to Park’s death — they are investigating into the cause behind his suicide based on testimonies by his family.

A source close to the actor said Park had been having a hard time coping with his father’s illness. “He had much filial love for his parents. I heard his father, suffering from a chronic disease, was recently moved home from the hospital”.

Park’s body has been placed at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

Park, 32, gained popularity throughout Asia after appearing in “Winter Sonata“, a drama that first started the Hallyu craze, alongside top actors Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo.

He has also led a successful singing career in Japan where he has placed several albums within the top 10 ranks of the Oricon charts and won four consecutive Japan Gold Disc Awards.

Most recently, he had been set to star in the small screen adaptation “Love Song – Drama” of legendary Hong Kong pic “Comrades, Almost a Love Story”, across actress Yoon Eun-hye.

A major Hollywood studio had shown interest in the series which was revving up to go into shoot around late July and air in Korea at the end of the year.

Reporter : Lim Hye-seon lhsro@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong, the leader of idol group SS501, has signed an exclusive contract with Bae Yong-joon’s agency, according to a press release by KEYEAST on Tuesday.

“We plan to provide more professional and concentrated support so that Hallyu star Kim Hyun-joong can go beyond Asia and grow into a global entertainer,” Yang Geun-hwan, the president of KEYEAST, was quoted as saying.

KEYEAST also explained that they plan to support Kim’s overseas activities through its Japan affiliate DA (Digital Adventure) and carry out various promotions with DATV, a cable channel for Asian entertainment programs.

Rumors of Kim teaming up with Bae first surfaced last month when it was reported that Kim and Bae had a private meeting. Kim and his band SS501’s contract with agency DSP Media expired on June 8.

But at the time, DSP downplayed the rumor, saying it was only a personal meeting between Kim and Bae, a close friend and mentor figure to the young star.

Earlier this month, several media reports had claimed that Kim had indeed signed a management contract with KEYEAST. But an official at KEYEAST dismissed the reports as “groundless” and said that they had not signed with the singer.

DSP Media also released a statement on Tuesday, saying other band members have not yet decided on their future plans.

Kim Hyung-jun will continue working as a deejay on SBS’ radio show “Radio Music High” while Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong and Park Jung-min will be taking a break and make a decision later on.

Kim, 23, is the leader of boy band SS501, one of the most successful K-pop acts in Asia since their debut in 2005. The singer has also done some acting work, most notably in the smash hit drama “Boys Over Flowers” last year alongside actors Lee Min-ho and Ku Hye-sun.

SS501, who released the album “Destination” last month, have been promoting their latest single “Love Ya.”

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
<â“’10Asia All rights reserved>
http://10.asiae.co.k…062909354867633

 From suehan’s blog. 

 2010/06/24/23:00

 (omitted)

Every time you go to Miel, you run into celebrities.
Everyone acts like they aren’t paying attention, but they all look.
Even I looked too. We all steal looks.
Hehehe… That’s why Miel is a fun place.

Today, someone we saw was Kim Hyun Joong.
He is tall and good looking, and you can tell right away when you see him.
Everyone looks at him quietly. He mustn’t like it.
Everyone starts grabbing their cellphones. I sent a text message to my friend Bokii.

(Everyone must have sent messages like me, right?
“I’m in Miel right now and Kim Hyun Joong is here. He is good looking.)

(Reply right away…
“You must be happy that he’s good looking.)

After texting back and forth a couple of times, our interest disappeared
And we get deep into our own conversations.

I get a weird feeling from the table next to me. They’re Japanese women. They look over at Kim Hyun Joon over and over again.
“Wow, Kim Hyun Joong is very popular,” I thought.

After some time, we got up to leave the Cafe.
Kim Hyun Joong also got up as well.

Then, the Japanese women had disappeared after we had gotten our check and paid.
They must have luggage. How courageous, they must have gone to follow Kim Hyun Joong.

Kim Hyun Joong is in front of us, but the Japanese women aren’t talking to him.
They aren’t even taking glimpses of him.
“What is this?” I think.

They say hello to the man wearing a cap who was sitting next to Kim Hyun Joong.
“Huh? What is this?” I think…
Who is this? The person who is smiling at these Japanese women is Yonsama.
The guy that is supposedly an absolute God to these Japanese women.
It was Bae Yong Joon.

He smiles pleasantly and greets the Japanese women.
On and on…
Even as he gets in the car… the women were in shock of how nice he was.

Then, he and Kim Hyun Joong get in the Benz leisurely.
Today, I confirmed with my own eyes the popularity of Yonsama.
It definitely isn’t a lie.
I thought that we were dramatic in our country.

But why were the two of them together?
Kim Hyun Joong and Yonsama don’t go together…

byj (Open This)

[JOBnews] “Message! to Asia” on 14 December 2010

2010/6/18

Bae Yong Joon to join DATV’s charity project “HOHOEMI PROJECT’s” first production, BIG Charity program “Message! to Asia”

As first project, DATV’s charity project “HOHOEMI PROJECT” will air big charity program “Message! to Asia” [air date;(Monday,holiday) 10 January 2011].

Bae Yong Joon has approved the project and purpose of “Message! to Asia,” he will be sending messages to everyone via this program.
“Message! to Asia” will be public recorded at Tokyo Dome on 14 December 2010. 

[what is HOHOEMI PROJECT]
A social action program, project by DATV to protect children’s smile. 
Part of profit will be donated to Non Profitable Organization (NPO) “Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi (KnK)(Children without Borders)” and others to support street children mainly in Cambodia and Philippines, disadvantaged adolescents and young victims of trafficking.

["Message! to Asia" summary of public recording(tentative)]
date and time: Tuesday, 14 December 2010, 18:00
place: Tokyo Dome (1-3-61 Koraku Bunkyo-ku Tokyo)
cast: Bae Yong Joon, GACKT others
participation fees: jpy 8,400 (tax and charge incl.)
organized by DATV
sponsors: iTSCOM (iTs Communication)

DATV viewers privileges; viewers at end of September 2010 will have priority booking.

note: more details will be updated at official site, please visit “Message! to Asia” official site.

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon will take part in a Japanese project to help out the future of children in Asia, according to his agency KEYEAST on Thursday.

KEYEAST announced in a press release that Bae has decided on taking part in the philanthropic “Miso Project” which has been established by Japan’s DATV (Digital Adventure TV).

The “Miso Project” is a contribution-based philanthropy project in charge of taking care of the future of the children in Asia. With the help of nonprofit organization KnK (Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi), they will donate the money to the underprivileged children in Cambodia and the Philippines.

Bae will participate in the various events and programs that DATV has planned for the “Miso Project.” An mega-event is scheduled to take place in the Japan’s Tokyo Dome in December with other famous Asian stars in attendance.

“Bae Yong-joon has set long-term plans in taking part of the ‘Miso Project.’ He has shown great interest and wants to become active for this project,” explained a representative from KEYEAST.

The actor has made many donations in the past to various organizations in Asia such as donating 300 million won to the tsunami victims in 2005 as well as shooting an environment-themed photo spread and delivered the funds raised from the shoot to the UNEP committee.

Bae, 37, rose to mega-stardom in Korea and throughout Asia with the 2002 KBS hit series “Winter Sonata.”

He has also been actively promoting Korean culture in Asia, publishing a photo essay titled “Discovering the Beauty of Korea” last year, which features self-taken photographs of various cultural artisans that the actor met during his year-long travel around the country.

He recently finished lending his voice to the Japanese animation “Winter Sonata~Another Story~” in Japan.

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>
http://10.asiae.co.k…061715142965578

Thank you for bae sister suehan to post a  translation of BYJ’s article in the DongA Ilbo about his book. The article included a couple of his recipes.

Hopefully, we can  try his recipes  whe he  releases the English translation.
[Trans]Essay of Daily Life written by Bae Yong Joon & Two Traditional Cuisine Recipes

2010-06-09 15:31

“After all, mother’s breakfast is the best”

[Star cooking]

I opened my eyes much later than usual, but, I want to stay more time in bed. I feel hungry, but don’t have an appetite. When I have such a saggy day after work at late at night, I really want someone to forcefully wake me up and set a fresh ‘table’ with a delicate flavor spreading the entire room. I giggled about my useless imagination in bed. After all, it is the same result as usual. “I’m going to eat out today.”

I have a few dishes which I’m good at making, but I’m so used to eat out, so I often lose my appetite. No matter how good the quality of the restaurant is, it can’t be compared with those of the table which was filled with the love of families. Expectations of the fine dining and joyful surprise of the special taste have their own merit. But I think that the simple and humble house dishes might be the foundation of my energy like simple daily life has a big meaning. Most of my life should have been filled with simple dishes at home.

I hadn’t realized it when I was young. I only concentrated on my favorite dishes, and I wasn’t interested in how the food was made before it came to the table, and how the person went through to make it. Suddenly a yearning which has been long forgotten rushed in.

No matter how hard it was, and how difficult it was, usual worries and concerns disappeared like smog when we sit around the table with fresh foods. It gave us strength. When we covered our whole body with the blanket to express our anger, we were hearing, “Eat first, and go to sleep.” That was the love of mother telling us not to skip the meal. I remember that there was a mysterious power in the food.

“The power of food is the best.” I wasn’t even happy to hear that, because it sounded like only eating is the center of our lives, nothing else. But now I’ve been living alone more than ten years, I agreed with it. Shik Goo (食口), eat together; it is another name for family.

I left my house in my twenties, but i wanted my parents to live more comfortably. But I think I wasn’t a good son because I couldn’t give them little, simple bits of joy. So these days, I ask them for favors here and there every once in a while.

So now I make complaints about how I didn’t get opportunities to do a lot, and my parents deliberately punish me and yell at me for saying these like that. Thankfully, it seems like my parents like that we now exchange banter and love.

Bae Yong Joon Personally Reveals Two Traditional Cuisine Recipes

[Cucumber Kimchi Learned from Mother]

Preparation Ingredients

10 Cucumbers, dash of salt, Seasoning (1 Tbsp diced garlic, 200g of chives, 100g each of “short” green onions and onion, 4 Tbsp Korean chili pepper, 2 Tbsp anchovy paste, 1 ½ Tbsp sugar, dash of salt).

Directions

1. Clean cucumbers in running water, cut both ends, cut each in half, then in the middle of each half cut a “cross” slit so that there is a opening in the middle with both ends in tact to put in the seasoning in the opening.

2. In a large bowl, put all the cut cucumbers in and add 2 Tbsp of salt sprinkled on top and let it ferment for 2 hours and then rinse them off and drain in a colander.

3. Cut the chives, “short” onions and onions in 1cm dices, then put the Seasoning on top and mix well.

4. Put appropriate amounts of the seasoning in each of the cucumbers, then put it in a jar outside for a day to let it continue the fermenting process. Then after the fermenting, put it in the fridge to eat it cold.

[My own kimchi Pancake]

Preparation Ingredients

Kimchi, 1 Cup each of the “sauce” in the kimchi and flour, 1 squid, 1 onion, 1 egg, ¼ cup of water, 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1/3 tsbp of salt, a little canola oil.

Directions

1. Clean off excess on the kimchi and cut them in 0.5cm dices.

2. Cut off the head of the squid and take off the skin, then cut in 0.2cm x 0.3cm dices, cut off the suction heads and then dice the legs in 0.5cm lengths.

3. Clean the peeled onion, drain and cut in a fine dice.

4. In a bowl, add everything you just prepared, egg, flour, water, and “sauce” of kimchi with the salt, soy sauce and make the appropriate seasoning to your taste.

5. In a heated pan, drizzle in the oil and put in spoonfuls of the ④ mixture and cook in medium heat until crispy and golden brown.

Actor Bae Yong-joon has sued a domestic travel agency for unapproved use of his photo for commercial purposes and violation of his privacy, a court said Tuesday.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, the 37-year-old actor, who is better known in Japan by his nickname “Yonsama,” filed a suit against a Korean travel agency, Seoul Nabi, demanding 100 million won in compensation.

In a statement, Bae Yong-joon said the agency designed a travel product, whose itinerary includes stops at a coffee shop, beauty salon and other facilities where he frequently visits, and used his photo on its Web site without approval to promote the products.

“It significantly restricted my freedom in private life,” the actor said in the statement. “The agency did not keep its promise that it would stop running the program.”

Actor Bae Yong Joon sues Korean travel agency