Update on Jun-ki's news in Singapore publications
This is just a really small add-on to cynsinnn's post about Jun-ki being featured in Singapore publications. It's from a local magazine called i-Weekly, issue no. 436. Maybe you guys might be interested that he caught the media's attention over here during March even before the movie came to Singapore in May. :)
I did a little translation for it, hope it's still pretty accurate:
THE POWER OF KOREAN MOVIES
What's dominating the movie industry nowadays is not mega productions acted by pop idols but movies based in the palace with a stunning plot.
The tricks of men are emerging rapidly in 2006.
King and the Clown
Unexpectedly, the "Brokeback Mountain" wave also blew to Korea. It was not just the most selling production of the year, it was also the most selling movie in the film history of Korea, with its box office overtaking "The Brotherhood of War" acted by Jang Dong-kun and Won Bin which cost a hundred million KRW.
A period movie (is this what it's called?) based in the palace, the inferior clown mocks the superior king, and yet manages to please him and influence politics, and at the same time sink into the desires of homosexuals and a power struggle. With only a production cost of 410,000 KRW, the number of people who watched "King and the Clown" overtook "The Brotherhood of War" (with a record of 11,740,000 people) within 66 days of its release in the cinemas. The movie did not boast first-class actors nor did it have a lot of money to work with, neither was the director famous, but it could create attention due to its "homosexuality" content and the good quality of the movie.
Critics think that the charm of the movie came solely from the actors - the perfect chemistry among the king Jeong Jin-yeon, the clown Kam Woo-seong and the effeminate Lee Jun-ki.
It's the charisma and different portrayals by these men that have created the miracle of Korean movies.
- skips the part about the other movie -
The super new actor: Lee Jun-ki (they still wrote his Chinese name wrongly at that point - it should have been 李准基 instead of 李俊基)
The most popular new idol of 2006.
He had guys at his feet in "King and the Clown", and he fascinates thousands of girls outside of the movie too!
His acting fee shot up by 5 times within the span of a short month and immediately became the very hot and popular spokesperson for many advertisments.
He not only shot the Giordano ad with Jang Dong-kun and Lee Hyo-ri, he even stood side-by-side along with Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Geun-young etc to be the spokesperson for a handphone brand. Movie producers even accepted his suggestion to present him with an empty cheque for him to fill in the appropriate amount he should get depending on how the ads are produced, which has never happened before.
A Jun-ki heat wave has risen in Korea.
He has changed people's opinion of masculine charm to let metrosexual appearance be the current hottest look. After "King and the Clown" was released, men would go to cosmetic surgery clinics to ask for Lee Jun-ki's sharp chin almost everyday.
He once promoted his movie alone and 2000 fans went to the event. Even with 100 policemen on standby, he had to end the event within 1 minute of appearance due to the chaos on scene.
Finally he is tasting success after having a tough time in the beginning of his career.
So long ago, his father objected to him being an actor, therefore when he first went to Seoul from hometown Busan, he wasn't able to call home for one year plus. He went to 200+ auditions before, and frequently had to eat only kimchi with rice to fill his stomach. (I thought he once said he only ate kimchi because he couldn't even afford rice?) "My father thought actors were entertainers so he objected. But now that I have achieved something, he is very pleased and says I'm the best son in the world."
Behind the beautiful face hides a touching story of his struggle to be an actor, and combined with him talking about it with tear-rimmed eyes, the effect was even doubled.
I'm sorry that the translation is not very good though. I need to improve more. :) Part of the text is also mentioned in cynsinnn's post.
I did a little translation for it, hope it's still pretty accurate:
THE POWER OF KOREAN MOVIES
What's dominating the movie industry nowadays is not mega productions acted by pop idols but movies based in the palace with a stunning plot.
The tricks of men are emerging rapidly in 2006.
King and the Clown
Unexpectedly, the "Brokeback Mountain" wave also blew to Korea. It was not just the most selling production of the year, it was also the most selling movie in the film history of Korea, with its box office overtaking "The Brotherhood of War" acted by Jang Dong-kun and Won Bin which cost a hundred million KRW.
A period movie (is this what it's called?) based in the palace, the inferior clown mocks the superior king, and yet manages to please him and influence politics, and at the same time sink into the desires of homosexuals and a power struggle. With only a production cost of 410,000 KRW, the number of people who watched "King and the Clown" overtook "The Brotherhood of War" (with a record of 11,740,000 people) within 66 days of its release in the cinemas. The movie did not boast first-class actors nor did it have a lot of money to work with, neither was the director famous, but it could create attention due to its "homosexuality" content and the good quality of the movie.
Critics think that the charm of the movie came solely from the actors - the perfect chemistry among the king Jeong Jin-yeon, the clown Kam Woo-seong and the effeminate Lee Jun-ki.
It's the charisma and different portrayals by these men that have created the miracle of Korean movies.
- skips the part about the other movie -
The super new actor: Lee Jun-ki (they still wrote his Chinese name wrongly at that point - it should have been 李准基 instead of 李俊基)
The most popular new idol of 2006.
He had guys at his feet in "King and the Clown", and he fascinates thousands of girls outside of the movie too!
His acting fee shot up by 5 times within the span of a short month and immediately became the very hot and popular spokesperson for many advertisments.
He not only shot the Giordano ad with Jang Dong-kun and Lee Hyo-ri, he even stood side-by-side along with Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Geun-young etc to be the spokesperson for a handphone brand. Movie producers even accepted his suggestion to present him with an empty cheque for him to fill in the appropriate amount he should get depending on how the ads are produced, which has never happened before.
A Jun-ki heat wave has risen in Korea.
He has changed people's opinion of masculine charm to let metrosexual appearance be the current hottest look. After "King and the Clown" was released, men would go to cosmetic surgery clinics to ask for Lee Jun-ki's sharp chin almost everyday.
He once promoted his movie alone and 2000 fans went to the event. Even with 100 policemen on standby, he had to end the event within 1 minute of appearance due to the chaos on scene.
Finally he is tasting success after having a tough time in the beginning of his career.
So long ago, his father objected to him being an actor, therefore when he first went to Seoul from hometown Busan, he wasn't able to call home for one year plus. He went to 200+ auditions before, and frequently had to eat only kimchi with rice to fill his stomach. (I thought he once said he only ate kimchi because he couldn't even afford rice?) "My father thought actors were entertainers so he objected. But now that I have achieved something, he is very pleased and says I'm the best son in the world."
Behind the beautiful face hides a touching story of his struggle to be an actor, and combined with him talking about it with tear-rimmed eyes, the effect was even doubled.
I'm sorry that the translation is not very good though. I need to improve more. :) Part of the text is also mentioned in cynsinnn's post.