[ARTICLE] "Park Yoo-chun proves star power on TV screen"
Park Yoo-chun proves star power on TV screen
By Lee Woo-young, Korea Herald
Whether singing, acting, or narrating, he guarantees Asia-wide promotion. K-pop star Park Yoo-chun, who is taking on his second major TV drama, is proving his star power, as the show has drawn big attention both in the country and overseas.
The MBC drama “Miss Ripley,” in which Park plays an heir to a resort empire, had already been exported to Japan and the U.S. before it was finished, in a deal worth 1.8 billion won ($1.6 million). The chances are high that it will enter markets of China and Southeast Asian countries soon.
In Korea, the drama is the most watched one among Monday-Tuesday evening TV dramas, reaching high viewer ratings since its first episode. As many of his fans are Japanese, the drama website provides Japanese language service for the drama.
Although he achieved fame as a singer at the boy band TVXQ and later JYJ, his acting has earned him even more popularity.
His previous drama, KBS’ “Seongkyunkwan Scandal,” which portrayed student life in the Joseon period, also attracted great viewership and won him the rookie actor of the year award at the Korea’s Paeksang Arts Award. His choice for playing a historical character for the first time has surprised many, but he later received praise for his acting.
He also narrates MBC documentary “The Hometown Where I Used to Live,” which airs on June 17. The MBC staff figured Park’s soothing voice would fit the concept of the documentary, depicting disappearing rural villages under the influence of urbanization in Korea.
“Miss Ripley” airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 9:50 p.m. on MBC and “The Hometown Where I Used to Live” will air Friday at 11:05 p.m.