Assorted news
wulijohyunjae | July 26, 2010 | 7:00 amAndre Kim
According to Korean news reports, the famous Korean designer Andre Kim has recently been hospitalized because of deteriorating health. He is currently undergoing treatment in an isolation ward for the seriously ill. Ever since his fashion show in Beijing in March 2010, Andre Kim has been in and out of hospitals.
Born in 1935, Kim was the first Korean designer to have his own show in Paris in 1966. He has always been in the front ranks of fashion in Korea and has received numerous fashion design awards.
Of course, we all know Andre Kim because Jo Hyun-Jae was his lead model in his July 12, 2007 fashion extravaganza in Wuxi, China. We wish Mr. Kim a speedy recovery. Below are a few of his designs modelled by JHJ and his partner Park Sol Mi (of “Winter Sonata” and “All in” fame.)
Korean Drama Ratings
According to the latest ratings released by the two top TV ratings investigation companies in Korea, TNMS and AGB NIELSON:
- “King of Baking Kim Tak Goo” (KBS2 – 30 episodes from 2010.06.09), starring Yoo Shi-Yoon (2010.07.22 TNmS rating: 38.4%)
- “Dong Yi” (MBC – 50 episodes from 2010.03.22), starring Ji Jin-Hee (2010.07.20 TNmS rating: 29.4%)
- “Road No.1″ (MBC – 20 episodes from 2010.006.23), starring So Ji-Sub (2010.07.22 TNmS rating: 7.5%; AGBNielson rating: 5.7%)
- “Coffee House” (SBS – 18 episodes from 2010.05.17), starring Kang Ji-Hwan (2010.07.20 TNmS rating: 9.7%)
- “Bad Guy” (SBS – 17 episodes from 2010.05026), starring Kim Nam-Gil (2010.07.22 TNmS rating: 8.9%)
The surprising thing is the #1 drama in terms of ratings does not have big-name stars. “King of Baking Kim Tak Goo”– what an unlikely name for a hit drama! “Road No.1″ looks so promising with So Ji-Sub and Kim Ha-Neul, but its single-digit rating is most disappointing, coupled with unfavourable reviews and harsh comments by netizens. Same with Kang Ji-Hwan’s “Coffee House” which has been variously criticised as “flat” or “boring”. And “Bad Guy” which started off with 17 – 18% , very respectable, has now dropped to 8.9%. With its lead actor enlisting soon, it can expect an early demise.
From these ratings, it seems there is not always a correlation between big-name stars and ratings. Viewers always love a good story. We hope JHJ will pay careful attention in choosing the script of his comeback drama. The plot makes or breaks a drama – a good plot will always bring out good acting. We have great faith in JHJ’s acting; we just hope he can find the proper vehicle to showcase his talents.
Another observation is — historical drama is still very popular in Korea, as witnessed by “Dong Yi’s” nearly 30% rating (consistently high.) Historical dramas usually have bigger budgets, better scripts, more experienced directors, top actors, more resources, etc. = more audience. So maybe JHJ should consider doing another historical drama (even though he has sworn off such after “Seo Dong Yo”.)
If JHJ decides to do a historical drama, I hope he will portray a character as strong and deep as Seo Dong because Ji Jin Hee’s King Suk Jong has been criticized as a weak king – a womanizer, easily manipulated by the women around him, more concerned about his women than running his kingdom, etc.