Jo Hyun Jae

“Forbidden Love” was the very first Jo Hyun-Jae drama that I ever watched.  That is why it has a special place in my heart.  It comes before ” Seo Dong Yo”, “First Love”, “Sunshine”, and “Only You” — not because it is better, but because I have a soft spot for it.

And Kang Min-Woo is among my top three favourite JHJ characters.  Somehow he strikes me as more like the JHJ today than any of his other roles — more manly, more mature, tougher, grittier, but no less tender.  And I love that haircut!

(Credit:  Name on video.  Thanks!)

There aren’t that many kissing scenes in Jo Hyun-Jae’s dramas.  The above from “Forbidden Love” is one of our favourites — nothing hesitant or tentative, just take-charge I-love-you, I-want-you!

We love Jo Hyun-Jae as Kang Min-Woo!  So here are some photos that are not so run-of-the-mill.

(Credit: video from KBS; last two photos from tomopi of CarpeDiemJAPAN. Thanks!)

Jo Hyun-Jae’s “Forbidden Love”(Gumiho) started its re-run on KBS World on July 13.  We have a new MV and some photos for you here.

(Credit: MV by ahiru of CarpeDiemJAPAN; last photo from ahiru, others from assorted sources. Thanks!)

“Forbidden Love” on  KBSWorld , Ch.791 and Ch.656 (HD) — from July 13, 2010.

“Only You” on Japan So-net TV  Ch.749 — from July 17, 2010.

Two of Jo Hyun-Jae’s best-loved dramas will be showing again on Korean and Japanese TV in July.  That they are still being rebroadcast 5 or 6 years after their debut shows once again JHJ’s popularity and resilience.

(Credit: ahiru of http://hyunjaelove.jp; http://so-net.ne.jp; http://tv.sbs.co.kr/onlyyou; www.johyunjae.hk. Thanks!)

Just like love

On the edge of weariness
I will come again
I will smile again.

You use your sad eyes
To answer me silently
But I cannot hear.

All the long years of roaming on my behalf
I can’t just let you go from my heart like this.

Your slowly drawing near takes my breath away.
I cannot be like you
We are both so full of hurt.

To save ourselves from loneliness and desolation
We begin to learn to cherish ourselves.

Even if you now come to find me
We cannot love each other forever.
Even if there is more pain
We can only love each other.

Fate and chance do not wait for us
Even if we do not love each other
All the long years of roaming on my behalf
I can’t just let you go from my heart like this.

(Lyrics translated into English by wulijohyunjae.)

Quality of video not so good, sorry!  but great song, great drama, and, of course, great actor!

Photos below are from KBS magazine introducing “Forbidden Love”.

Latest news — Japan’s KBS World will be showing “Forbidden Love” starting July 13, 2010.  It is remarkable that JHJ’s 2004 drama will be featured again in 2010.

(Credit:  We thank Param of CarpeDiemJAPAN for these photos which are from her private collection.  Don’t ask us why some are in Korean and some in Japanese because we don’t know.  It’s all Greek to us!)  

This MV tells the love story of “Forbidden Love” — from happy childhood to the tragic end, set to a haunting song.

Kang Min-Woo in “Forbidden Love” resembles most what Sergeant Jo Hyun-Jae looks like now — not just the haircut, but also the manliness, the military air, the physical prowess.  The drama was made in 2004 which means JHJ hasn’t really aged much in 6 years.

(Credit: Sung-Ju of EVERjohyunjae.  Thanks!)

Today’s Countdown photo (from CarpeDiemJAPAN’s Hart – posted on jo-hyunjae.com.  Thanks!)

This short video shows the macho side of Jo Hyun-Jae in “Forbidden Love”, a precursor to his role in “G.P.506″ four years later.

(Credit: Video by Hiro of EVERjohyunjae.co.kr.  Thanks!)

 These videos require no explanation.  Just watch and enjoy!

 (Credit: First video by Param of CarpeDiemJAPAN, second video by http://www.johyunjaehjouse.co.kr.  Thanks!)

Always

Don’t forget we’re always together
And don’t cry for me
For the love you saved for me
Even without words I can understand the look in your eyes.

I will never believe anyone anymore
I so look forward to this day
This day when we are together.

I pursue you in the depths of my soul
You make my heart ache
When you leave me again.

Please believe me now
Don’t leave me with painful memories again
I’ll love you forever.

I will never believe anyone anymore
I so look forward to this day
This day when we are together.

I pursue you in the depths of my soul
You make my heart ache
When you leave me again.

Please believe me now
Don’t leave me with painful memories again
I’ll love you forever.

Even if the end of the world is near
I’ll still love only you
Till the end of time.

Same song, different videos.  It sounds even better the second time.  Great MVs, great drama (“Forbidden Love” or “Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox”, in case you don’t know.)

Please see our 3/20/09 post “In defence of the Fox”.

(Credit: First video by ranta(.w.), second video by andrewwujin; http://hyunjaelove.jp; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

Korea Daily  2004.7.7

The new KBS2 drama ”Forbidden Love” (Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox), which is a unique combination of high-tech horror and fantasy romance, will premiere on the 19th of this month.  A press conference was held on 2004.7.1.

Jo Hyun-Jae — a member of the SCIS in love with a vixen

Jo Hyun-Jae sported a new crew cut to suit the character in the drama; he is really very serious about this role.  He plays a member of the SCIS Special Squad, a warrior trained to exterminate the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, but he falls in love with a vixen played by KimTae-Hee which leads to tragedy.

Like in “Love Letter” and “First Love”, JHJ again plays a tragic role.  The only difference is this drama has more bloody scenes than the earlier ones.

Kim Tai-Hee — a member of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, a tragic warrior

As an actress who always gives the impression of being delicate, Kim Tai-Hee plays a curator in the Natural History Museum.  But this is only her day job; at night she is transformed into a warrior of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan.

The SCIS Special Squad member Kang Min-Woo (JHJ) falls in love with a member of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan Yoon Shi-Yeon (KTH), a relationship that is doomed to tragedy.  Kim Tae-Hee has never had to act in so many scenes on a wire before, but she says she did not have any serious injuries, just a few scrapes.  She gestures excitedly to indicate that when she is swinging her double swords, she feels thrilled with the action scenes.

Jun Jin — leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox warriors

Jun Jin who has a major role in this drama says this is different from his last work, the situation drama “Non-Stop”.  This time he plays the role of Moo-Young, the ambitious leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox warriors whose mission is to destroy human beings in the world.  When he finds out his fellow warrior Shi-Yeon is in love with a man, he can only shed tears in private.

Han Ye-Seul — a seducer of men

Jun Jin’s co-star in “Non-Stop”, Han Ye-Seul,  plays Choe-Yi, a vixen who goes out at night seducing men.  She is in love with Moo-Young, someone all the Nine-Tailed Fox clan rely on, and she can only hide her sorrow in her heart.

(Reported in: hahohe@sportschosun.com.)

(Based on the Chinese translation by Scarecrow on www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

Please see our 3/20/09 post “In Defence of the Fox”.