From Choi Jin-shil’s suicide to Na Huna’s weird rumor.

From the top left Choi Jin-young is holding his sister Jin-shil’s portrait, , Na Hoon-ah is rigidly talking in a press conference, Seo Taeji is smiling in a press conference, and Choi Min-su is walking out from police investigation.

There were many good news but also unusually stunning bad news compare to any other years according to entertainment news experts in Korea.  Here are the list of top ten entertainment news in 2008.

1.  Choi Jin-shil committed suicide along with other celebrities.

There were many stars’ death.  The most shocking news was Choi Jin-shil was found hung herself in her house on Oct. 2nd.  That gave more shock because people just heard Jeong Sun-hee’s husband, Ahn Jae-whan’s, death on September.  People couldn’t believe the news of the top star’s death.  There were rumors about her lending money with high interest to Ahn Jae-whan and that caused him to kill himself.  Another problem occurred when her ex-husband, Jo Sung-min, reclaimed his rights of child custody after her death.  The case ended after he gave up his child custody and property rights for now.

There were more people imitated their death and worried about Werther effect.  Transgender entertainer Jang chae-won, fashion model and entertainer Kim Jihu, Group M. Street Lee Seo-hyun killed themselves.

Before their suicides, the singer Turtle man suddenly died with myocardial infarction and Monday Kids Kim Min-su and entertainer Lee Eon died in the car accidents.  These deaths gave a heartbreak to general public in Korea last year.

2. Ok Sori and Park Chul divorced and filed an adultery lawsuit on the Constitutional Court.

They divorced on October but had to meet on the court again because Park Chul filed a lawsuit against her for adultery and Ok Sori petitioned against the adultery law on the Constitutional Court.  The decision from the court was dismissal of her petition due to fail to meet the quorum, although more judges voted for unconstitutional.

The criminal trial followed against Ms. Ok and prosecution demanded 1 and a half years and 6 months imprisonment for Ms. Ok and her shack up popra singer respectively.  The decision from the court hasn’t come out yet and the dispute is not settled.  Ms. Ok’s mother disclosed that Mr. Park had never given her money for living and he sometimes spent 1.28 million US dollars in credit card.  Mr. Park said that is a lie, of course.  Ms. Ok is still appealing the unfairness through her Internet website.

3. Na Hoon-ah said, “Will you believe me if I show you?”

It was a big rumor about the great singer Na Huna and a celebrity K girl had an affair and her boyfriend, Japanese Yakuja gangster, cut his penis.  Meanwhile Mr. Na didn’t work over 1 year and the rumor just can’t stop growing and growing.  Kim Hye-su and Kim Sun-ah were pointed at the mysterious K and they publicly announced that is just a groundless rumor but they couldn’t stop the rumor.

Finally police was investigating on the case and it became an issue.  Na Huna called a press conference on Jan. 25th.  His way to drop the rumor down was so simple and effective.  He was standing on the desk right in front of all the cameras and the press, and said, “Will you believe me if I show it to you?”  He actually untied his belt and dropped down the zipper to show how much he had to do to stop this nonsense.  His charismatic and angry tone of voice and pose reminded the viewers that he is the legendary star, not a wimp.

He thought the rumor would disappear after some time but it kept growing and he couldn’t just let Kim Sun-ah and Kim Hye-su suffer through nonsense rumor involving himself.  There are many people give him their hands and he made people to think about decency in the cyber space.

4. Mun Geun-young and Kim Jang-hun are on a roll on good will hunting

Their warm hearted good deed continued this year.  Kim Jang-hun donated US $3.46 million dollars that he saved last 20 years to poor children and families.  He leaded the promotion of volunteers for cleaning oil leakage in west sea spending US $220,000 last June along with various types of volunteering works.  He also put an ad in New York Times about Dokdo and Donghae.

Mun Geun-young was the top young woman who donated highest amount of money, US $608,000, from last 10 years.  She also didn’t blow a horn when she helps others. She continued to help children cancer patients and made a foundation.  Other celebrities like Yu Jae-suk, Park Myung-su, Jeong Jun-ha, Jang Nara, and Hyun Young also found to be donating much.

5. Kang Byung-gyu wasted the public funding and accused for an illegal gambling charge.

On August wasting public funds of Beijing Olympic Entertainers’ Cheering Party was under inspection conducted by the National Assembly.  The total members of the party was 42 including a leader, Kang Byung-gyu and 21 entertainers.  They were spending US $142,000 which was aided by a government subsidy during the 10 days in China.

The problem was that many times they didn’t even find the tickets to get inside the stadium and they had stayed five star hotel which costs more than US $800 per night.  Mr. Kang explained that the prices in there during the game was outrageous and the celebrities needed a safe place to stay.  He also said that he didn’t know he couldn’t buy the tickets there.

On top of that his reputation rapidly dropped  after he was summoned on suspicion of his illegal gambling by prosecution office  His suspicion was that he had sent US $1.14 million to Internet gambling sites and lost US $285.000.  He strongly denied his charge but partially admitted later.  There seemed to be more celebrities are involved with illegal gambling and people were disappointed to hear that.

6. Korea Television Drama Production Company Association (KTDPCA) decided to ban on casting Park Shin-yang

KTDPCA decided to ban Park Shin-yang indefinitely on Dec. 5th 2008.  He was on Tsun ui junjaeng (The Original) and contracted to be paid US $122,000 per episode.  He sued the production company for not paying him about the half of his contracted guarantee.  KTDPCA could not accept his pay and decided to ban him and the Lee Kim Production from future castings and future production work from broadcasting companies, respectively.

There were big issues based on top stars hiked up fees and it finally exploded with this case.  There were great reductions on commercial volumes on the three major broadcasting companies (SBS, KBS, MBC) due to the recent economic slow down. Yet, top stars’ guarantees were skyrocketed due to the Hallyu boom and there were no ways to make decent films with paying so much money on one or two major celebrities.

According to an internal source from Production Director’s Association, Bae Yong-jun was paid total US $4.28 million to be on the 24 episodes of Taewang Sashinghi, Song Seong-heon  was paid US $50,000 per episode of East of Eden, Kwon Sang-woo and Park Shin-yang was each paid US $35,600 per episode of Motdoen Sarang(Bad Love) and Baram ui Whawon (Wind’s Flower Garden), respectively.

The three major broadcasting company directors discussed about setting a cap of the top guarantee as US $11,000 per episode.  But there are many critics say that the broadcasting companies and production companies are responsible for their hiked up guarantees, and Setting a cap is against of free market logic.  This is a complicated issue and is still in process of setting the rule.

7. Top stars like Kwon Sang-woo and Yu Jae-suk were hurry up to get married

There were extraordinarily so many top stars married on 2008.    The list of names are as follows, Song Il-guk, Kang Su-jeong, Kim Hye-ri, Park Eun-hye, Park Myung-su, Yu Jae-suk, Lee Yoon-suk, Kim Jin-pyo, Oh Ji-hyeon, Jang Hyeok, Kim Shi-duck, Kwon Sang-woo, Sohn Tae-young, Lee Chang-hun, Ji Suk-jin, Lee Byung-jin, etc.

More specifically there were many old aged stars were married in year 2008.  It was not only applied to stars but also the general public in Korea.  The reason was the next year 2009 has number nine which is not good number to have when you do some big or small events in Korea.  That’s why many old aged couples had to marry year 2008 otherwise had to wait until 2010.

Among the stars who got married on 2008, two couples were the most surprise cases.  They are the most popular MC Yu Jae-suk and MBC announcer Na Kyung-eun couple and Kwon Sang-woo and Sohn Tae-young couple.  MC Yu met her through Muhan dojeon (Ultimate Challenge) and got married on July.  His popularity based on quick wits and humble manners was so high that his sudden marriage must hurt many young women’s hearts.

Kwon and Sohn got married on September.  Two big Hallyu stars suddenly announced their marriage on July and it made people surprised.  Some said they had to marry so quickly for her pregnancy.  They kept denying on that suspicion but she already delivered their son on the 6th of Jan. 2009.  It only took 5 months to give a birth to their baby according to their denial.  He could not wait another 5 months.

8. Top musicians, Seo Tae-ji, Rain – Their splendid returns

Their return brought the vitality in the slowed down Korean music industry.  Seo Tae-ji stood up in front of his fans on the 15th of August.  It was 4 years from his 8th album MOAI in 2004.  Media welcomed him and put him on many great special stages.  He also played with Tolga Kashif, the worldly renowned British conductor, made a blockbuster music video, and was on funny commercial.
Bi (Rain)’s Speed Racer premiered in Hollywood and was cast another Hollywood movie, Ninja Assasin, and completed the shooting.  He came back with his 5th album Rainsm.  He took over music and all sorts of variety shows.

Lee Hyo-ri and Dong bang shin gi also came back to sing and idol singers like Big Bang and Wonder Girls got lots of love.  These resulted the boost of the music industry in Korea.  Especially Mirotic, the 4th album of Dong bang shin gi, sold 46o,ooo cds which broke the record of the top sold in year 2004.

9. Song Il-guk was involved in dispute of assaulting a freelance journalist

He was in assaulting dispute.  He didn’t want to have an interview with a female journalist who appeared in front of his house on January.  She suddenly claimed that she was hit by Song the day and got an injury which would take six months to heal completely.

The journalist filed a lawsuit immediately and Song also filed a counteraccusation on libel.  She claimed her teeth were damaged when he beat her face but he said he would’ve apologized even if a gentle push was made on her body.  He didn’t want any compromise and wanted his honor back.

Prosecution raised Song’s hand.  It said there was no distinct evidence that he assaulted her and cleared his suspicion.  She was indicted for a false accusation.  Song made sure that he would make the easy on the case if she apologized but she called a press conference and brought the fabrication of CCTV recording to make herself clear to proceed the dispute.

The court sentenced her one year of imprisonment on her on September.  She appealed and the trial is on the 18th of Feb. 2009.
10. Choi Min-su became a hermit after a dispute of assaulting an old man.

On April Choi Min-su was indicted without detention under suspicion of beating and taking off with the old man on hood.  It was a shocking news to the public but his charge was dropped.  He called a press conference when his charge was dropped and said how sorry he felt.  He apologized lowing his head without any excuses and even went to the hospital where the old man was treated.

He started his hermit life after that incident.  Police reported that his case was too much exaggerated by media and prosecutors dropped his charges.  He shut himself up in Gyeongi province (outskirts of Seoul) and refused to meet anyone.  He was supposed to work in a Hollywood movie but didn’t work out because of this incident.  He was also sentenced to pay back the guarantee US $72,000 he had received from a production company.

On the 14th of February he finally showed up in clean cut in public place with his wife Kang Ju-eun and parents in law after nine months of hiding out

Source: Starnews

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