►►10Asia’s Top 10 [most influential] people of 2009

I added “most influential” because it makes more sense and it fits better with the description ^^;

In the entertainment industry, the end of a year is a season about watching and talking about “people”. Many media outlets select their “person of the year” and people flock to year-end awards shows to hear a quote from stars that they do not get to see often. <10Asia> picked our own figures of the year, but there is no red carpet or photo spotlights for the stars to enter upon. Our selection of “persons of 2009” are not top stars who attained the most popularity from the public, but people who changed the landscape of Korea’s entertainment industry and stimulated the public with experiences that we had not had before.

Actress Ko Hyun Joung

“Now is the era of Mi-shil”. Mi-shil’s statement in the first episode of MBC’s “Queen Seon-deok” opened “the era of Ko Hyun-joung” as well. Ko said that she chose the role of Mi-shil because she “wanted to escape the arrows flying at the lead character”, but the powerfully charismatic Mi-shil will be remembered as one of the most memorable characters in the history of Korean traditional dramas. And it was the perfect opportunity for Ko to break out her acting skills that she had kept repressed all these years and with this drama, she proclaimed to the world that she had “really made a comeback” since returning to the industry in 2004. Her film “Actresses”, which opened in December, offers a look into the personal life and inner side of this extraordinary actress, but after everything that she has gone through, Ko proved one thing and one thing only; for an actor, acting is what matters.

Producer Kim C

Kang Ho-dong, the MC and leader of KBS’s variety program “One Night Two Days”, calls him “Sir Kim”. This symbolically shows that producer Kim C holds a unique and unprecedented position in Korean variety shows. He is truly a “one of a kind loner” who cannot be allured into the world of Kang Ho-dong, who is known for leading other members with his charisma. He is so unfazed by set-ups and ratings that people sometimes accuse of him of not trying hard enough, but that is what makes “One Night Two Days” so real and lively and what made the KBS show “Invincible Baseball Team”, where he was recruited as coach, into a baseball variety program. The more he cursed and shouted at the players on the show, the more it helped in making the show real. It is ironic that he became the most essential figure on the two most prominent variety shows of 2009 by breaking free from the conventional rules of television. The current trend in Korean variety shows regards pre-established direction and set-ups as corny, so his seemingly unimpressed expressions and honest dialogue may serve as the best blue chip.

(more…)

December 26, 2009 | Categories: Best Of's, News mixed | Tags: 2ne1, kim yuna, Ko Hyun Jung, lee byung hun, lee min ho, lee seung gi, queen seonduk, teddy | Leave a comment