Korea Observer

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin The stars and crew of the Korean film "No Breathing" will be shooting the last scenes of the movie in Davao, according to an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT). "Yes, we can hold our breaths as the hottest stars in South Korea today are coming to shoot the last 7 days of their film in our region. The producers are vetting final locations for the shoot that will involve 15 actors and a crew four times bigger," posted DOT Regional Director Art Boncato on his Facebook account.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin In 2011, Lester Avan Andrada, a Communication Arts majoring in Theater student at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos (UPLB), became an exchange student at the Far East University (FEU) in Korea. As he was training at FEU-Korea's Theater and Acting Department, he saw an ad for a role in a Korean film posted by a talent agent in March last year. He tried his luck and auditioned the following month.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin The actors, staff and crew of the hit drama "That Winter, The Wind Blows" will be vacationing in Cebu in southern Philippines starting today. The vacation is an incentive for the people who worked on the drama, which rose to the No. 1 spot in the ratings in its time slot. Photo by SBS

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - The movie "Miracle In Cell No. 7," which stars Ryoo Seung-ryong, Park Shin Hye and child actress Gal So-won, sold 12,320,000 tickets to become the third most viewed Korean film of all time. According to the Korean Film Council, "Miracle In Cell No. 7" achieved the feat last March 15 and surpassed the movie "Masquerade," which has 12,319,542 in admissions.

The KBS drama, “School 2013,” received an appreciation plaque from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education for raising awareness on violence in classrooms and exposing the school system’s overemphasis on academic achievements. 

I got this as a gift last Christmas and it's truly wonderful. The K-Drama Calendar depicts photos from your favorite Korean dramas. 

Posters have been unveiled for the new KBS Wednesday-Thursday drama “Jeon Woochi” ahead of its debut on Nov. 21. The two poster designs portray the charming features of the main cast members Cha Tae-hyun, Uee, Lee Hee-joon, Baik Jin-hee, Song Dong-il and Hong Jong-hyeon.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - The hallyu, or Korean wave, that has swept Asia and other regions has helped in changing how Filipino dramas are made and increased the popularity of K-pop in the Philippines. This was according to a paper presented by Prof. Ma. Crisanta Flores of the University of the Philippines Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature. Korean dramas (clockwise from left) "My Name is Kim Sam Soon," "Full House" and "Stairway to Heaven" (Photos courtesy of MBC, KBS and SBS)

Actor Cha Tae-hyun and Uee from the girl group After School have been cast in the new historical drama, Jeon Woochi which is slated to air in November. Cha Tae-hyun and Uee (www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Korean TV station MBC has announced that it will produce a sequel to the hit TV drama "Jewel in the Palace," a decade after the original series aired in 2003 to 2004. "Jewel in the Palace" became a top rating drama in Korea and was exported to many countries including the Philippines.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Filipina actress Maui Taylor's foray into her first Korean film project proved to be a blessing. The movie, "The Taste of Money" (Korean title "Don-eui Mat"), has been officially invited to compete in the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which will be held on May 16 to 27.

SBS' drama "Rooftop Prince" starring JYJ's Yoochun and Han Ji Min has overtaken MBC's "The King 2 Hearts," starring Lee Seung-gi and Ha Ji Won, in the ratings.  The two Korean dramas premiered last March 21 and on the sixth episode, "Rooftop Prince" won the ratings game. 

The popular MBC drama “The Moon Embracing the Sun” ended its run on March 15 with its highest viewer ratings.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines – The 2010 hit series “Secret Garden” was voted as the most favorite Korean drama by international fans, according to a survey.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Film Commission have selected 100 places that are highly popular as movie and drama shooting locations, and published a book titled The Places in Seoul Cinema Fell in Love With. The book singles out and introduces 100 attractions that showcase the many faces of Seoul and presents rich images associated with them from among the numerous sites that feature frequently in Korean movies and dramas. 

By JONATHAN M. HICAP, MANILA BULLETIN MANILA, Philippines – Korean dramas “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” and “The Greatest Love,” which aired in 2010 and 2011 respectively made it as finalists in the mini-series category of the 2012 New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards.

By JONATHAN M. HICAP Manila Bulletin  MANILA, Philippines - The journey of a rock band and a story about a daughter who finds his father will be some of the featured films in the 2011 Korean Film Festival in the Philippines that will run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 2 in SM Cinemas in Manila and Cebu.

By JONATHAN M. HICAP Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - “Full House,” the 2004 hit comedy series shown on Korean TV station KBS that helped boost the popularity of Asian pop star Rain and actress Song Hye Kyo, will have a sequel but with a different cast.

By JONATHAN M. HICAP Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Asian pop star Rain ( 비 aka  정지훈)  will hold a series of concerts in Korea as a gift to his fans before he enters the military in November this year.

By JONATHAN M. HICAP Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Korean stars are threatening to stop appearing in dramas and films due to unpaid talent fees amounting to 2.2 billion won (about P88.78 million) that production companies owe them.