WOTTONCOOL

About a decade or so ago, say “Korea” and people think of kimchi.

Say the same thing now, and chances are, housewives and schoolgirls will spew a myriad of names of Korean musicians, TV personnalities, movie stars, drama serials, and the like. (This of course, disregarding the disparity of North and South Korea – fans don’t have time for this.)

Korea has set foot in many industries like steel producing, automaking, consumer electronics, shipbuilding, robotics, and needless to say, entertainment.

So it’s interesting to see popular Korean personalities do the same – dabble in a domain other than their own.

I can’t say that I’ve caught the Korean wave myself, but I was, and still am deeply obsessed with one particular drama serial – Princess Hours (Goong).

If you watch it, you’ll be absolutely smitten with Chae Kyeong and Shin. I was.

I recall one episode when there was a scene whereby Shin (played by Joo Ji Hoon) was bathing, and the audience was treated to frames of him half nekkid. (Doesn’t nekkid sound more naked than… naked?) I was having a simultaneous conversation over MSN with my friend who was equally obsessed. And we launched into a fury of wanting to be random toilet objects like the carpet and towel because they got to see Joo Ji Hoon in his full glory.

Ooh. That’s part embarassing and part exciting to tell. I WANT JOO JI HOON!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway. The great part about this is that these actors go into other areas like singing… and modelling. And most of the time they do a pretty good job of it.

Vogue Korea – March 2009

Who knew she could work it like that?

Cosmopolitan Korea – December 2008

I think if you’re an actress in Korea, it’s inevitable that you fall into a big hole along with the other new artistes called “cute trap”. Luckily, this isn’t as irksomely and irritably cute as what you’ll see on TV.

Vogue Korea – December 2007

What I think was her best shoot (and most uncharacteristic of her) to date..

Strange… but it gets more surreal when a celebrity stops becoming a celebrity in a photoshoot.

I have to add that her fans did not appreciate this photoshoot one bit.

“sometimes i just don’t understand haute couture…why (do) they (have to) make her (look) so ugly?”

“Sigh… same here.
And what’s with the tutu anyway???”

And here I am thinking it’s pushing boundaries for her

From qinatthedisco, AF, crunchyroll, k-popped, kimshey