Jewel craze

It seems that this particular korean drama, Jewel in the Palace have won the acclaim of fans&critics all over the world and fans from Japan, China and the Philippines have worshiped the actors and actresses of this show. The main actress, Lee Young-ae, is extremely popular in Asia. However, after watching the show I couldn't believe that she was already in her 30's! Is this because she has found the spring of everlasting youth or is it true that she has been under the knife like many other Korean stars? Looking past the cast, I really enjoyed the show and think that it is fantastic that they have the historic depiction of Korean costume and I'm very impressed with the cusine.

Actress gains Popularity in Asia

By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter

What do President of China Hu Jintao and Hong Kong movie stars Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau have in common?

They have all admitted in the past year to being fans of the South Korean drama ``Jewel in the Palace,'' which finished its run in China on Oct. 16 as the number one watched show.

Earlier in May it went down in Hong Kong TV history as the most-watched television show, with the last episode recording viewer ratings surpassing the 40 percent mark.

And standing in the middle of the period piece, which tells the story of clever court maid who later becomes the royal physician, and the whole craze that has spread all across Asia, is its heroine Jang-gum played by Lee Young-ae.

The popularity of the drama and the actress had her traveling all over North and Southeast Asia promoting the show. But even before all the excitement surrounding it had seemed to settle down, the 34-year-old actress was ready to excite fans with something entirely new.

In late July Lee made a stunning comeback onto to the silver screen as Kum-ja, a woman thirsty for revenge after serving a sentence for a murder she was falsely accused of committing.

For ``Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’’ she teamed up with ``Old Boy’’ director Park Chan-wook. The piece also happened to be the Cannes Film Festival grand prize winner’s much anticipated third and final installment of his revenge-themed series

The movie took her to Venice this year and although the film didn’t garner any awards in competitive categories, Lee still attracted a lot of attention from critics and the media.

Back home she won the best actress award at the 26^th Blue Dragon Awards, which was held in Seoul last month.

Korean Times 12.21.2005

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200512/kt2005122116360111720.htm

Actress Leaves for China Event

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Actress Lee Young-ae boarded an Asiana Airlines plane that was emblazoned with her image and named after her soap opera “Jewel in the Palace’’ (Taejanggum) as she headed to a winter event in Harbin, China.

Lee, publicity ambassador for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, left Seoul on the plane yesterday to participate in the annual winter festivity.

The 260-seat plane was fully booked, filled by Lee and other dignitaries, including former Prime Minister Lee Soo-sung.

The festival, which runs from today through March 5, commemorates the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China.

Ice sculptures featuring hallyu, or Korean wave, stars will be presented to symbolize the friendship between the two countries.

Asiana has operated the Taejanggum plane since May last year. The plane has traveled to Taiwan, Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries where the television drama featuring traditional Korean cuisine has gained popularity.

Since 2004 the carrier has offered a special Taejanggum in-flight meal comprised of dishes eaten by the royal family during the Choson Kingdom.

Source: The Korea Times 1.4.2007