Last Scandal

Director

Lee Tae-gon(이태곤)

Cast

Choi Jin-sil

Jeong Joon-ho

Jeong Woong-in

Byeon Jeong-soo

Kim Byeong-se

Kim Hyeong-ja

Kim Cheong

Eom Soo-jeong

Hwang Jeong-eum

Han Bo-bae

Lee In-seong

Lee Young-ja

Ahn Il-kwon

Lee Sang-hoon

Choi Jin-sil leaves behind tragic legacy

The nation was thrown into shock yesterday at the news of the death of Choi Jin-sil, Korea's iconic actress and the people's sweetheart. Choi, who took her own life at the age of 39, was one of Korea's most loved actresses, having starred in numerous hit TV series and movies. She was praised for her ageless appearance and celebrated acting skills. But her hard-won glitz and fame was also shadowed by scandals, such as an ugly divorce in 2004. Her tragic death came after being involved in a rumor surrounding the death of actor Ahn Jae-hwan, who also committed suicide last month. Raised by a single mother in a down-and-out household, Choi first entered the entertainment business in the late 1980s through her younger brother Choi Jin-young, who was a model at the time. Upon her first role in a periodic MBC TV drama series in 1988, Choi rapidly rose to stardom. One of her biggest hits was a television commercial for Samsung Electronics Co. where she used a catch phrase that said she had her (virtual) husband in the palm of her hands. She went on to star in the movies "My Love, My Bride" (1990) and "Mr. Mama" (1992), as well as TV drama series "Our Paradise" in 1990. Choi's biggest break came in 1992, when she acted as a spunky travel agent in "Jealousy," aired on MBC. The mega-hit series was considered a harbinger of the country's now globally popular dramas. Choi's following roles were also vastly popular including "Wish Upon a Star" (1996), and the movies "How to Top My Wife" (1994) and "The Letter" (1997). She won numerous awards throughout her career, including the breakthrough role awards at Daejong Film Awards, Chunja Film Festival and the Blue Dragon Awards in 1991. In 1995, she won best actress awards at Daejong Film Awards and PaekSang Arts Awards in 1991, 1995 and 1997. She was awarded best MBC award in 1997 and best female talent award by Korea Broadcasting Prizes in 1998. Choi was also well-known among the fans for her rags-to-riches story, which she said enabled her family to stay close. Choi's first run-in with public tragedy was the death of her former manager Bae Byoung-soo in 1994. Bae, who put Choi on the map, was killed by Choi's then-driver. The actress was summoned for a court hearing as a witness. At the height of her career in 2000, Choi married professional baseball player Cho Sung-min, drawing massive media attention. It was called the wedding of the century. The marriage, however, was rocky and they split in 2002. The couple, who had a son and a daughter together, remained separated until August 2004, when Cho was arrested for domestic violence. The two were officially divorced a month later and Cho gave up rights to his children in exchange for being removed from his obligation to pay off debts to Choi and her family. Upon the divorce, Choi was forced to stay out of the limelight. A construction company that hired her as a spokesperson filed for damages worth 3 billion won, citing "damages to the company image for failing to manage her personal life properly." Rising again, Choi returned to the small screen in 2005, taking the role of a divorced woman earning her living despite being diagnosed with cancer in "My Rose Life." She won PaekSang Arts' best actress award for the role that tugged the heartstrings of viewers nationwide. Her recent works included "Bad Woman, Good Woman" in 2007 and "The Last Scandal of My Life" this year. "Scandal" about a middle-aged superstar falling for his first love again was a huge hit, prompting the so-called "jumderella" syndrome, a combination of Cinderella and "ajumma," or a middle-aged Korean woman. Recently, Choi was preparing for the second season of "Scandal." She was also hosting her own talk show for a cable channel. Choi made headlines earlier this year for succeeding in changing the surnames of her two children to her's. Her son is 7 and daughter is 5. She was most recently involved in rumors surrounding the death of Ahn Jae-hwan, who committed suicide last month after allegedly suffering from heavy debt. Ahn was also a husband of Choi's close friend, comedian Jung Sun-hee. Choi was found by her mother early yesterday morning in her home in southern Seoul, an apparent suicide by hanging.

Top Actress Choi Jin-sil Found Dead at Home

Top actress Choi Jin-sil was found dead Thursday morning in her home in what appears to be a suicide. She was found in a shower booth with pressure band wrapped around her neck. Police says that her body was discovered by her family member at 6:15 and police arrived at the scene around 7:30. No suicide note was found. The details and circumstances of her death are still being investigated. Choi has been under enormous pressure lately from rumors implicating her in the suicide death of TV actor Ahn Jae-hwan, husband of Choi’s close friend, comedienne Jung Sun-hee. Internet postings accused Choi of lending about 2 million dollars to Ahn, indirectly driving him to his death. Police arrested a 25-year-old securities firm employee in late September for initiating the false rumor in cyber space. Choi debuted in 1988 on a TV historical drama and since then has played numerous leading roles in both TV and films. She rose to stardom in the romantic TV drama “Jealousy” in 1992, and starred in such hits as “You and Me,” “Bad Woman, Good Woman,” “Rose and Bean Sprouts,” and “My Rosy Life.” Her latest starring role was in “The Last Scandal of My Life” the spring of 2008, which put her back in the limelight as the most bankable middle-aged star. While enjoying professional success, her personal life, on the other hand, has been full of ups and downs. She married then baseball star Cho Sung-min in December 2000, but divorced him five years later. They have two children, whose last name was changed from “Cho” to their maternal sir name “Choi” this year. Well-known for her fierce loyalty and strong friendship with a small group of celebrities, which include comediennes Jung Sun-hee and Lee Young-ja and models Lee So-ra and Hong Jin-kyung among others, she was apparently devastated by the death of Ahn and the ensuing rumors. The general public suspects that the stress from the recent string of events pushed her over the edge and prompted her to take her own life. Her body is currently at rest in Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul.

New drama rides on toy boy plotline

MBC's new weekend drama "Bittersweet Life" will debut tomorrow. Following on the heels of the romantic comedy "The Last Scandal of My Life," this 24-episode miniseries plans to capitalize on a winning plotline: Young man falls for older woman. Actress Oh Yun-soo, who starred in the popular MBC drama "Jumong" (2006), will be playing the older woman. Actor Lee Dong-wook, who won women over in the romantic comedy "The Perfect Couple" (2007) and the hit SBS drama "My Girl" (2005), will be her young lover. In anticipation of the forthcoming drama, one domestic viewer wrote on the drama's official bulletin board, "I am so sad that 'The Last Scandal of My Life' is over. I have not seen the new drama yet, so I cannot say much about it. But I hope that it is not sad like 'Winter Bird.'" Judging from the title and the tagline on the official website, which reads "Love, temptation, desire, mystery," the miniseries promises to follow in the footsteps of the MBC melodrama "Winter Bird" (2007). So, those who are expecting yet another lighthearted comedy are in for a surprise. The drama opens with Lee Dong-wook's character, Lee Joon-soo, plummeting from the 18th floor to his death. Not exactly fodder for a comedy, but a perfect start for a mystery. The series then rewinds six months. Viewers get to tune into a spicy love foursome between Lee Joon-soo, Oh's character Yoon Hye-jin, Hong Da-ae (played by Park Si-yeon) and Ha Dong-won, who is played by veteran actor Jung Bo-seog. Yoon Hye-jin is a housewife trapped in a bad marriage. Her husband, Ha Dong-won, is a wealthy but unfaithful fund manager. And his latest fling is turning into something more. Deeply involved with Lee Joon-soo's sweetheart Hong Da-ae, Ha is so busy that he doesn't notice his wife. Yoon, well aware of her husband's affair, decides to commit suicide. She journeys out to Japan to do the fatal deed, only to fall for a young man - Lee Joon-soo himself. As the menage a quatre get tangled in a deep web of lies and seduction, the situation gets out of hand. But viewers will have to tune in to see who did what to whom. "Bittersweet Life" will air on Saturdays and Sundays on MBC at 9:40 p.m. starting tomorrow.

[TV review]Charming ruins the dreams of de Beauvoir

“I have a dream,” declared one acquaintance at a recent lunch. Expecting to hear something equal to Martin Luther King Jr.’s epoch-making speech, I took time to enjoy her facial expression, which reminded the listeners of the African-American minister. “It is to fax my letter of resignation to work after walking down the aisle with Prince Charming,” she said. Wait. What kind of a dream is that to declare in public? She’s joking, right? But she went on, words that trampled all over anything that Simone de Beauvoir and Gloria Steinem ever wrote or stood for. To be honest, it was even more frustrating because she earns a much better salary than me. I even lost my appetite for dessert and coffee, which rarely happens. She started to complain how her company is taking her for granted, but I ceased listening for the sake of my mental health. Unlike her, I don’t have the money to find a shrink. To calm my mind and body, I decided to think that she is just another outdated Cinderella hopeful. Come to think of it, these kind of modern-day Cinderella wannabes are not an endangered species. On the contrary, they are evolving steadily and have been spotted in the recent TV drama hit, “The Last Scandal of My Life” on MBC-TV. Airing every weekend at 10 p.m., this TV series presents a 39-year-old, divorced Cinderella called Seon-hee played by once-upon-a-time-hot-celebrity, Choi Jin-sil, who is a naïve housewife. Her life is dominated by her incompetent husband who always fools around, her mother-in-law who nags her and her teenage daughter who is infatuated with a movie star. She doesn’t care about herself: She wears her hair in a poodle perm and sports thick glasses. Then, her husband runs off, leaving debt she cannot handle. She gets work as a maid at the home of her childhood friend, Jae-min (Jeong Jun-ho). Jae-min used to have a crush on Seon-hee years ago, but that’s not the case now. He ignores and teases her, but somehow (yes, as the story goes), he develops feelings for her again. Then, (yes, again, as the story goes), he faces a rival in his love — his own brother, who is gentle, rich and kind. So this is a love triangle that warped decades ago. Still, it is a selling strategy, as proven in the relatively high audience ratings. Even I am watching this, if only to criticize. Although I pray that this drama is the last of its kind, I have to face my own secret wish that Seon-hee eventually gets the happy life with any Prince Charming that she thinks befits her. Life is hard and the world is rough out there. Maybe we all need a little comfort, at least at home with our remote controls. Another reason that this drama is popular is the starring actress, Choi, who came back to TV screen after a failed marriage to a baseball player. It has somehow become a trend for actresses like Choi to return to the limelight in shows that depict housewives getting back on their feet after a marriage that hits the rocks. They tend to meet their Prince Charmings, too. Going back to my Cinderella wannabe acquaintance, I send her my best wishes. After all, we all have different dreams. For Martin Luther King Jr., it was justice for African-Americans, and for my acquaintance, comfort. Perhaps she is smarter than me, because Simone de Beauvoir, no matter how often I read her books or how much her work affects me, cannot get me a better salary.

`Last Scandal': A New Drama of Strong Spirited Ajumma

Dramas have always been the center of attention among Koreans with their cheerful characters played by young, hip and stylish celebrities. This year, the fever will go on, but this time it will be led by none other than ``ajumma.'' ``Ajumma'' is a Korean term that refers to middle-aged women who are married and usually represented as strong, fearless and dependable. Two television networks have already aired dramas depicting the lives of these women: MBC's ``A Beauty's Unmatched, Park Jeong -geum,'' and SBS's ``First Wives Club.'' Now, Korean fans will welcome another drama full of romance, humor and humanity, all conjoined into the life of a normal, but courageous ``ajumma.'' Choi Jin-sil and Jeoung Jun-ho, from ``Marrying the Mafia'' (2002), have teamed up with director Lee Tae-gon for the new drama, ``The Last Scandal'' (working title) a Cinderella story of a 39-year-old ``ajumma.'' At the press conference, Korea's famed actress Choi Jin-sil, from ``Rosy Life'' (2005), explained why she chose to portray this particular character. ``As an actress, it may be natural to want a role that is glamorous and pretty, but I'm more comfortable with acting as an ordinary person. Reality is an important factor in dramas, and so I wanted to portray the life of a real person,'' she said. Hong Seon-hee, played by Choi, lived with her husband, 13-year-old daughter and her parents-in-laws. One day, her husband disappears and it is up to Hong to take care of the household. While she struggles to make a living, she meets Song Jae-bin, played by handsome movie star Jeoung. Hong and Song were once high school sweethearts but now lead drastically different lives. Hong is a stubborn ``ajumma,'' while Song has become a popular celebrity. The two coincidently meet, and their feelings for each other start to blossom, as if they were in high school again. Jeong seemed excited about the drama as it is his first television drama appearance in two years. ``I feel awkward because it has been a long time since I starred in a drama, and especially because Song is an arrogant character,'' he said. Lee, the director, defined ``Scandal'' as a ``trendy housewife drama.'' ``The drama is about `ajumma' who feel helpless or even hopeless when it comes to romance. I wanted to portray the romance of people who believe their good days are over,'' Lee said. Distinctive actor Jung Woong-in from the movie ``My Boss, My Hero'' (2002) and model-turned-actress Byeon Jung-su will also perform as prominent characters. Jung will play Jeong's brother and the CEO of his agency, while Byeon will play Jeong's former lover. When asked about what she thought about Korean ``ajumma,'' Choi smiled. `I am an `ajumma' myself. I think Korean `ajumma' are fearless. They are not afraid of anything, and this is what I will be portraying. Although Song goes through emotional downfalls, she doesn't give up. I think it is courage that defines `ajumma','' Choi said. The drama will air for the first time at 9:40 p.m., Saturday, March 8 on MBC.