Starring Kim Go-eun, Wi Ha-jun, Nam Ji-hyun and Park Ji Hu, the 12-episodes 'Little Women' tells the story of three sisters who grow up poor and rely on each other to later stand up to the wealthiest and most powerful family in Korea. It is on how the three sisters navigate the meaning of money in their lives, told through a spectacular mise-en-scene. 
Kim Go Eun portrays the eldest sister Oh Injoo, who wants to protect her family with money. She grew up in unforgiving poverty, and was too young when she learned the power of money and how it could protect her family. Her only wish was to live just as anyone else. Her entire life is uprooted when unexpected events unfold before her eyes. On Oh Injoo, Kim Go Eun explains, “she lives her life trying to love others and express her feelings in her own way, and does her best in everything she does. I think that’s what drives her to live and exist.” “Oh Injoo is transparent, like a crystal ball. I thought a lot about how to portray this character, since she’s so complex and has many colors,” Kim Go Eun added, fueling anticipation for the character. 

In anticipation of the upcoming release of the long awaited Korean drama Big Bet (formerly known as King of Savvy), Disney+ Hotstar has unveiled a number of stars who are set to feature in the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar original series. Slated for release later this year, Big Bet tells the unforgettable tale of a man who struggles to become a casino mogul but soon after hits rock bottom due to a chain of unfortunate events. Determined not to let life beat him down yet again, the man risks everything he has, including his own life, to get himself back in the game. Set to mark Choi Min-sik’s first appearance in a drama series in over 26 years, excitement is already bubbling over for Big Bet, following Choi’s remarkable work in Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, New World, and Roaring Currents. Set to include a star-studded cast, Big Bet also features Sohn Seok-gu, a versatile genre-spanning actor who previously starred in My Liberation Notes, Romance Without Love, Be Melodramatic, and D.P., and who also recently made his directorial debut in Unframed; as well as Lee Dong-hwi, who brought his larger-than-life presence to Extreme Job, New Year Blues, Method Acting, and Pegasus Market; and Heo Sung-tae who starred in Beyond Evil and who quickly became a fan favorite last year with his work in Squid Game. At the helm of Big Bet is Kang Yoon-seong, the winner of the Best New Director at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards and the 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards. With The Outlaws, a Korean box-office hit praised for its high-voltage action sequences and tense narrative that garnered over 6.88 million admissions following its 2017 opening, under his belt, Kang’s distinctively powerful and spectacular directorial vision is yet another feature that makes Big Bet worthy of the hype. 

Korean actor Hwang In Youp dropped by Singapore for the first time on 30 July 2022 for his 1st Asia Fan Meeting Tour. Held at Capitol Theatre, the heartthrob enchanted fans with his sweet smile, live singing and generous fan-interactions. 

Prior to the fanmeeting that evening, a fansign was held for VIP ticket holders, treating the fans to exclusive interactions even before the show starts! Before entering the venue, fans could also write questions for Hwang In Youp in the form of post-its, where they will be placed on a board and shown to the actor during the event itself.

At 6PM, the actor kicked off the fanmeeting by performing his solo OST 'Starting Today' from the drama which shot him to fame, 'True Beauty'. 

Introducing himself after the song, Hwang In Youp said it's his first time in Singapore, and feels the country is beautiful. "The fans here are as beautiful as the country," added the actor, leading to an avalanche of cheers from the audience.

Local delicacies are not to be missed out when in a new country! The star mentioned that he has tried chilli crab and asked for other recommendations, to which fans, also endearingly known as HIYLIY, replied with examples like chicken rice and even durian.

In lieu of the country's upcoming National Day, a quiz was prepared for Hwang In Youp to test how much he knows about the sunny island. With assistance from the fans, he managed to get all six questions correct and was treated to a local snack - kaya toast!

"Shiok!" the host taught Hwang In Youp to describe the taste in local language, which means 'enjoyable'.

Here's a gift for the smart actor who got all the 6 quiz questions correct - our local delicacy, kaya toast 🍞

Bonus! Hear him describe the taste with our local langauge too - "shiok" 😆#황인엽 #HwangInYoup #HwangInYoupinSingapore #HIYinSG pic.twitter.com/zS4M9RYo3b

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) July 30, 2022

After savouring the local toast, five lucky fans were picked to receive polaroid photos from the actor onstage. 

Moving on to the Q&A session, Hwang In Youp satisfied fans' curiosity by answering selected questions. One of them requested him to have a staring contest with her and much to fans' envy, he carried out the request with the fan onstage!

It's time for Q&A!

A fan has requested the tall actor to have a staring contest - and he has very bravely accepted the challenge! The lucky fan gets to go onstage for the challenge 👀#황인엽 #HwangInYoup #HwangInYoupinSingapore #HIYinSG pic.twitter.com/8JmufLLoVV

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) July 30, 2022

When another fan asked Hwang In Youp to sing a song for her birthday which was the next day, the very sweet actor requested the audience to sing together, as he feels it'll be more wholesome for the birthday girl.

Before ending off the Q&A, the actor treated fans to five different heart poses.

Returning for the second half of the fanmeeting with a fresh outfit, Hwang In Youp surprised fans by appearing through one of the event doors and walking around the audience! 

The sweet actor initiated to get more upclose with fans, and look what he did! 😍#황인엽 #HwangInYoup #HwangInYoupinSingapore #HIYinSG pic.twitter.com/ft7QyqDBpX

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) July 30, 2022

The atmosphere was then toned down when the actor proceeded to speak about his experiences in his various roles.

"In The Sound of Magic, my character had a habit of scratching. I myself tend to have a habit of clasping my lips when I try to hold my laughter. This was applied to 'Why Her?' too," Hwang In Youp expressed. He even carried out the 'Okey Dokey Youp' challenge, fulfilling his promise towards his fans!

The actor promised the fans to do the famous Okey Dokey Youp challenge, and here he is🕺#황인엽 #HwangInYoup #HwangInYoupinSingapore #HIYinSG pic.twitter.com/PiV003gOS2

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) July 30, 2022

Afterwards, it was time for another interactive segment. Much to eager fans' delight, lucky ones were picked via lucky draw to play games with their favourite celebrity. "Ddakji', a hand balance game and a staring contest were the games played!

When a young fan finished the game with Hwang In Youp, the actor even asked for her parents' permission to hug her, showcasing his gentlemanly qualities. The very fortunate fans were also each given a polaroid. The star then gave away one last gift which was a traditional Korean fan, personalized by none other than himself.

Throughout the fanmeeting, Hwang In Youp displayed many positive traits of himself. One example was using his right hand despite being a left-hander during the 'ddakji' game, even if it means putting himself at a disadvantage.

"Hwang In Youp is always nice and polite to people around him. He actually did a lot of spontaneous things today, like decorating & giving away the traditional fan!" The host was also full of praises for the actor.

The fanmeeting concluded with a short thank you speech from Hwang In Youp, and serenading the fans with 'I Mean It', a soundtrack from his drama 'The Sound of Magic'. 

As much as we don't want to, it's time to say goodbye 😢

Hwang In Youp serenades his fans once again with "I Mean It", an OST from none other than his drama "The Sound of Magic" 🎶🎤#황인엽 #HwangInYoup #HwangInYoupinSingapore #HIYinSG pic.twitter.com/I9VeKin8cK

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) July 30, 2022

We'd like to thank IMC Live Global for inviting us to the show.

Article by: Joreen
Photo Credits: Amanda

Romance drama 'Shooting Stars' is now available on iQiyi - the episodes will be uploaded to iQiyi global site and mobile app concurrently with the show's airtime in South Korea. 

The cast and director and upcoming iQiyi Korean drama Shooting Stars held a press conference in South Korea earlier this week on 20 April to share about the new series that will premiere this Saturday on 23 April. 

Lee Sung Kyung plays Oh Han-Byeol, a PR lead at a management company which manages actor Gong Tae-Sung (played by Kim Young Dae). While he has a wonderful public image, he is actually bad-tempered outside of the public eye, and gets along poorly with Oh.

Speaking about the accuracy of Shooting Stars, which is set in the Korean entertainment industry, female lead Lee Sung Kyung shared that the script was almost 95% accurate in describing the reality of the scene. 

 “I found the script to be really realistic. So much that I was worried that people would start speculating who the show is trying to portray! Fortunately, the scriptwriter has handled this aspect really well.” - Lee Sung Kyung

Through her role as an artiste manager, Lee also found herself getting to know every role within showbiz better, and through her newfound understanding, has grown as a person. 

Adding on, director Lee Soo-Hyun added that scenes like management companies going into conflict with journalists, and managers having to apologise on behalf of their artistes after they get into trouble, are all things that happen in real life. 

This is Kim Young Dae’s first time in a lead role for a television series. The actor admits to feeling the pressure, and humbly added: 

“As I am not an A-list star in real life, I found it difficult initially to portray such a role. As I began looking for inspirations and references, I realised that they were around me all along, such as my seniors Lee Sung Kyung and Yoon Jong-Hoon, who are both in the show. I have gained a lot through learning from them as we film.” - Kim Young Dae

The stars were also asked if it would be possible for an artiste to fall in love with an employee in real life, just like in Shooting Stars. 

Kim Young Dae answered: “Love has no boundaries. I think it’s definitely possible!” 

 Lee Sung Kyung added: “If I really was a PR lead, and had to take care of so many artistes, I don’t think I would even have the time to fall in love! But the two characters in the show knew each other beforehand, so it might actually be possible in this case.” 

Shooting Stars marks the first time Kim Young Dae and Yoon Jong-Hoon are starring in the same show since the popular Penthouse, and they have more scenes together in this new series. Kim shared that the two are good friends outside of the shows. While Lee played his father-in-law previously, he is more like a “big brother” to Kim now. Lee also revealed that the two have visited each other’s homes as friends. 

Girl’s Day star Sojin plays an entertainment journalist in Shooting Stars. She confessed to not knowing much about the work of a journalist in the past, despite being interviewed so much. To prepare for her role, she spent three hours speaking to an entertainment journalist to find out about the realities of the job. Now, she finds herself being able to relate more about the thought process of a journalist while writing an article. 

CN Blue bassist Lee Jung-Shin plays the role of a lawyer who represents the management company in the series. He humorously exclaimed: “Throughout my showbiz career, I have not seen or spoken to a lawyer before. I hope it stays that way! The actors in this show are all very handsome, and it has spurred me to pay more attention to my own looks. I got a cleaner haircut, and have been exercising throughout the filming process to maintain a good figure.” 

He also added that the screenwriter gave him a book written by an entertainment lawyer to learn more about his character. 

Director Lee Soo-Hyun has previously directed other dramas such as The Witch’s Diner, Awaken and Find Me In Your Memory. Besides the main cast of the show, audiences can also look forward to many cameos from the likes of Choi Ji-woo, Park Jeong Min, Song Ji-hyo, Mun Ka-Young, Kim Dong-Wook, Chae Jong-hyeop, Lee Sang Woo and other actors who have previously worked with Lee Soo-Hyun.

Watch 'Shooting Stars' on iq.com. 

Did you enjoy watching Again My Life featuring Lee Joon-gi and Kim Ji-eun on Viu? Ever wanted to experience travelling through time? Keep a lookout for Viu Singapore’s “Time Bolt” activation, which is inspired by time travel, one of the central themes in Again My Life. From April 18 to May 8 (On Thursdays to Sundays), Viu Singapore is bringing Singaporeans an immersive motion visual experience located at Waterway Point, Basement 1 (near Don Don Donki), where people will get to “travel back” in time visually, and “see” their younger selves again, at the click of a button. What if you can experience time travel from your phone and solve a murder case? In line with the time travel and crime themes of the show, Viu Singapore is creating an augmented reality filter contest on Facebook and Instagram showcasing a crime scene from the past. Fastest fingers first – the top three players per week to spot the five pieces of “evidence” around the room in the shortest amount of time will stand a chance to win $100 Shopee voucher each. In addition to the events and activations, Viu Singapore will also be launching a monthlong integrated campaign supported by themed social media postings on Facebook and Instagram, display and social advertisements, influencer engagement, content strategy, and out-of-home single-decker big top bus advertisements to engage with consumers through various touchpoints across different channels.