Boys Over Flowers recently wrapped up it’s final episode and has been a huge success in Korea, ISPLUS recently did an interview with each of the boys of F4.
Lee Min Ho
S: The Baeksang Arts Awards fall (referring to Min-ho tripping on the Red Carpet) was a hot topic.
LMH: Yeah what a silly mistake and I was embarrassed. But my fans did cheer me on and I could see the love of the fans.
IS: What is your motto in life?
LMH: Not to give up on my goals. Victory is not as important as possessing a fighting spirit. My motto is to not give up even if I fail. I think to have that attitude is just beautiful.
IS: What was the biggest crisis in your life to date?
LMH: There was this traffic accident in 2006. I had to stay in the hospital for 6 months. At first I was frustrated and I couldn’t even walk. But I am glad I overcame that.
IS: How do you relieve stress?
LMH: Just sleep. Sleep until the stress disappears. I have slept for 24 hours previously.
IS: What’s your sleeping habit like?
LMH: I grind my teeth and talk in my sleep, which is why my pals don’t want to sleep with me when we travel.
IS: When and where was your first kiss?
LMH: It was when I was a freshman in high school. I kissed my girlfriend, standing right in front of her house.
IS: What do you think most women want as a gift?
LMH: If I had a girlfriend, that would be good. Women want you to be their best friend. That’s the best gift of all.
IS: When was the last time you dated and had a girlfriend?
LMH: When I was 20. I haven’t had a girlfriend since University.
IS: What is your ideal type of woman?
LMH: I think more of her overall style and my feeling toward her than her appearance.
I’m drawn to a woman, although not pretty, that appeals to my feeling strongly.
IS: If you had a lover, which term of endearment would you use to call her?
LMH: It depends on the style of the woman (T/N: literal translation. But i guess he means the term of endearment he will use depends on what kind of woman she is. There is no fixed term for all.)
IS: What if your parents were against your marriage — like in the character Gu Jun-pyo?
LMH: We will run away and elope.
IS: Which actress would you like to work with in future?
LMH: Song Hye-kyo sunbae. She is elegant and classy and has loads of charisma and possesses excellent acting skills. Should I get a chance to work with her, I would be able to learn a lot and no doubt be very nervous.
IS: Person whom you most want to meet?
LMH: I want to meet Hollywood actor Edward Norton. He has a laid back, comfortable charisma that is so impressive. When I meet him, I will ask “Will you teach me how?” But I must brush up on my English first.
IS: Who is your favourite sports star?
LMH: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. It was my dream in elementary school to become a professional soccer player. If I continued to play soccer, I hope to be a player like Cristiano Ronaldo now.
IS: What’s your favourite food and what dish do you cook well?
LMH: I like meat. Recipe? Just roast it. I have a secret roasting process. Beef, pork or chicken, I use the same recipe.
IS: What is your #1 karaoke song? (The song you sing all the time at karaokes)
LMH: Toy’s 내가 잠시 너의 곁에 살았다는 걸
IS: What do you always carry in your bag?
LMH: Cologne. I always like to smell nice.
IS: What is your favourite drink?
LMH: I usually don’t drink alcohol. Three cups of soju is my limit. I like hard liquor.
IS: Do you have a jinx or habit?
LMH: Whenever I’m in a drama or movie, I injure myself. I have to be extra careful.
IS: What three things would you bring to a desert island?
LMH: A bed, lighter and my mobile phone. Having a nice bed to sleep on would be good (yes! i agree with this!!). On a deserted island, your food should be cooked - hence the lighter. I could cook fish. I would be so bored on a deserted island that I would play with all the games I downloaded to my mobile phone.
IS: What do you envy of your F4 members?
LMH: Kim Bum’s small face, Kim Joon’s big eyes, Kim Hyun-joong’s fair complexion. As for the whole package, I am actually the best.
Finally, we’ve reached a much-needed post-BOF period. Both on the actors parts and ours. For one, that’s bye bye to pink squiggly BOF font for everything in the world of advertising!
Now for the news. It’s been widely announced that final filming took place on the night of March 29th, ending a 5-month long filming period. The production team has announced that fans will be “appeased” with their finished product.
The end brings the cast on a whirlwind-gruelling filming schedule from all over Korea to Macau and back to an aquatic centre in Incheon. Everyone in the main cast was involved.
Post-BOF, Lee Minho was first to express his afterthoughts. On location he had been numb to end-of-filming and all that goes with it but upon reaching home it finally struck him that everything Goo Jun Pyo was no more. Met with a heavy heart, he had this to say on his web page on the 30th:
“This is the last time I’m writing as Goo Jun Pyo. Filming ended today and it didn’t hit me that all has ended till I got home.
I don’t know why but there’s this empty feeling and I can’t sleep. From Autumn 2008 to Spring 2009, it’s been neither a long nor short duration… and it’s been a difficult time for everyone. In the time that filming was ongoing, accidents on and off set were especially many therefore when I felt like I was having a particularly hard time I would wish for filming to end quickly. But everytime this happened, I thought of the fans and all the support they’d given me which gave me the strength to spur on to the finish.
I will always remember the love and support everyone has bestowed upon me and this will make a better Lee Minho in the future. I hope you guys will keep anticipating more from me.”
Lee Minho is probably missing this. Don’t be alarmed, it isn’t some spoiler, just a happy photo-taking session among the crew and cast after filming wrapped.
Source : seoulbeats
All eyes are on the model-turned-actor as he takes on a role that's sure to propel him to stardom. At a red carpet for a local awards show, 22-year-old actor Lee Min-ho tripped and almost fell flat on his face.
At a red carpet for a local awards show, 22-year-old actor Lee Min-ho tripped and almost fell flat on his face.
Lee, however, is no falling star. In fact, he is Korea’s biggest name to come out of the entertainment scene this year following his appearance as the male lead in Boys Over Flowers.
The Korean drama is the newest version of the popular Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango to hit the television screens. The drama has helped launch careers of Asian stars, especially those acting the male lead, a role that was previously played by Taiwan’s Jerry Yan (Meteor Garden) and Japan’s Jun Matsumoto (Hana Yori Dango). Yan went on to become one of the first pan-Asian idols while Matsumoto went on to do the movie version, which was a hit across the region.
Lee is a model-turned-actor like Yan and fans of the franchise have even pointed out his physical resemblance to the Taiwanese heartthrob.
This is Lee’s biggest break so far and playing Goo Joon Pyo (Dao Ming Si in the Taiwan version and Domyoji Tsukasa in the Japanese version) has assured him that he won’t be languishing in anonymity for long.
Lee debuted in 2005 in the drama Love Hymn, appearing as a minor character. His first lead role came in 2007 in Mackerel Run, an 8-part high-school drama.
Playing the rich spoiled brat in Boys Over Flowers could be anyone’s trump card, a surefire way to stardom and Lee is sowing the fruits of that now, with many endorsements including Levi’s, LG Telecom, Samsung Anycall, Trugen, Market O, Cadillac CTS, Samsung, Cass beer and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Aside from acting, Lee has also received an offer to do a digital single as part of an advertisement for Cass beer. This more or less resembles the career path that the Taiwanese cast took, leading them to form a boy group named F4 after the same name in the drama.
In a recent interview, Lee displayed a tenacity that he would need once he becomes more famous. “Victory is not as important as possessing a fighting spirit. My motto is to not give up even if I fail. I think to have that attitude is just beautiful.”
Boys Over Flowers heartthrob Lee Min Ho revealed his feelings about the love triangle.
During an interview he explained that "in the drama, there is more of a focus on love than friendship. Love is always first, since Joon Pyo loved and dated her first, he cannot give her up. For me, however, I would choose friendship over love." Currently in the drama, Goo Joon Pyo is battling out with one of his best friends, Yoon Ji Hoo, for Geum Jandi.
He went on to answer the question "Who would you choose between Ha Jae Kyung and Geum Jandi?" and carefully evaded the question by saying "cheating? But both of the ladies have their own charms. Goo Hye Sun and Lee Min Jung both make people feel comfortable. They also make acting enjoyable. It's too hard to pick just one of the them".
Another smart answer, I wonder if he's been learning how to evade dangerous questions from Daesung? But really, its great to see that he treasures friendship so much instead of throwing away friends for something that probably won't last forever.
by javabeans
Lee Min-ho takes on yet another endorsement deal to join the others on his ever-growing list: brand model for cosmetics line Etude House. (He adds this to all the jeans, apparel, food, beverage, and cell phone advertisement deals he’s racked up since the start of Boys Before Flowers a mere two months ago.)
As a brand targeting the youth market, Etude House formerly featured young stars like Jang Geun-seok (Beethoven Virus) and Go Ara (Who Are You); here in these newly shot ads, Lee Min-ho promotes the line alongside 20-year-old actress Park Shin-hye (Radish Kimchee, Goong S) — who, by the way, was a strong contender for the role of Jan-di before it went to eventual pick Gu Hye-sun.
by javabeans
Boys Before Flowers star Lee Min-ho is pairing with well-known songwriter Park Geun-tae to release a digital single. A “famous female rapper” is also reportedly featured on the track.
Guess he’s not about to let his co-star Gu Hye-sun have all the fun packing her resumé with other activities. Not only will a single be sold, an accompanying music video will be shot (it’s still being cast, but the director has been selected).
Although Lee will be singing the track, don’t consider it a foray into a kpop career; it’s more like a fancy CF. This comes as part of an ad campaign for Cass beer, for which Lee is brand model.
As we know, Korea’s got a pretty good track record in the branded entertainment field. The people behind this project express hope of creating another sensation like the uber-popular series of Anymotion/Anyclub cell phone adverts a few years ago that starred Lee Hyori and Eric. Those were more like mini-movies than commercials in scope, and also released digital singles.
Counter to Lee’s arrogant onscreen image from BBF — or even his shy offscreen one — the song is being described as “exuberant club dance music.” The gist of the song lyrics paints Lee as an innocent guy who gets seduced by a woman (they’re currently casting for his female partner). The director, Cha Eun-taek, was also the man behind Hyori’s “Anymotion” and “U Go Girl” videos.
Another day, another endorsement. Goo Jun Pyo would be happy but I think Lee Minho is happier. No mop of curls just to sell a product! And these aren’t beers or biscuits, these are hot wheels. I’m quite thrilled.
So, Cadillac supplier GM Korea announced today at a special induction ceremony that Lee Minho will be taken on as ambassador for one of the biggest names in car history. A representative of the company said that Lee Minho was able to portray a character that fits entirely with their product image, citing especially Goo Jun Pyo’s awareness for the fashionable and his classy demeanour. Basically what he meant was - chaebol. Chaebol, chaebol, chaebol.
GM Korea was probably waiting all along, for an obnoxious chaebol that could actually be well-liked by their target demographic, or all demographics for that matter. I guess Lee Minho passes since he comes off as snotty if he doesn’t smile but I wonder what a loss of the pamma would do really… ?
Taken from seoulbeats
written by: 김은구기자
translated by: dunlop09
Lee Min Ho, who plays Goo Jun Pyo in “Boys Over Flowers”, was very shy about the whole situation with Goo Hye Sun.
Lee Min Ho replied, “As we were moving scenes, I saw that the car Goo Hye Sun was in had gotten into an accident. All I did was stop my car and took anyone that was injured to the hospital.”
At the time, Lee Min Ho had left the first set later than Goo Hye Sun because he had one more scene to shoot. After he saw Goo Hye Sun, he took her to the hospital.
Though he insisted that what he did was not a big deal, he revealed that the accident did not seem minor at all, “The whole front of the car was busted, Goo Hye Sun was in a state of shock and was bleeding a lot because of the tear in her lip area. The two stylists who were in the car with her were crying and also in a state of shock
Talent Lee Min Ho (22) has been surrounded by rumors of various relationships. And now there are rumors about his involvement with current ‘Boys Over Flowers’ co-star Koo Hye Sun.
However on the 6th, a representative of Lee Min Ho denied the rumors stating, “The news reports don’t have any truth to them. Playing their roles, they are seen together while filming many scenes. And this is where the rumors of a relationship stems from.”
Koo Hye Sun’s representative rejected the rumors as well, “They’re close but not dating. The rumors have surfaced because of the drama’s popularity.”
In the meantime, Lee Min Ho playing F4’s leader, Goo Jun Pyo and Koo Hye Sun playing Geum Jan Di are an on screen couple. Lee Min Ho revealed that, “age doesn’t matter but an elegant woman with a fair complexion” is his ideal type of woman.
Goo Hye Sun’s response to the rumors of her dating with Lee Min Ho
Source : Yahoo Korea
Translation by dunlop09 @ soompi.com
On the morning of the 6th, Goo Hye Sun was interviewed over the phone, “I saw the report in the morning. It’s true that we are close, but I’m surprised people thought we were dating. I think they are trying to make sure I never get married (laughs). We’re both optimistic people, so we’re planning on just laughing it off.”
When she first heard the news, rather than being confused, Goo Hye Sun found herself laughing. While starring in “Boys Over Flowers”, she has had more than one false rumors spread about her love life. Though she seemed calm throughout the scandal, she admitted her feelings of regret.
“Lately when I am doing interviews, a lot of people ask me about Min ho. Min Ho told me that when he does interviews, he gets asked about me as well. And in those situations, various topics can come up. I have filming with Min Ho today, and it may get awkward. But we’ve gotten close over the few months we’ve worked together. So I think we can be cool about it, and get past this.”
Lee Min Ho also expressed his disappointment through a representative, “We are close, but I was really caught off guard by the rumors. Just because two people are close, it doesn’t mean they have to go out.”
Lee Minho is not just playing a rich guy on TV these days. He’s becoming one in real life.
Since “Boys Over Flowers” started, Lee Minho has secured major endorsement deals with big name brands such as Levi’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, LG Telecom and with a slew of other products already in the works which includes menswear, cosmetics, beverages and dairy products.
But it wasn’t always like this for Lee Minho. Before the LMH mania started, the actor used to get about 100,000,000 won (64, 168 USD) for his acting and modeling contracts. But now if you want to get the F4 leader to represent your brand you will have to pay him somewhere between 300 million to 500 million won. That’s about 192, 518 – 320, 879 USD for a contract that will only last 6 months!
Industry insiders are estimating that once the series ends, Lee Minho will have earned more than 2.5 billion won in gross sales. That’s roughly 1.6 million USD!
Fellow F4 member Kim Hyunjoong is still leading the money-making pack with an estimated earning of 3 million USD. However, officials are confident that Lee Minho can do so much more. According to them, the entertainment industry has hit the lottery jackpot with Lee Minho. The actor is not just an effective marketing tool. He’s also one of the Best New Actor in the industry as proven by his win at the recently concluded Baeksang Award.
In an interview Goo Hye Sun had at the hospital on the 28th, she revealed,”Thanks to Lee Min Ho I got to get to the hospital quickly to receive treatment.”
“After the accident occurred, a van that looked a lot like Lee Min Ho’s passed by. With my head ringing, I slightly remember thinking, ‘I wish that was Min Ho’s car.’ As the car door opened, it turned out that it was really Min Ho, and he began to run toward us. At that time he looked like the savior of the world. Had I gotten to the hospital any later, my recovery would have been later as well. I was so thankful.”
Goo Hye Sun’s car collided with a dump truck that was driving ahead of them. Lee Min Ho took Goo Hye Sun all the way to the hospital, and then proceeded to go back to filming. He then attended the award ceremony with the rest of his cast. However, Lee Min Ho and his representatives kept the incident(where LMH helped GHS) quiet.
Goo Hye Sun watched the award ceremony on TV. “I was shocked when I saw Lee Min Ho fall on the red carpet. I laughed without even knowing. I thought the stitches in my mouth had come undone(laughs). Lee Min Ho and Kim Hyun Joong came to visit after the ceremony. I was very thankful. It must not have been easy to make time when they had such a busy schedule.”
She expressed her happiness when she saw her two co-stars receiving the awards.
Currently, Goo Hye Sun has 3 stitches inside of her lip. The swelling was bad enough to halt production. Because of this, they will be showing a special instead of episode 17 on the 2nd. Goo Hye Sun hopes to return to filming as early as the 2nd. She is scheduled to go back to the hospital on the 5th to take out the stitches.
Goo Hye Sun’s account of the accident
“It was really fortunate that it was a minor accident. It’s kind of hard to talk(because of the swelling).”
“Right after the collision, I took a bandage that we keep in the car and wrapped it around my lip area after I realized I was bleeding. Thankfully, I became very awake(probably because of the adrenaline), so I was able to react very soon. I got out the the car with my coordinators(she calls them dong sengs). It was amazing how awake I was after the collision, we might as well have taken our back packs with us. They(dong sengs/coordinators that were in the car with her) laugh as they talk about what happened back then. It really is fortunate that it was only a minor accident.”
Translated by: dunlop09
Actor Lee Min Ho and So Nyeo Shi Dae YoonA were awarded the male and female newcomer awards during the 45th Baek Sang Arts Awards ceremony on 27th February at Seoul Olympic Hall.
Lee Min Ho was awarded based on his acting as ‘Goo Joon Pyo‘ in ongoing drama ‘Boys Over Flowers’ while YoonA is awarded based on her performance as ‘Sae Byeok’ in drama ‘You’re my destiny’.
Lee Min Ho, “This is my first time at an awards ceremony and it is so embarrassing that I tripped on the red carpet. I would like to thank all the staff and crew for ‘Boys Over Flowers’. I will work harder in the future.”
YoonA said at the awards, ” I would like to thank all the staff of ‘You’re my destiny’, my beloved dad who always encourages me, my fans, and also So Nyeo Shi Dae girls who must have a lot to say right now. I will continue to work hard, thank you.”
Oh yes, here’s another piece on up and rising Boys Before Flowers star Lee Min-ho.
Over an interview on SBS’ Entertainment Weekly which was aired on 18 Feb, Lee Min-ho talks about the girls he’s dated, his recent rise to stardom and memories at football training camp.
The SBS lady who interviewed Lee asked if he has dated many girls before. Lee said, “Not really, about two only.” He added, “I think I am attracted to people who are the opposite of me. I’m tall and dark and so I adore petite and fair skinned girls. I wouldn’t mind how old she is.”
On a question that if he notices his recent popularity, He said “I just appreciate fans. My parents also enjoyed the popularity at first but now they are getting cautious since a lot of people have started to ask them for favours”.
He also revealed his personal tie with Cha Beom Geun, a former coach of the Korean national football team. “I used to attend his youth football training camp through my primary school days, but I gave up the dream of becoming a football player because I liked hanging out with friends more than playing football. But I think football camp was the best memory from my childhood days and I really want to see him (Cha) again and say hello to him.”
Now that you’ve read the translation, watch the video on YouTube. Lee Min Ho (Go Jun-pyo in Boys Before Flowers) was interviewed when he was filming a CF at Market-O! The interview starts around 3 minutes into the 7 minute video clip.
First we reported on Rain and Pizza Hut. Now fast-rising South Korean actor Lee Min-ho has been roped in by Dunkin’ Donuts for its new flower-shaped doughnut called Flower Tart.
The Flower Tart is apparently a tie-in to the hype surrounding popular KBS drama Boys Over Flowers, which Lee stars in. The 22-year-old was in Apgujeong-dong on Feb 24 for the photoshoot.
The Flower Tart comes in two jam toppings – strawberry and blueberry.
So here’s the question again. Will Lee Min-ho make you change your preference? .
The Malaysia scenario: Dunkin’ Donuts seems to be kow-towing to its competitors such as J.Co Donuts and Big Apple Donuts.
The Lee Min-ho phenomenon continues on. I can’t recall the last time we saw something like it, but since it’s a result of his talent as much as anything else, I don’t begrudge him one bit.
First it was a slew of old pictures, old girlfriends, family anecdotes, etc. Now one of his old projects is drawing particular notice: Secret Campus [비밀의 교정], which he acted in back when he was 19. Because of all the heightened attention being given to Lee’s prior work, EBS, the station that originally aired the 2006 youth drama, has announced that they will be rebroadcasting the series.
Part of the intense curiosity about Lee Min-ho’s background and personal life is because he was so unknown before Boys Before Flowers, even despite several film and drama roles.
Not only is Secret Campus Lee Min-ho’s debut role, it was also the debut for a fellow rising star — who happens to be this year’s It Girl — Park Bo-young. Park (19) has been on the rise with her film and TV work, but really hit it big with one of the biggest movies in recent history, the comedy Speed Scandal (과속 스캔들, aka Scandalmakers) also starring Cha Tae-hyun.
Lee Min-ho and Park Bo-young also worked together in last year’s comedy film Our School E.T., and are still friends.
EBS, which stands for Educational Broadcasting System, is a public station airing mostly documentary or educational programming, as well as “youth dramas” like this one. A rep explained that following the massive successes of both Speed Scandal and Boys Before Flowers, the website for Secret Campus has been attracting many visitors and requests for rebroadcasts.
With these two newly minted stars, EBS is sitting on a goldmine, and it’s not going to waste it, that’s for sure. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if these reruns of a three-year-old drama happen to bring in the station’s highest ratings in a long while, or perhaps ever.
The encore run will be shown on EBS on Saturday evenings beginning February 28, with one episode per week. The drama has 24 episodes in all.
BY DAYSGOBY
Lee Minho, of current “Boys Over Flowers” fame, is to undergo surgery in May after production of the drama wraps up. His surgical procedure is to remove the rod that’s been placed in his right leg as a result of the car accident he was in in 2006. A representative has stated that the rod doesn’t affect his everyday life, but the surgery is something that Lee Minho and his parents have decided to take on.
The decision to have the operation in May has much to do with the “Boys Over Flowers” schedule. The drama is set to finish broadcasting by late March, and in April, the cast is going to promote heavily in Japan, where the drama is set to broadcast next.
In addition, Lee Minho’s representative has said that after undergoing surgery, Lee Minho has tentatively set aside a period to recover. However, this all depends on what he has lined up after “Boys Over Flowers” — if the next project he signs on to partake in is of particular importance, his post-op schedule may have to accommodate that of the project. At the moment, Lee Minho has been given at least 10 offers for roles.
(They should just give the guy a nice, long break, surgery or no surgery. The fact that they’re even thinking about possibly not giving the guy a break post-op is insane.)
