Choi Ji Woo (born June 11, 1975 in Paju, South Korea) is a South Korean actress and model.

Birth name Choi Mi-hyang
Born June 11, 1975 (age 31)
Flag of South Korea Paju, South Korea
Years active 1995 - present
Notable roles Han Jeong-seo/Kim Ji-soo in Stairway to HeavenJung Yu-jin in Winter Sonata
Kim Yeon-soo in Beautiful Days

Choi Ji-Woo was first discovered when she won a talent audition organized by MBC in 1994.

The younger of two children (she has an elder brother) born to Choi Woon-Yong and Yun Gil-Ja, the actress made her debut in the 1995 drama Love and War, changing her given name Choi Mi-hyang to her stage name, Choi Ji- Woo. Choi also appeared in the one of the highest rated dramas in Korean history (65.8% viewership) First Love. That was the first time she was paired with Bae Yong-Jun

The pair later continued their chemistry in 2002 when Choi co-starred with Bae Yong Joon in the popular Korean drama series Winter Sonata produced by KBS and directed by Yoon Seon-Ho. Winter Sonata was the 2nd installment of Yoon's seasonal dramas (preceded by "Autumn Tales" and succeeded by "Summer Scent" and "Spring Waltz").This drama was credited as one of the initiators of the Korean Wave in Japan.

Prior to that in 2001, Choi Ji-Woo gained popularity with her role of an orphaned girl who deals with leukemia in Beautiful Days. He co-stars included Lee Byung-Hun, Ryu Si-Won and Lee Jung-Hun.

She continued her ratings winning streak with another drama in 2003 called Stairway to Heaven with Kwon Sang-woo. The main location of this drama was set in the amusement park, Lotte World.

Choi has gained a wide Japanese following since Winter Sonata. Her Japanese fans sometimes refer to her as "Princess Ji Woo" (ジウ姫).

Cho Ji-Woo graduated from Pusan Sooyoung Elementary, Sooyoung Girl's Jr. High, Dukmoon Girl's High School and majored in aerobics at Pusan Woman's Professional College's Dance Department. In 2001, she enrolled in Hanyang University's Department of Theater/Film Studies. She completed her first year but had to withdraw from college studies subsequently due to her hectic work commitments.

Currently, Choi Ji-Woo is filming the MBC weekend drama "Air City", her comeback drama in more than 3 years. In the series, Choi plays Han Do-Kyung, Chief Operating Officer of an airline company. The role requires her to be multi-lingual. The main location of this drama takes place at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Her co-stars include Lee Jung-Jae and Lee Jin-Wook. The trio have just completed their photo shoot for the poster in February. The 20-episode drama will debut on MBC on May 12 and conclude on July 15.

Television

* 2007: Air City (MBC)
* 2006: RONDO (TBS)
* 2003: Stairway to Heaven (SBS)
* 2003: 101 Proposal
* 2002: Winter Sonata (KBS)
* 2001: Beautiful Days (SBS)
* 2000: Mr Duke (MBC)
* 2000: Truth/Jin Shil (MBC)
* 1999: Message-Love Stories 2000 (SBS)
* 1999: Love In Three Colors/Heart/Humaneness/In Search of Love
* 1998: Love/Sarang (MBC)
* 1997: Happiness is in our heart (SBS)
* 1996: First Love (KBS)
* 1995: War and Love

Film

* 2006: Now and Forever
* 2005: Shadowless Sword (cameo role)
* 2004: Everybody Has Secrets
* 2002: The Romantic President
* 1999: Nowhere to Hide
* 1998: First Kiss/Shall We Kiss
* 1997: Olgami/The Hole/Trap (Olgami at the Internet Movie Database)
* 1996: The Adventures of Mrs Park

Awards

* 2006: Timeless Beauty Acting Award (Seoul)
* 2005: Korean Movies Association - Special Award
* 2005: 41st BaekSang Arts Awards - Special Award (cont. to Hallyu wave)
* 2004: 40th BaekSang Arts Awards - Most Popular Actress in TV Part
* 2003: Golden Film Awards - Most Popular Actress Award
* 2003: SBS Acting Award - Best Actress Award for Special Production Drama Stairway to Heaven
* 2003: SBS Acting Awards - Top 10 Popularity Award
* 2002: KBS Acting Awards- Popularity Award
* 2002: KBS Acting Awards- Best Actress Award - Winter Sonata
* 2002: Best Dresser Awards- TV Talent Category
* 2002: 38th BaekSang Arts Awards- Popularity Award
* 2001: SBS Acting Awards- Best Actress Award for Special Production Drama Beautiful Days
* 2001: SBS Acting Awards- Top 10 Popularity Award
* 2000: MBC Acting Awards- Great Female Performer Award Mr Duke
* 1999: Video Music Awards- Golden Video Actress Award For Your Soul
* 1998: 34th BaekSang Arts Awards- Newcomer Actress Award The Hole
* 1998: 21st Grand Bell Film Awards- Newcomer Actress Award The Hole
* 1995: Korean Isabelle Ajani Award
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

'Korean wave' breaks as film exports slump

Written by Darcy Paquet
Story Categories: box office, CJ Entertainment, Film, Finance, Japan, Korea,

Korean films suffered a 68% drop in international sales in
2006, according to a report released on Thursday by the
Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

Worldwide exports amounted to $24.5 million in 2006, down
from $76 million the previous year. A cooling of interest
towards Korean pics in Japan was the biggest culprit, with
buyers taking only $10.4 million worth of product compared
to a bumper $60.3 million in 2005.

Most other Asian countries also saw a drop in sales, with
the notable exception of Thailand which rose 119% to $3.3
million. Thailand now ranks as the second largest overseas
market for Korean films. North American and European
territories remained more constant, with the U.S. dropping
2.7% to $2 million, and Germany and France taking $1.3
million each.

Meanwhile at home, KOFIC estimates that 163.4 million
tickets were sold in 2006, up 12.6% from the previous year
and amounting to box office revenues of $1.08 billion (1.01
trillion won). These figures come in a shade lower than
those cited in a report by leading exhibitor CGV on January 9.

The average viewer saw 3.4 films in 2006, up from 3.0 the
previous year, and local cinema took a record 64.2% market
share.

KOFIC also estimated a total of 1,847 screens for the
country as a whole, making for some of the highest average
revenues per screen in the world.

Distributor rankings were given for Seoul only, with CJ
Entertainment (23.3%) and Showbox (20.1%) leading the way,
followed by Cinema Service (11.0%), SPRI (10.1%), UIP
(7.6%), Fox (5.9%), Warners (5.8%), Lotte Entertainment
(5.6%), Prime Entertainment (2.8%), and MK Pictures (2.4%).
Last Updated ( Friday, 19 January 2007 )

The Korean Wave Popularity In Game

In Game & Mobile
The World’s Best IT Infrastructure for Gaming
With the world’s best IT infrastructure, Korea is a hotbed for video/computer game sales and development. Gaming is such a cultural phenomenon in Korea that the best players have a status matching that of rock stars. Korea is host to the World Cyber Games, considered to be the Olympic Games of video gaming, and for 2 consecutive years has won the championship.

On-line Gaming: An Exploding Pop Culture Phenomenon
Korea’s online game industry is recognized as the most innovative and successful in the world. The industry’s annual growth rate is expected to remain over 20%. Korea MMORPG’s have set the standards for creative gaming and profitable business models which are being studied and emulated by gaming companies around the world. Gravity Interactive ‘Ragnarok’ game boasts a worldwide aggregate subscriber-base of over 28-million, with worldwide concurrent users of 760,000. NCSoft’s ‘Lineage’ boasts over 3 million subscribers in Korea alone, paying a monthly free of 20$. Currently in China there are 65 million subscribers for ‘Legend of Mir,’ and another 10 million for ‘Fortress 2 Blue,’

Korean Mobile Content Goes Global
Korea’s mobile game content is recognized by wireless and portal companies worldwide for its high quality. In the domestic mobile sector, wireless gaming is growing at an annual rate of 258% with a base of 32 million mobile terminals and color-screen phones, Korean mobile content is now sold to major mobile terminal manufacturers and wireless companies in China, Israel, Japan and The U.S.

Korean in Music

The Korean Wave is The Sound of Music

Dynamic and unique, Korean pop music is sweeping through markets across Southeast Asia. Artist such as Clan, Rain, HOT, NRG, Kangta, and Baby Vox are at the top of Chinese pop Music charts while BOA’s grand entrance into the Japanese market was a huge success

The domestic market for online and mobile music is supported by Korea’s Advanced IT technology which has allowed new business models, such as streaming music’s to flourish and reach profitability in record time

A New Era in Musical Theatre & Performance

On Broadway the original Korean stage show, “The Last Enpress”, was praised as “the Korean Evita”. The shoe “NANT”, which launched a new era of percussion-based performance, continuing the legacy of Korean musicals by acquiring its own performing arts groups, such as Dokebi Storm and Kim Duk-Soo Korean Folk Instrumental Music Squad are entertaining the eyes and ears of the world through a modern interpretation of Kukak—traditional music drawn form Korea’s 5000 years of history and transformed into distinctive contemporary rhythms and melodies

The Korean In Television.

The Korean Wave In Television.
Korean Soap Opera Grabs 3 Million Viewers in Hong Kong
‘Dae Jang-geum’ – “Jewel in the Palace”or”Jewel”- in The Korean/Chinese title for a South Korean costume-drama series that portrays the life story of the only female physician ever to assist a Korean emperor.
The shoe drew a record-breaking 3 million viewers—nearly half of Hong Kong’s official population of 6.7 million –for its final episode on TVB Jade. Children ran around dressed in Korean costumes and travel agencies launched ‘Dae Jang-geum Tours’ which offered tours of the shooting locations throughout South Korea.

Korean Soaps Win Love From China
When Hunan Satellite TV broadcast ‘Jewel in The Palace’ in 31 cities across China, 163 million viewers tuned in it watch the series. Top Chinese broadcaster CCTV aired ‘Be Strong, Gum-Soon’ and Hubei TV presented ‘Damo’. The soaring popularity of Korean dramas in China is underscored by the fact that 80% of some TV stations’ revenue were derived from Korean dramas. DVD sales of the series jumped enormously after Hunan Satellite TV aired the last episode of ‘Jewel in the Palace’

Chinese radio and TV-specials, such as ‘Night if Jewel in the Palace’, spotlight the ‘Jewel in the Palace’ series. The show’s theme song was translated info Mandarin and preformed by the most popular
Chinese singers. Finally, stage plays and an animation series based on the drama are soon to be released.

Popularity of Korean Soap Operas Drives
Boom in Tourism and Related Services

The popularity of Korean dramas has created a regional boom in ‘Han Ryu’-related tourism products and services. 500,000 tourists visited Korea for special sightseeing tours of studio sets and locations where the dramas were shot. Tourism generated revenues of over 300 billion won. Licenses have been sold for about 1,300 ‘Jewel in the Palace’-related consumer products and merchandise.
Over 20 different drama series are now distributed in Japan, Chinese speaking territories, and throughout Southeast Asia and spreading as far as the Middle East and Africa.

Korean Soap Opera Fever In Japan and a Thailand

‘Winter Sonata; has conquered Japan—especially among married women in their 40’s and 50’s. The drama’s soundtrack sold 1.2 million copies and the revenue from DVD and print publishing sales passes 200 billion won The lead actor, Youg – Joon Bae earned the nickname of ‘Yon Sa Ma’ of Emperor Yon and the lead actress Ji-Woo Choi earned the name of ‘Ji Woo Hi Mae’ of Princess Hi Woo. Another Korean soap star, Won bin, in highly revered in Thailand where his series, ‘ Autumn in My Heart’,has become a nationwide hit. With his flourishing celebrity in Thailand, there is huge demand in the country for Won Bin’s other films, such as ‘Tae Guk Fi’ (2004) and ‘Gun & Talk’(2001)

by Kocca.or.kr

The Korean Wave Popularity of South Korean Popular culture

ENTERTAINING MORE THAN HALF OF THE WORLD The Korean wave refers to the popularity of South Korean popular culture in other countries and is otherwise known as "Hallyu", from the Korean pronunciation. The term was coined in China in 2001 by Beijing journalists startled by the growing popularity of South Koreans and South Korean goods in China. The Korean wave began with the export of Korean TV dramas such as Jewel in the Palace and Winter Sonata across East and Southeast Asia; the growing success of Korean drama was shortly matched in the fields of movies and popular music. The phenomenon does not extend to North Korean shows or movies, which do not currently enjoy the same popularity.

Korean Entertainment Phenomenon Captures Worldwide Attention

You’ve heard about it…you’ve read about – and if you’ve traveled practically anywhere in Asia, you’ve seen it for yourself. The media has dubbed it

THE KOREN WAVE – and a wave is it…a wave of exciting entertainment…a wave of stars that are making heart swoon everywhere…a wave of enticing stories that are captivating imaginations of audiences far outside the borders of it’s country of origin

Let’s take a look at a real phenomenon in entertainment…the KOREAN WAVER!

Korean Wave in Film
The Korean domestic film industry has been a driving force behind the Wave…Two recent releases – ‘Silmido’ and ‘Tae Guk Gi’ – recorded well over 11 Million domestic viewers in 2004, ranking them among the most successful films in South Korean movie history. Korean films such as ‘Old Boy’, ’Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring’ have received international accolades for their outstanding film craft and creative story telling, In2004,a total of 194 Korean films were exported ti 62 countries worldwide, grossing over US$6000-million in revenue.

The result – The Korean film industry is attracting an ever-increasing amount of international investment.
The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF),based in the historic port city of Pusan, is the largest annual film festival in Asia and has been dubbed the “Cannes if Asia”.
In 2005, the festival celebrated its 10^th

Anniversary, showcasing 307 movies from 7. countries with 192,000 movie-goers from around the world in attendance. On the first day of on-line ticket sales, 20 films sold-out in a matter of hours.

The festival’s Pusan Promotion Plan(PPP) has emerged as the leading facilitator for joint Asian movie productions, mediating some 80 joint movie projects between producers from Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and the U.S.

An increasing number of Korean Films and directors are gaining popularity worldwide and sweeping awards from film festivals around the world.

Here is a partial list:
Park Chan-wook 2004 Cannes film Festival, Grand Prix to ‘Old Boy’ 2005 Venice International Film Festival Cine Of The Future,Young Lion Award, Best Innovated Film Award to ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’.

Ryoo Seung-wan:
2005 New York Asia Film Festival, Audience Award to ‘Crying Fist’ 2005 Cannes Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize to ‘Crying Fist’.

Kim Ki-duk:
2004 ‘Vladivostok International Film Festival, Grand Prix for Best Feature to ‘Spring Summer Fall Winter…and Spring’ 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, Silver Bear of Best Director to ‘Samaria’ 2004 Venice International Film Festival, Silver

by Kocca.or.kr