The website will first feature the highest-rated 2005 drama in Korea, My Lovely Sam-Soon, before airing it on the channel two weeks later. The full series of All About Eve will be available exclusively on the website, September 5.

The online video launch is in conjunction with the channel’s “Asian Wave: Summer of Hallyu” program festival. Hallyu is Korean for the international craze over Korean dramas, which the channel will feature through September.

AZN Television is also planning to further enhance its website to showcase Asian American talent by allowing viewers to upload their own videos for anyone to see.

Source: AsianWeek 28 Jul 06

The shows will appear as part of AZN’s “Asian Wave:  Summer of Hallyu” programming campaign. AZN will premiere the first episode of My Lovely Sam-Soon on its website, www.azntv.com. Two weeks later, the 16-part series will launch on the linear channel. The 20-episode All About Eve will be streamed exclusively on azntv.com. The website will also include never-before-seen interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that explore the Korean programming phenomenon.

My Lovely Sam-Soon was the highest rated drama of 2005 in Korea, with 37.7-percent share. Other dramas included in the “Asian Wave:  Summer of Hallyu” festival include Full House and Winter Sonata from KBS America.

 Source: World Screen 17 Jul 06

In the poll, Hyeon was followed by Kwon Sang-woo, Bae Yong-joon and Lee Byeong-heon, in that order. Other hallyu stars selected included Ryoo Si-won, Song Seung-heon, Kim Rae-won, Park Yong-ha, So Ji-sub and Park Shin-yang.

Hyeon’s ranking in the poll has stunned all people concerned, as South Korean TV dramas he has acted in have never been aired by terrestrial networks in Hong Kong or Japan.

South Korean TV dramas are normally broadcast by cable TV networks in Japan ahead of terrestrial networks. Through KNTV, a fee-based channel in Japan, the drama “Ireland” aired from January through March of last year, and another drama “My Name is Kim Sam-soon” from August through October of last year, winning great popularity there. After those dramas were broadcast, Hyeon has attracted a growing number of Japanese female fans because of his handsome and gentle appearance.

Last year, “My Name is Kim Sam-soon” was sold to Japan at the highest price for a South Korean TV drama. The film “A Millionaire’s First Love”, the first film Hyeon ever acted in, was sold to Japan for 1.5 million dollars, foretelling his rise to the top spot as a hallyu star. The February issue of “South Korean TV Drama Magazine” features a story on “My Name is Kim Sam-soon” in celebration of Hyeon becoming the top hallyu star.

Sachiko Maruyama, the editor of this magazine which became famous for giving the title of “Yonsama” to Bae Yong-joon, said, “It is very exceptional that Hyeon Bin has become the top hallyu star, although he has never appeared as a cover model for our magazine. Hyeon will form a core of hallyu stars alongside Bae Yong-joon and Kwon Sang-woo in the future”.

Hyeon had a busy schedule last month to promote his film “Love Bottle”. He is now taking a rest, while thinking of what film he should act in next.

Source: KBS Global 2 Mar 06

Korea’s no. 1 TV drama for 2005 is now in GMA Network’s most popular primetime fare. It premiered on Feb. 13 and after close to eight weeks, My Name is Kim Sam Soon has won the hearts of female viewers all over the country as it speaks of women empowerment and proves that being plain doesn’t necessarily mean ugly.

Primetime on GMA-7 is capped by back-to-back Koreanovelas, with My Name is Kim Sam Soon airing after Encantadia and followed by the no. 1 Korean drama in 2004, Jewel in the Palace.

My Name is Kim Sam Soon is a charming romantic comedy. The heroine is neither sexy nor sophisticated; she is an old maid in Korean culture. Kim Sam Soon (played by Kim Sun Ah, who purposefully had to gain weight for the role) is actually referred to as the “Bridget Jones” of Korea (with the wild imagination of Ally McBeal).

Kim Sam Soon breaks the stereotype of a romantic hearoine—she is chubby, unglamorous, tactless, vulgar, and can speak her mind. She hates her name and wants to legally change it to Hanna. In spite of all this, her being honest, wonderful, and endearing makes her attractive to Cyrus (Hyun Bin), the guy who owns a French restaurant where Sam Soon works as a pastry chef.

The series spawned the “Sam Soon Syndrome” in Korea where women began to feel more empowered. It served as a reality check. A woman need not be slim and gorgeous to snag the rich, handsome guy next door. In reality, there really are more ordinary-looking women than the romanticized rich and pretty girls.

This unique romantic comedy begins one Christmas Eve when Kim Sam Soon was dumped by her boyfriend. She gets so depressed about it that she absent-mindedly goes into the men’s room. This is where she first encounters the rich and handsome Cyrus.

When Cyrus asks her to pose as his girlfriend. She agrees since she desperately needed the money to change her name. Yet she soon discovers that she can’t help but fall truly in love with him. And just when it seems Cyrus is starting to care about her, Hanna (Jung Ryeo Won) comes back from Los Angeles.

I have been hooked to My Name is Kim Sam Soon since it premiered on GMA-7. While Jewel in the Palace seems like an epic and therefore interesting, what I found charming in Kim Sam Soon is the naturalistic approach to the story. In the original Korean version, Sam Soon narrates her story and how she fell in and out of love with Cyrus.

Sam Milby wants to be complete

It takes a certain kind of celebrity to effectively endorse products or services in mass media. Consider the names of Aga Muhlach, Dolphy, Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos—all are popular and successful to lend some credibility to the goods they push, and translate into increased sales.

Despite the staggering amount of talent fees, advertising agencies of big-budget accounts literally form a beeline to get the nod of such endorsers. One of the most sought-after faces today is Sam Milby, whose entry to showbiz is as sweet and as golden as honey.

In an interview, Sam Milby admitted dreaming in his early teens of making it to the Hollywood. “If you’re in Hollywood, you’re everywhere. It would be very inspiring to know if a Filipino would make it big there, that would give hope,” he said. Despite his fast-climbing career in the local scene, Sam disclosed he still needs to work on his tagalog though. “I’m in this business so I need to learn the language for me to understand everyone and get myself involved in the discussion,” added Sam who did a couple of modeling jobs before he auditioned for ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother which paved the way for his rise to stardom.

To say that Sam is not only one of the freshest face to hit the screen, but one of the most talented celebrities, too, is not an overstatement.

The Centrum commercial features himself—not Sam Milby “the actor/singer,” but Sam Milby “the person.”

“I’m an everything person, I don’t know, I just want everything. I want to have kids, but not now. I want to be a professional motocross racer. I always wanted to go to Europe…” revealed Sam who believes that being complete means enjoying life to the fullest.

While Sam looks forward to reach his various goals, he feels blessed for all the blessings that he enjoys at present. His presence in the industry is well-felt. He has written two songs “Magmahal Muli” and “Falling In Love.” His success has given him a new perspective, a heightened sense of what his career means—not a mere job but a mission.

“I’m doing something that I like. And it’s a dream come true. Being in this business has been my dream,” he reiterated.

What makes Sam Milby tick as an actor-cum-singer? People think that it is his “clean and wholesome image, on and off the screen.” If a celebrity largely influences the public, it’s because that celebrity is a role model.

“I want to be known as someone who makes people happy. Someone who cares, someone who makes a difference,” he added. Sam believes that each he has a role to play, and whatever it is, “you have to do your best.” He envisions helping kids who are hopeless. “I want to do charity work. I really want to get involved to be a good example to the youth.”

Centrum, the multivitamin that’s complete from A to Zinc, has seen Sam’s drive to see the world and sincerity to reach out to others. The brand, through Sam hopes to inspire the youth, and all the dreamers in us, to keep on aiming high and “be complete.”

“I want to last. I wanna be someone that stays. Twenty five years down the road, I just want to get better and better,” concluded Sam.

Source: Manila Standard Today 12 Apr 2006

After breaking up with Hyeon-woo, Sam-soon got even chubbier. She doesn’t have a job. However, she doesn’t have time to sit around and feel bad about the breakup. She has done all kinds of part-time work to make money to study at ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ in France. She has a job interview in a French restaurant, Bon Appetit, and she goes there with the cake she made herself. However, she didn’t expect to see Jin-heon there. To make things even worse, her hair gets stuck in his tie pin. Without hesitating, Jin-heon cuts off Sam-soon’s hair. Furious, Sam-soon throws the cake in his face.

Episode 2
Sam-soon gets a job at Jin-heon’s restaurant and a welcoming party is thrown. Everyone is having fun at the party. Sam-soon approaches Jin-heon dancing. Embarrassed, Jin-heon doesn’t know what to do. Hee-jin is on airplane coming back to Korea. She’s very happy to come back after 3 years. At the airport, she takes out her old cell phone. There is a picture of Hee-jin and Jin-heon. She can’t wait to meet him again.

Sam-soon meets a decent man on an arranged date. She feels that she finally met a man with whom she can seriously consider marriage. On the other side of the coffee shop, Jin-heon is meeting a woman. Since he’s not interested in meeting her, he can’t wait to leave the place. He soon spots Sam-soon and decides to play a joke. He comes over where Sam-soon and her date are sitting and starts acting as if he were Sam-soon’s boyfriend. Sam-soon thinks that Jin-heon has ruined her almost perfect date, so she tells him that she won’t work at his restaurant.

Episode 3
Sam-soon is at a loss when Jin-heon asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his mother Mrs. Na. Sam-soon asks him why he chose her. He says it’s because they will never fall for each other. Sam-soon is surprised to see her sister Yi-young at home. Sam-soon’s mother Bong-sook is shocked to hear that her daughter Yi-young decided to get divorced.

Jang Chae-ri comes to Bon Appetit to make a reservation for her engagement party. Chae-ri doesn’t seem happy to hear that Sam-soon will make her cake. When Chae-ri’s fiancé comes in, Sam-soon can’t believe her eyes. He was her ex-boyfriend Hyeon-woo. She feels awkward about making a cake for her ex-boyfriend’s engagement party. When she comes home, she finds her mother sick in bed. She finds out that they’re about to lose their house because her late father co-signed for his friend. She tries to think of a way to save the house.

Episode 4
During Sam-soon’s break time, a woman comes into the restaurant. Since Sam-soon doesn’t like her name, she wears a name tag that reads “Kim Hee-Jin” at work. Noticing her name tag, the woman tells Sam-soon that her name is Hee-jin as well. Sam-soon hesitates for a second and offers her a cup of coffee. Everyone in the restaurant believes that Jin-heon and Sam-soon are dating. Jin-heon comes with a huge bouquet of flowers and gives it to Sam-soon. He celebrates their 100-day anniversary. Sam-soon is confused about his behavior.

They go out for dinner for the anniversary. There, they run into Chae-ri and Hyeon-woo. One day, a couple comes into the restaurant. It turns out that the man is cheating when his wife comes into the restaurant and catches him red-handed. There’s a big clamor in the restaurant. To change the atmosphere, Sam-soon suggests that Jin-heon play the piano. Left with no other choice, Jin-heon starts playing the piano. Then, Hee-jin enters into the restaurant and Sam-soon realizes that she’s jealous.

Episode 5
Sam-soon takes Jin-heon who is completely drunk to his apartment. Whether he realizes it or not, he doesn’t let Sam-soon leave. Sam-soon spends the night in his apartment. Early in the morning, somebody comes to Jin-heon’s apartment. Sam-soon thinks that his mother came, but she soon finds Hee-jin at the door.

Meanwhile, since Sam-soon didn’t come home the night before, Yi-young goes to the restaurant where she’s working. She sits at the table and orders the food, but she doesn’t even touch the food. The chef-in-charge thinks it strange and comes to Yi-young’s table to check if everything’s okay. Hee-jin and Jin-heon face each other later. Jin-heon asks Hee-jin if she has someone else. He asks her how come he couldn’t find her name at any school even though she told him that she would be a student there. He confronts her and screams at her, which makes Hee-jin very sad.

Episode 6
Hyeon-woo who was Sam-soon’s ex-boyfriend asks her to make a cake for his engagement party. Furious about him, Sam-soon thinks about putting very spicy peppers into the cake, but soon decides not to.

Swallowing her tears, she ends up making a beautiful cake. Jin-heon sees Sam-soon trying to play the piano and decides to teach her how to play. They have a talk over brandy and some cake. Suddenly, they feel awkward about being together. Sam-soon gets up from her seat to go home, but she almost falls because of the brandy she drank. Jin-heon grasps her so she doesn’t fall down. It’s raining outside. They feel much closer to each other. Sam-soon feels that her heart is racing with excitement.

Episode 7
Jin-heon and Sam-soon are at the grand opening party of the hotel that Jin-heon’s family owns on Jeju Island. Hyeon-woo and Chae-ri are there, as well. Jin-heon sees Hyeon-woo talking to Sam-soon and gets furious.

Hyeon-woo gives Sam-soon a gift and tells Jin-heon to leave her alone. They get into a fight and make a huge scene in front of all the guests. With messy hair and bruised lips, Jin-heon takes Sam-soon to the room. He tells Sam-soon to listen to what he says to her in the future. Sam-soon can’t help but smiling at his remark. Jin-heon lays his head on Sam-soon’s stomach rests. He talks about his brother and sister-in-law who were killed in the accident because of his mistake. He bursts into tears. Sam-soon feels terrible for him. She wraps her arms around him and comforts him like a mother to a crying baby. Meanwhile, Hee-jin and Henry arrive at the hotel after hearing that there’s a party. Henry advises Hee-jin to forget Jin-heon who already has another woman. However, Hee-jin just smiles at him. Jin-heon turns around and tries to ignore Hee-jin when he runs into her in the hallway. Hee-jin asks him to listen to what she has to say for a minute. However, Sam-soon holds onto Jin-heon’s hand tightly.

Episode 8
Jin-heon hasn’t heard from Sam-soon since they came back from Jeju Island. She doesn’t come to work, which worries him. Meanwhile, Sam-soon is waiting for a phone call from Jin-heon. Jin-heon lets Hee-jin take a medical test. He receives her medical records from Henry, who is bothering him for some reason. Sam-soon tells Yi-young that she misses Jin-heon. However, Yi-young tries to make Sam-soon give him up by saying that it’s out of the question that they become a couple. Sam-soon gets even more upset at her sister’s remark.

Sam-soon makes porridge early in the morning to take to Jin-heon’s apartment. She even practices what she’s going to say when she faces him. She takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. However, Sam-soon just turns around without telling him what she’s going to say when Hee-jin pops up behind Jin-heon’s back.

Episode 9
Mrs. Na who wants to separate Hee-jin from Jin-heon decides to use Sam-soon. Jin-heon is surprised to see Sam-soon coming to his brother’s memorial service with his mother. Jin-heon claims that he broke up with Sam-soon, but his mother walks away leaving Sam-soon with him. Jin-heon doesn’t know what to do when Sam-soon submits her resignation. Since Sam-soon is a very good patissier, he doesn’t want to let her go. He tries to persuade her to stay, but she doesn’t change her mind. Jin-heon and Hee-jin have a great time together talking about the days they have shared together. At the same time, Sam-soon walks home all alone. She tries to forget Jin-heon, but it’s not easy for her. She feels like crying. Bong-soon sees Sam-soon crying her heart out in her room and wonders what happened to her. Suspicious, she asks Yi-young what happened to Sam-soon.

Episode 10
On her way out from the restaurant, Jin-heon realizes that the bakery seems empty and lifeless without Sam-soon. He smiles as if he’s just thought of a good idea to bring her back. He offers her an incredible raise to change her mind. However, Sam-soon laughs at him and ignores his offer. Finally, Bong-soon lets Sam-soon legally change her name. It seems to Sam-soon that everything else will be all right if only she changes her name as she has always wanted. She goes to the court house to report her changed name. Afterwards, she’s all dressed up and goes on an arranged date. However, the date openly complains about Sam-soon’s age and appearance. Since he isn’t that great either, she makes fun of him right in front of his face. Meanwhile, Hee-jin goes to Mrs. Na and tries to change her mind. Even though Mrs. Na used to care about her very much, she doesn’t want her to be with Jin-heon anymore. Hee-jin smiles when she’s with Henry, but he can feel her sadness behind her smile. Jin-heon hears from Chae-ri that Sam-soon is meeting someone at the hotel coffee shop. After he sees In-hye having a hard time working alone in the restaurant to replace Sam-soon, he goes to the hotel where Sam-soon is meeting another man.

Episode 11
Sam-soon can’t believe Jin-heon and Hyeon-woo exchanging punches while fighting over her. Jin-heon asks Sam-soon not to leave him, but she shakes off his hand. Jin-heon is shocked at the fact that Sam-soon has refused him. Angry at Sam-soon, Jin-heon tries to get rid of the stuffed animal Miss Piggy, but every time something stops him from throwing it away. Sam-soon goes on a diet. She tries to live on various kinds of vegetables, but she realizes that it’s impossible for her. Noticing the bicycle Sam-soon left at his house, Jin-heon calls Sam-soon to take it back. She comes by to pick up her bicycle and Jin-heon ends up giving her a ride home. On the way to her house, Hee-jin calls. When she asks him who is next to him, Jin-heon lies to her and says ‘nobody!’

Episode 12
Jin-heon confesses to Sam-soon that he can’t get her out of his head. He hugs her. Sam-soon bursts into tears with joy. Later, Yi-young asks Jin-heon to stop confusing Sam-soon. When Jin-heon refuses to listen to her, she says that she doesn’t want Sam-soon to get heartbroken over a man anymore. Hee-jin feels nervous about Jin-heon who can’t look at her in the eyes. He seems confused to her. Hee-jin meets Sam-soon and asks her to leave Jin-heon alone. However, Sam-soon tells her that Jin-heon might be the last man coming up in her life. She tells her to leave the choice to Jin-heon. Sam-soon pays back the money she borrowed from Jin-heon and asks him to return the house deed. He returns her the house deed, but tears up the money she’s given him back. Sam-soon is shocked at his behavior. He tells her that he doesn’t mind selling off the restaurant if he has to. He tells her that he loves her very much.

Episode 13
Jin-heon and Sam-soon are on Jeju Island again. He asks her to extend their contract. He suggests pretending to be a couple for the next 100 years. Sam-soon just laughs at him. However, when he prepares birthday soup for her, she’s impressed. He isn’t happy to hear that Sam-soon has changed her name to Kim Hee-jin. He thinks that it’s wrong. Nevertheless, she shows off the written permission of her new name, but he takes it away. Hee-jin is sad when she can’t reach Jin-heon. Henry tires to make her feel better, but it doesn’t work. Meanwhile, Mrs. Na tells Jin-heon not to see Sam-soon anymore. However, Jin-heon refuses. She decides to go to Sam-soon’s house.

Episode 14
Hee-jin tries to keep her cool, but she’s very upset. She starts hitting Jin-heon out of frustration. Jin-heon just lets her hit him. He hugs her tightly and sheds tears. Meanwhile, Mrs. Na finds out that originally Jin-heon paid Sam-soon to pretend to be her girlfriend. Angry at him, she blames him for buying other people with his money. When Sam-soon can’t reach Jin-heon, she rushes into his restaurant. However, she finds out that he didn’t come to work because he’s sick. Worried, she goes to Jin-heon’s place and takes care of him. Jin-heon realizes again how comfortable he feels around Sam-soon. The following day, Jin-heon and Sam-soon do the seven things she has wanted to do with her boyfriend. Jin-heon thinks it’s silly, but he does what she wants him to do. Sam-soon thinks Jin-heon is so sweet and thoughtful. Now, only one thing from her list is left. Without knowing what it is, Jin-heon gets nervous.

Episode 15
Sam-soon is confused when she sees Jin-heon and Hee-jin getting out of the elevator together. Jin-heon asks her not to misunderstand him, but she tells him that she still feels that three people are involved in their relationship. Sam-soon goes to Hee-jin’s house when she hears that Hee-jin is sick. Hee-jin has a hard time understanding Sam-soon who has brought the food to her love rival. Hee-jin asks her to leave her alone, but Sam-soon insists on eating some food. Hee-jin who has been very patient with Sam-soon finally grasps Sam-soon by her hair. Henry walks in the room and is surprised to see the two women fighting. Hee-jin decides to go back to the US where her parents are living. After giving it a lot of thought, she asks Jin-heon to accompany her to the US.

Episode 16 (Final Episode)
Jin-heon leaves for the US saying that he will be back in a week. However, it’s been three months since he left. Sam-soon hasn’t heard from him since then. She can’t understand how Jin-heon can do this to her. She really wanted to make it work out this time without getting heartbroken, but the reality only disappoints her and breaks her heart again. Sam-soon is on her way to meet the man she ran into twice on the blind date. When she’s about to leave the house, she’s shocked to see the person who stops the car she’s in. Jin-heon is standing there and staring at Sam-soon. The first thing he says to her in three months is “Are you two-timing on me?” Sam-soon can’t believe what is happening before her very eyes.