Seems all the Hallyu stars are going solo. Idk if that's good or bad

Btw, that picture you chose of CJW is just fantastic! she just gleams of star-power... so pretty

^Yeah... when you look at her, she has that star aura flowing out of her ^^"

I hope she is successful and appears in more dramas ^_____^

It's sad when star's that use to make alot of dramas hit that point when you dont see them often TT__________TT

(^_^) Like yeah, Javabeans, watching too many drama lately?? **LOL**
I think it is a little peculiar that she is setting up her own company now instead of organizing everything first and then putting them together, but who knows...

OH, ps. I totally love the little qurkieness in all of your writing, very funny...
Love, Peace & Chocolates ***Humm chocolates Ahhhh**drool**

well it's by time she set out on her own. But i dunno if now is the best time to do that.. hmmm

Wow. That picture. What a diva!

i just gotta say
dang she looks gorgeous

"Seems all the Hallyu stars are going solo. Idk if that’s good or bad"

Presumably, they do this to get a better cut and originate projects catered to them. However, Choi Ji Woo already earns A-list income and she regularly turns down work. It's understandable that perhaps Olive 9's infrastructure isn't ideal to market Ji Woo as a proper brand for Japan and Taiwan. Also, various actors have had contentious relationships over Olive 9's control of their creative choices.

Having said that, I don't think it's good. First, generally, the agency knows more than the star how to market them. Second, it creates an extremely uneven relationship between the stars and PDs, staffs and other actors. After all, you can't complain to the agency about the star's unprofessionalism if the agency is essentially the star. Third, dude the economy's gone to hell; this is not the right time for entrepreneurship. You have to look at Rain's career direction since going independent and wonder if he's getting the best advice.

Bae Yong Joon and Byung Hung are exceptions to the rule. Besides being a great Philosopher King, Teh Yonsama is the real life chaebol genius/okasan pimp/minor diety. He was already well off from investments prior to Winter Sonata), and leveraged his WS to become the Sean Combs/Billy Mays of Hallyu. I don't know how he sells out panchiko machines and shampoo products, but by God I want one, I want them all!! Moreover, considering Lee Ji Ah, Park Yeh Jin, and So Ji Sup's recent run, BOF has done great for his clients. His agency would have been in an ideal position to market The Ji Woo-Hime Brand.

"Yonsama’s BOF reps Choi Kang-hee and So Ji-sub, although the latter is ending his contract in April."

YES! FINALLY!!

Olive 9 had received an ongoing concern opinion from the Auditor, implying that they won't be able to survive in short-term. I read that although Olive 9 had an initial public offering recenlty, the cash received is barely sufficient to cover for its deficits and have remaining to be used for working capital. It may be the right move for Choi Ji Woo to leave Olive 9 now than later. CJW is an A-list star and reached a point in her career where her main objective is to do movies/dramas that she enjoys. Being a freelancer will provide her with flexibility and inner contentment. Right now is a good time to set up a company if you have funds to do it. Hiring staff, leasing an office space,etc, all these start-up costs are less in this economic slowdown, allowing her to be ready once the business starts to pick up. She has been in the business long enough to know the ins and outs of the industry and I am sure she has plenty of accountants, lawyers, and other advisors to assist her. It's time that she branches out from just being merely an actor. You go girl Ms. CEO.

I highly doubt that CJW will want to join Yonsama's BOF agency for many personal reasons.

Among the agencies that the Hallyu stars put up,
BYJ's agency i think has the most number of famous stars.
The company has Choi Kang Hee, Park Ye Jin, Lee Ji Ah,
Lee Na Young (who just signed up again for another contract) ,
Lee Bo Young (newest member) , So Ji Sub, Park Yi Bin (newest member),
Lee Sena and few more. I read too that their actors are so indemand with cfs.

There's a rumor that SSH and SJS will put up their own agency.
Like CJW their also jumping ship to be independent.
I hope that they are making the right decision with
the financial crisis going on. They need to have good people
backing them up and good planning.

That IS a great picture of her. Sometimes, I think she looks too plastic and odd, but she is all glamorous and beautiful in this photo.

@Belleza: When you say it that way, I look at it from a new perspective and so I don't think it will be all that bad for CJW ^^
She also seems someone who is smart.... ^^"

I agree that at times she can look "plastic", but at the same time she still has that Korea/Asian look... (you know when some go for plastic, and end up with these European body parts @____@ and look Asian but not yet... Asia?)

"There’s a rumor that SSH and SJS will put up their own agency."

Aka "The House of Lee Yeon Hee" :D

I'd love to see Brat Pack-style projects from his crew, say Song Seung Heon, So Ji Sup, and Kwon Sang Woo in The 3 Musketeers in the Chosun Era. Or a Ocean's 11 style project with SSH playing Ocean. But I think that time has past.

"Yonsama’s BOF reps Choi Kang-hee and So Ji-sub, although the latter is ending his contract in April.”
YES! FINALLY!!"

I seriously wonder what advice So Ji Sup got from BOF with staying on with the Cain and Abel project. They've otherwise done a great job setting up his comeback, but the C&A delays were just a ball+chain for his comeback.

@Biscuit,

"When you say it that way, I look at it from a new perspective and so I don’t think it will be all that bad for CJW ^^
She also seems someone who is smart…."

I think the key problem with Choi Ji Woo's career is that she can't really continue playing Cinderella and glamorous characters. Some actors (especially the Hallyu stars) get typecast, but she seems somewhat reticent of actually stepping outside her image. A weekend drama is really the logical step for her, but I don't think she wants to do that. She can continue doing melodramas and Cinderella stories, but it won't be really for the domestic market (and Star's Lover was more or less gift wrapped for Japan.) She could do another Taiwanese or Japanese drama, but to really succeed in either, you gotta do what Chae Rim and Jang Nara did, and really get into the industry.

Having said all that, I did like Air City . . .

*crickets*

I'd do anything for My Man. I'd even like Air City. :D

I heard a story about how the media first discovered Choi Ji Woo and Lee Jin Wook romantic relationship. The media was tipped off . Apparently, Son Ye Jin thought that she was the one being followed by the paparazzi because she lives close to Choi Ji Woo and called the police. Maybe Javabeans can write a column on this article? it's from the Sportsseoul.

sorry if this is a double posting. posted the first time then the Internet connection died on me.

"The timing seems ill-planned — she knew her contract was ending, and only now starts setting up an office? I smell fishiness… or maybe I’ve seen too many dramas. This one seems right out of her latest, A Star’s Lover."

Haha...I totally agree with the last line. It is like as if she learned a lesson from her drama to go independent! Is there a Tae Seok in the O9 as well? :P

I think she is setting up the company to think about retirement. It is after all, something to fall back on after retirement. I mean, she will retire one day, no?

Timing wise, even the economy is crap now, entertainment/media business will never go down that much. People still want news and entertainment. It's like food and water.

But I think she set up after she end her contract so that she won't be labeled as "betraying" O9. Maybe she wanted to take her time...rest...

Recently Choi Ji Woo opened a jewelry shop. Is it a franchise sort of agreement to merchandize the 2 brand names? The 1st day income was 10,000,000 Won. On that day the conversion value on total in US$ was 6500++. The Stylus and Golden Dew products do not come cheap in price tags. If a person has bought items and spent around 200 to 500 US$ it means that only 20 to 30 customers have supported to buy. The crowd just came to hang around and didn't buy anything.
Choi Jo Woo is going solo. What happened to her collaboration with her spare tyre Shin Hyun Jun?
The Ji Woo- Hime( Hymen) brands will not be not accepted under Bae Yong Joon's merchandise anymore after the paparazzi broke out the news that she nabbed the baby boy recently.
But she will soon dump that fellow and the spare tyre is always ready to replace in her series of escaped 'oppas'.

@Blizzard, the amount was made within 2 hours, not the whole day.

"I think the key problem with Choi Ji Woo’s career is that she can’t really continue playing Cinderella and glamorous characters."

So true. She's been playing the same role since forever. Time to accept something different, she should challenge herself and try to risk in choosing roles.

Btw, what happened to Olive9? Are they having financial difficulties?

Re-posting here from Soompi

I think CJW is just being too nice or naive to lower her regular fees by 30%. If Olive 9 is really genuine and did cherish CJW as a "goose/swan" that lays golden eggs, it should re-engineer its business model and get CJW better CF and projects and more aggressive in its marketing/external relations, rather than taking away the feathers of the "swan/goose". It is a rather stupid business strategy to short change its anchor.

CJW should never agreed to Olive 9 requests. Once CJW did that, am sure Olive 9 has used it as a bargaining chip with other actors/actresses. In other words, she helps pushing down the industry price structure and attracting unneccesary discontent from her peers. What CJW should do is to distinguish herself from the industry i.e. set herself using a strict monpoly price structure and stick to that principle. I believe CJW can be a monopoly because of her stardom and her fan-based and she should stick to her market price!! This is especially critical when she has plan to stand on her own feet!!

In respect of Stylus jewelry sales, it is more of a one off event. So, sustainability is questionable? Whether CJW is an astute investor/business woman is yet to be proven.

Am not too optimistic of seeing CJW starting her own company as well as embarking into jeweries/shoes business at the same time, especially at current market conditions. CEO is only a mere title and may appear glory to some. In essence, it comes with great responsibility and risks associated with that title. It may be better off for her to focus to become a professional star at an international level (buying good advise from personal coaches who coach Hollywood stars) and cultivate her acting skills at this juncture of her career.

Despite not too optimistic, I stick to my modus operandi i.e. No venture, no gain. Nevertheless, I am so happy that she has stop her national service, and start looking after he own self interest!!

Yes, go for it CJW!! All the best and good luck!!

"Timing wise, even the economy is crap now, entertainment/media business will never go down that much. People still want news and entertainment. It’s like food and" - chajjye

~~~~~~~~~~

i do not agree with you. most industries across the globe got hit badly by financial tsuname, no exception for the K-showbiz.

artistes are forced to cut down their fees or not getting paid etc etc.

just look at the boxoffice sales !

i think all her projects after winter sonata, have not done well in terms of viewrates and quality.

#20. Check Soompi under Star's Lover. I have posted some information about Olive 9 there.

Olive 9 has gone listing on KOSDAQ recently, despite weak financial fundamentals. It is so strange that Korean Stock Exchange has allowed such company to be listed, unless of course it is not truly independent from the influence of the "big brother".

If ever there was a star that was big enough to be her own company, this is the one. Choi Ji Woo is the "Babe Ruth" of Korean Drama. If she builds it...they will come.

#17
"Recently Choi Ji Woo opened a jewelry shop. Is it a franchise sort of agreement to merchandize the 2 brand names? The 1st day income was 10,000,000 Won. On that day the conversion value on total in US$ was 6500++. The Stylus and Golden Dew products do not come cheap in price tags. If a person has bought items and spent around 200 to 500 US$ it means that only 20 to 30 customers have supported to buy. The crowd just came to hang around and didn’t buy anything."

The sales value of items sold was 10M Won within hours not a DAY worth of income. It would have been a lot more than $10M for the day's sales.

Don't forget that CJW has the highest earnings among all other Korean actresses. It's time for her to venture out on a different businesses and if anyone has the financial ability to do that, it has to be CJW.

I heard that Olive9 is going bankrupt or something??

"Timing wise, even the economy is crap now, entertainment/media business will never go down that much. People still want news and entertainment. It’s like food and water."

Both the movie and TV businesses has struggled a lot the past 2 years. Stars have offered to take less money (and the ban on Park Shin Yang are stations fighting back against inexhorbitant fees), but the long term effect is that superstar driven shows will become extremely high risk. If anything, the theme of 2008 was how so many star-driven shows (esp. Hallyu-driven shows) underperformed domestically. Shows like Iris and BBF were green lit before the collapse; I don't know whether they would now. I don't think the real effect of the economy will show until the 2nd half of this season. Given BBF's success, we could start seeing a big run of teen-driven shows, which are much cheaper to produce. If that clicks (i.e. the Meteor Garden effect on Taiwanese TV industry) , then idol drama will take over, and like Taiwan and Japan, a lot of the leads will be 17-21 singer/actors. Or we could see K-drama really transitioning to a genre-driven model, which would feed into Choi Wan Kyu's venture at becoming the Stephen J. Channel/Jerry Bruckheimer TV ((ie. Korean CSI, Law and Order, etc.) Or we could see K-drama completely collapse and have live shadowpuppets on TV.

"It’s time for her to venture out on a different businesses and if anyone has the financial ability to do that, it has to be CJW."

True. It's more accurate to view CJW and Bae Yong Joon as not so much A-list stars as "brands." (Song Seung Heon is kinda in that ballpark too, but he should test that by doing a TW-drama or another TW-movie.) In Japan, Ji Woo Hime is a legitimate brand, a kind of Hepburnian entity expressing a certain lifestyle (which makes sense in regards to jewelry and other lux markets.) Given Park Yong Ha's popularity as a adult contempo balladeer in Japan, it would be awesome if they did another project together.

CJW (like most of the roster) needed to leave O9. The question is, would it make more sense for her to join another agency that caters to Hallyu marketing, instead of creating her own independent interest, given that the economy is in a tailspin?

"I heard that Olive9 is going bankrupt or something??"

If not, pretty close, as shown above.

I don"t want to say any thing, Every body knows he is gorgeous. But for me she is one of the best in Korea.

i love you choi ji woo so mutch you have pretty and sexy i love and i like you dramas

She is so gorgeous!