Choi Ji-woo strikes out on her own
by javabeans
Choi Ji-woo is flying solo, leaving her management behind to establish her own company.
The glam (and melodrama) queen has ended her contract with Olive Nine, and even before its expiration (on March 1), Choi been approached with many management offers from other large companies. Ultimately, Choi decided to assert her independence and is busily working to set up her own company in hopes to be ready by early April — hiring staff, renting an office.
(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.)
A representative from Olive Nine says that despite Choi leaving the company (they’ve ended the contract “cleanly, and promised to keep on good terms”), they will continue to have a relationship of “strategic cooperation.” For instance, she is still conferring with them about a few projects in development.
Other stars who have gone independent include Choi’s Winter Sonata co-stars Bae Yong-joon and Park Yong-ha, as well as her Everybody Has Secrets co-star Lee Byung-heon. (Lee Byung-heon’s BH Entertainment reps Han Chae-young; Rain’s J Tune reps Lee Da-hae and Yeon Jung-hoon; Yonsama’s BOF reps Choi Kang-hee and So Ji-sub, although the latter is ending his contract in April.)
Via Hankook Ilbo
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Choi Ji-woo
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 missmartypants08
March 10, 2009 at 11:50 AM
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
Required fields are marked *
2 Biscuit
March 10, 2009 at 11:52 AM
^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
Required fields are marked *
3 DOT
March 10, 2009 at 12:09 PM
(^_^) 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**
Required fields are marked *
4 hmmmm
March 10, 2009 at 12:19 PM
well it's by time she set out on her own. But i dunno if now is the best time to do that.. hmmm
Required fields are marked *
5 fizzle
March 10, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Wow. That picture. What a diva!
Required fields are marked *
6 jennifer
March 10, 2009 at 3:37 PM
i just gotta say
dang she looks gorgeous
Required fields are marked *
7 belleza
March 10, 2009 at 4:15 PM
"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.
Required fields are marked *
8 thunderbolt
March 10, 2009 at 5:05 PM
"Yonsama’s BOF reps Choi Kang-hee and So Ji-sub, although the latter is ending his contract in April."
YES! FINALLY!!
Required fields are marked *
9 Tigger
March 10, 2009 at 6:44 PM
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.
Required fields are marked *
10 dodgers
March 10, 2009 at 7:17 PM
I highly doubt that CJW will want to join Yonsama's BOF agency for many personal reasons.
Required fields are marked *
11 prettyjups
March 10, 2009 at 7:44 PM
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.
Required fields are marked *
12 BOFfan
March 10, 2009 at 8:28 PM
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.
Required fields are marked *
13 Biscuit
March 10, 2009 at 9:22 PM
@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?)
Required fields are marked *
14 belleza
March 10, 2009 at 10:08 PM
"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
Required fields are marked *
15 Australia
March 10, 2009 at 11:17 PM
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.
Required fields are marked *
16 chajjye
March 10, 2009 at 11:39 PM
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...
Required fields are marked *
17 Blizzard
March 11, 2009 at 12:34 AM
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'.
Required fields are marked *
18 gelato
March 11, 2009 at 1:01 AM
@Blizzard, the amount was made within 2 hours, not the whole day.
Required fields are marked *
19 anon
March 11, 2009 at 1:45 AM
"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.
Required fields are marked *
20 anon
March 11, 2009 at 2:24 AM
Btw, what happened to Olive9? Are they having financial difficulties?
Required fields are marked *