Hyun Bin, Park Seo-joon, 'Single's Inferno 3' star Lee Gwan Hee: Newsmakers of the week

This week, Bong Joon-ho and several creative heads from the South Korean industry united to demand a probe in Lee Sun-kyun’s untimely demise, while Park Seon-joon addressed criticism surrounding his latest drama 'Gyeonseong Creature', which has also been renewed for a second season. Amidst this Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin too hit headlines for their charitable gestures… take a look at the newsmakers of the week.

Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin made a generous contribution of 150 million won ($115,000) to the Asan Medical Center and Jusarang Community Foundation, suggested K-media reports. Son Ye Jin’s agency MSteam Entertainment confirmed that the contribution to the Asan Medical Center was to assist in covering children's medical expenses, while the donation to the Jusarang community will be directed towards supporting programs benefiting single mothers and their children. Speaking about their charitable initiatives, Son Ye Jin expressed via a press release, "The donation was made with the hope that it will serve as a Christmas gift, bringing warmth to the hearts of children who need a helping hand, especially during these challenging times."

'Parasite' director Boon Joon-ho, along with fellow members from the South Korean film industry, demanded a probe into the untimely demise of actor Lee Sun-kyun. At a press conference hosted last week, they urged the authorities to probe if Lee's case violated security and privacy rules. “I demand that the authorities investigate. We demand that the police investigate whether there was any lapse in the security of the investigation from the moment the details of the deceased’s investigation were first exposed until two months later. We want to know if there was no individual media contact during the investigation, and we want the results to be made public so that there is no doubt,” filmmaker Bong was quoted by Variety.

Image Credit: AP

Thanks to the popularity of 'Gyeonseong Creature', the makers announced a second season of the show, which will be set in present-day Seoul. Park Seo-joon has been earning mixed reviews for his portrayal of Jang Tae-sang, a wealthy owner of a pawn shop in this drama. Addressing the same, he told OSEN, "I have never been a part of a project that didn’t receive mixed reactions. There are always fans who are disappointed, just as there are fans who enjoy the project. I have never become emotionally invested in the criticism. I just thought to myself that the project was receiving a lot of attention."

'Single’s Inferno 3' came to a close recently. However fans were eager to know if contestant Lee Gwan Hee was dating his fellow contestant Choi Hye Seon. Breaking his silence on rumours, Lee Gwan Hee revealed that the connection between Choi Hye Seon and him had remained beyond the confines of the dating reality show. "We talk to each other and are getting along", shared Lee Gwan Hee with OSEN on January 10. Giving an insight into the post-show dynamics, he further stated, "I can't tell you everything in detail, but all of the contestants keep in touch and get along well. Of course, I am also getting along fine with Choi Hye Seon, but I am careful not to reveal too much."