KBFD celebrates its 27th anniversary today. To all of our friends, mahalo nui loa for your support.
KBFD is the oldest Korean programmed full-power television station in the U.S. and one of only six FCC-licensed terrestrial stations owned by an Asian.
In other news, a new Korean action movie, "New World," was released Friday at Pearlridge West 16 and Ward Stadium 16. The film was released just a month ago in Korea and is on pace to be one of the more successful this year with nearly 3.4 million tickets sold.
The all-star cast and director Hoon-jung Park ("I Saw the Devil)" will keep you entertained. Here is the synopsis provided by the U.S. distributor:
The head of the Goldmoon crime syndicate is dead, leaving his top two lieutenants. Seizing the opportunity, the police launch Operation New World with the perfect weapon, the boss’s right-hand man, Ja-sung (Lee Jung-jae, "The Thieves"), who has been a deep-cover operative for eight years, and closely watched by handler Police chief Kang (Choi Min-sik, "Oldboy").
With a baby on the way, and living in mortal fear of being exposed as a mole, Ja-sung is torn between his duty and honor as a cop, and the fiercely loyal gang members who will follow him to hell and back.
Using inside information from Ja-sung to damage the relationship between the two feuding lieutenants, suspicions grow that a traitor lives in their ranks. Ruthless Jung (Hwang Jun-min, "Blades of Blood") escalates the game by hiring hackers to search the police database. As OperationNewWorldcloses in, and with the stakes climbing higher and a gangland bloodbath guaranteed among those that remain, Ja-sung makes a final, shocking decision no one could have predicted.
THIS WEEK’S SYNOPSES
"The Great Seer"
Episodes 32 and 33
Today, 6:45p.m.: Ji-sang leaves on a journey to find the Promised Land. En route he encounters a grave site that’s giving off strong energy. He later finds out that it’s the grave of his mother, Young-ji. He tells Jung-geun he found their mother’s grave.
Today, 7:45 p.m.: When Lee Bang-won, Lee Sung-gye’s son, kills Jung Mong-joo without consulting his father, Lee Sung-gye orders Bang-won killed.
"Queen of Ambition"
Episodes 13 and 14
Monday, 7:45 p.m.: Ha-ryu calls Do-hoon and invites him to lunch with Do-gyung and Da-hae. Do-hoon asks Ha-ryu about his brother’s murder case, and Ha-ryu tells him he’ll find the killer no matter what it takes, which frightens Da-hae. Do-hoon offers Ha-ryu a job as the attorney for Baek Hak Foundation.
Tuesday, 7:45 p.m.: Su-jeong scolds Ha-ryu for not knowing his father’s birthday, and tells him to shape up and really act like Jae-woong. Da-hae is shocked when Taek-bae comes to see her at work. Do-hoon sees Da-hae with Taek-bae and asks Ha-ryu out for drinks.
"My Love, Madame Butterfly"
Episodes 37 and 38
Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.:Sul-ah still denies all charges against her. She calls on the chairman to help her as he had promised, but he turns his back on her. She decides to sell everything she has to pay back the investors. Yoo-jin’s mother gets Jung-wook out of jail, but that is not the only reason she came back. She wants to take over the World Department Store. Jung-wook tries to convince Nabi to give him another chance.Meanwhile, Yoo-jin moves into Mejikong to try to win back Jung-wook and have his family accept her.
Thursday, 7:45 p.m.: Nabi opens her first shop, and Sul-ah is there to see it, unbeknownst to Nabi. Sul-ah swears to take Nabi down. Yoo-jin’s mother approaches Sul-ah and offers to give her everything she wants as long as Sul-ah helps her take down Lee Sam-goo. She gives Sul-ah her company and old apartment when Sul-ah agrees.
Meanwhile, things are going maybe a bit too well with Nabi’s business. Nabi has to get a bigger loan and outsource the shoes. Woo-jae suggests to Nabi that she participates in his contest, which gives the winner a space in every one of his department stores.
"Incarnation of Money"
Episodes 7 and 8
Friday, 7:45 p.m.: After his interview with Ki-soon, Cha-don decides to suspend her release. Cha-don also tells Goo-shik to find Lee Gang-seok, Ki-soon’s son. Cha-don runs into Jae-in at a nightclub but fails to recognize her.
Saturday, 7:45 p.m.: Cha-don spends a night with Jae-in when Ji-hoo tells him to train Jae-in about how to act on the witness stand. Cha-don is confused when the blood of Gwan-soo, a murder suspect, doesn’t match the blood found in evidence.
Jeff Chung is general manager of KBFD TV, which televises Korean dramas with English subtitles. Reach him at 521-8066 or jeffchung@kbfd.com.