Pop culture critic Pae Kung-nam write this letter (ran on Yahoo! Korea’s Entertainment section) in which he asks entertainer and increasingly frequent remover of her clothes Ham So-weon to remain sincere to her original professions - singing and acting. It’s a long letter, and if you read Korean, it might be worth checking out. Anyway, to summarize it briefly, it goes something like this: since Ham started the whole “nude wave” in Korea, it’s become increasingly difficult to see her in anything else other than nude photographs. Being an entertainer is hard work, and it requires dedication to your profession. As Pae writes:
Paek Seong-hee, who was a stage actor all her life, once said, “I’ve acted for decades, but every time I get on stage, I’m afraid, and no matter how many times I rehearse, I can’t shake my feelings of nervousness. That’s how hard acting is.” (Marmot’s Note: for an excellent piece on Paek Seong-hee [in Korean], click here)
Performers like Lee Sun-jae and Ko Du-shim, whom I respect as actors, all said the same thing, and beloved singers like Lee Mi-ja and Cho Yong-p’il also made the same point to me. Are these people doing their utmost before entering upon the stage because they are worse actors or singers than you? Definitely not. It’s because they think it’s a performer’s duty towards the public and because it’s the meaning of their existence as public performers. [Marmot Note: translation corrected by Antii - thanks!]
In response to a comment by Ham, who said that “while looking at nude pictures of a young Marilyn Monroe, she felt that one day she, too, would have nude photos taken,” Pae pointed out than unlike the many stars in the United States who have posed nude for Playboy, Ham has yet to earn respect as an entertainer.
Anyway, in the end, Pae tells Ham that call for her to stop with the birthday suit pics are coming from all across the country (not from the Marmot’s Hole, however) and asked her to show more sincertity to her profession rather than to being on the avant-guard of nudity.
As if the news day couldn’t get any worse for fans of the former Miss Korea, she apparently decided to cancel a “live nude show” that was scheduled on Saturday. Originally, she was intent on singing some stuff off her singles albums and performing some sort of new “sports nude” scene (what that is exactly, I haven’t the faintest clue), but changed her mind when it was learned, through sponsors, than a fair number of minors were going to be in attendance. She went through with the performance, but unfortunately, reports Sports Today, she did so with clothes rather than without.
In honor Pae Kung-nam’s gutsy letter to Ham So-weon, I will NOT link to nude galleries of Ham So-weon today. Perhaps by refusing to publicize these little hobbies of hers, we can help refocus her attention on her job and allow her to make full use of the great talents God has bestowed upon her.
PS: On second thought, screw it - I never liked her as a performer, anyway:
(Links not work safe)
7 Comments
Note that the writer is not saying that Ko Tu-sim, Yi Mi-ja, and Cho Yong-p’il are worse performers than Ham. (Wouldn’t that be outrageous to say…)
“Are these people doing their utmost before entering the stage because they are worse actors or singers than you? Definitely not. It’s because they think it’s a performer’s duty towards the public and because it’s the meaning of their existence as public performers.”
??쨈?쨋???쑣??쨈 ??쨔????쨀쨈??짚 ??째?쨍째??쩌 ?짧???쨈??흹, ??┑?????쩌 ?짧???쨈??흹 ?짠??쨍???? ?쨍흸??쩌??쨈?쨈????, ??쨈?흸???? ??흹?쨍째 ?????? ??┑?????? ????????짹쨍?쨔흸???? ????????쨌쨍????짠?????????????짚. ??째?쨍째????징흹??흹, ?째?????징흹??흹 ?흸??짚?????짼흸 ??흹?????? ??짚????????짼???쨈 ????????쩌?쨀? ????째?????쨍째 ??흸??쨍??쨈??째 ?쨌쨍?짼???쨈 ??째?????쨍?흹쩌?징흹??흹 ?징쨈??쩍?????쨍??쨈?쨍째 ??흸??쨍????????짚.
And now someone please correct my English.
Thanks for the correction, Antii… glad someone’s checking my translations out!
LOL @ that last paragraph
If you want to pay me, I’ll be happy to check your translation too! ;-D
man, you gotta good sense of humor! thanks for posting the link after all!
Japan has a whole cottage industry of “actresses” (more like TV personalities or models, and distinct from porn starlets) who pose nude in magazines etc. They’re called “nudoru” (nude + idol). Usually, the decision to go that route is a statement that there is no acting career ahead of these girls. Maybe that is true with Miss Ham. Who cares?
I’m just glad there are beautiful Korean women that want to take off their clothes for me. I’m tired of them 1/2-assing it, though. I want to see some Full Frontal!