Bae Doo-na grabs the mike in ‘Gloria’

 Following her debut as a model in her late teens, actress Bae Doo-na carved a niche for herself on both the small and silver screens. 

She managed to build up a colorful and largely successful repertoire, including a memorable stint as an archer who tries to save her brother's daughter in the blockbuster hit “The Host” (2006). 

Now, following her role as a schoolmarm in the popular KBS series “The Masters of the Art of Study” (2010), Bae tackles the role of a loving sibling yet again in MBC’s “Gloria.” 

Bae’s previous stint as a devoted sister was as an accomplished sportswoman with a career in the spotlight. Her new one is of a woman who supports her mentally disabled older sister (played by “High Kick 2” actress Oh Hyeon-kyeong) with a series of odd jobs. 

“She cares for her sister on her own, without their parents,” the 30-year-old said at the drama’s press conference on Tuesday. 

“I play this character as if there is no one else in the world but me and my sister.” 

While showing grit and spunk in the face of adversity is not new to Bae, her latest job presents a huge challenge for her. 

Bae must play a talented singer, someone good enough to go from settling for odd jobs like delivering newspapers and running a nightclub coat check to dreaming of a career on stage. 

“That is the part that scared me the most,” she admitted. “I have to sing well in order for it to set the premise (for the drama) and for the plot to move forward. Even if this were a good role that I wanted badly, if I really was unable to sing well then I would be doing (the drama) a disservice.” 

Yankees drop Park

The New York Yankees announced Sunday that they had dropped Park Chan-ho from their 40-man roster, following another unimpressive performance from the Korean veteran on Friday. 

The 37-year-old Park was designated for assignment by the reigning Major League champion on the July 31 trade deadline, meaning he has now only 10 days to either find a new team or accept the assignment to head to the minor leagues. 

On Friday, Park gave up three runs during the team’s 11-4 win against the Cleveland Indians. After shutting out the Indians in the eighth, the right-handed pitcher got the first two out in the ninth. However, then he allowed five runners on base, conceding three walks and two singles as the Indians tagged him for three runs. 

Afterward the Yankees crossed out Park’s name from their roster, making room for the newly signed Cleveland relief pitcher Kerry Wood. 

Wonder Girls meet world through MTV

Popular K-pop group the Wonder Girls captivated an audience of some 15,000 at the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010 held in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night. 

The girl group showcased six numbers, including “Tell Me,” “So Hot,” “2 Different Tears” and their biggest hit “Nobody,” during the 40-minute performance. The crowd especially went wild when “Nobody” blared through the speakers. 

The performance will air on MTV from Aug. 21 in 154 countries, starting from five Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia. Over 550 million households worldwide are expected to watch the show. 

“We are so excited to have been given this opportunity. Knowing how difficult it is to be on such a stage, we had so much fun while preparing for it. We newly arranged some numbers so that we could show you styles that we have never showcased before,” said Sun-ye, the group’s leader, at a press conference before the event. 

Child sex crimes rising fast in Korea

Although child sex crimes were committed less frequently in Korea than other major countries, the growth rate here had been higher in recent years, a report found Sunday. 

According to the Korea Institute of Criminology, which analyzed the official figures in five countries ― Korea, Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Japan ― the nation’s rate of sex crime against children was 16.9 per 100,000 children in 2008, the fourth-highest.

The Korean figure was 6.8 times lower than that of Germany, 6 times than the U.K. and 3.5 times than the U.S., the report said. 

New Avante gears up for local market

Hyundai Motor Co.’s much-publicized new Avante goes on sale on the domestic market on Monday. 

Unveiled for the first time at the Busan International Motor Show in April, the latest Avante is considered by many in the industry to be the key to solving Hyundai’s falling domestic market share.

One killed by boxed mine drifted from North

One man was killed and another injured Saturday night after a mine explosion in a restricted area near the border with North Korea, police said Sunday.

According to police and military officials, the wooden-boxed land mine was believed to have drifted south after recent heavy rainfall in the North.

Military investigators found an additional 17 mines Sunday morning near the accident area. 

“It is unlikely that the North had floated the mines deliberately,” said an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

“It appears that the mines buried or stored had washed away due to the flooding in North Korea.”

It was the first time that the boxed mines have been found in the South, the official added. 

Hahoe, Yangdong named U.N. World Heritage

Two historic villages in Korea were designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites on Saturday.

Hahoe and Yangdong, both located in North Gyeongsang Province, are known for their notable cultural display of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), preserving its old tradition of nobility clans.

The World Heritage Committee officially put the two villages on the UNESCO World Heritage List during its 34th convention meeting in Brasila, Brazil. Hahoe and Yangdong reflect “the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture” of the dynasty, the Committee said on UNESCO’s website.