Lee Young-ae

    BEIJING, Nov. 17 -- South Korean star Lee Young-ae, heroine of the TV drama ¡°Dae Jang Geum,¡± and screen heartthrob Bae Yong-joon have been lined up for CCTV¡¯s 2006 Spring Festival gala. Lang Kun, general director of the CCTV 2006 Spring Festival party, made the announcement yesterday in Beijing.

Bae Yong-joon

    Lee rocketed to popularity in China for her role as Jang Geum in ¡°Dae Jang Geum.¡± The 70-episode series topped the rating nationally, even though it was aired at the late hour of 10 p.m., according to Cvsc-Sofres Media, a Sino-French media research firm. The series ended a few weeks ago.

    The actress will star in the 24-episode Hong Kong TV drama ¡°Three Years and Eight Months.¡± The TV series about the war of resistance against Japanese aggression from 1937 to 1945 will start shooting this month.

    Lee will appear in eight episodes as a Korean painter who flees from Korea to Hong Kong.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)