Japan tags Kim Bum as a Hallyu up-and-comer

by javabeans

This is a bit of a step up for Kim Bum (East of Eden). After all, he has got a lot of buzz going around him these days, but he’s still very new for this kind of attention.

On December 21 and 29, Kim will be featured in a two-part documentary about Hallyu stars in Japan, which airs on TBS. A-listers like Bae Yong-joon (Winter Sonata) and Lee Byung-heon (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) have been singled out for mention in the past, but it’s pretty early in Kim Bum’s career to be considered an international Hallyu star. He’s not there yet, but the inclusion is promising in terms of his crossover appeal. (Personally, I think he really struck gold with a combination of talent, luck, and very shrewd timing/planning by his management.)

The program shows Kim Bum as he prepared earlier this year for his first Japanese fanmeeting in October, and continues following him afterward. To build his career in Japan, Kim has signed with a Japanese management company to handle his activities there; the company plans to launch a full-scale promotional blitz when he finishes filming for KBS’s Boys Before Flowers.

Via Sports Chosun

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