Choi Jung-won's "Star" rising in China

Korean actress Choi Jung-won is gaining popularity in China with the success of two television dramas -- "Wish Upon A Star" and "Famous Princesses" -- according to a press release by her agency on Monday.

"Chinese fans are viewing "Wish Upon A Star" through internet downloads and many are asking about the show," explained an official at Wellmade Star M, who added that Choi has been receiving many offers for TV commercials as well.

Ratings for SBS drama "Star", which premiered in Korea two weeks ago, has been on the rise and recorded a 13.1 percent viewership on January 12, according to estimates released by AGB Nielsen Media.

"Princesses", which originally aired in Korea in 2006, has reportedly taken China by storm and its popularity has carried over to the fans' interest in "Star".

"Thank you so much for loving "Star". I'm physically exhausted but I'm energized from all the good news," the actress was quoted as saying.

Choi, 28, has appeared in many television dramas since debuting in 2001 including "All In" (SBS, 2003), "The King and I" (SBS, 2007) and "The Kingdom of The Winds" (KBS2, 2008), for which she won two KBS Acting Awards.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr