Spring is here and while everyone’s finally released from their Winter incubation, which should mean less TV time, I’ve still found reason to be glued to my google box. Why’s that, you ask? 2012′s seen a mild wave of new dramas rolling in and Channel ONE has picked out two among our K-drama “royalty” as recommendations — Fashion King and Rooftop Prince! In-the-know readers — as we expect most of you should be — would know exactly what we’re talking about. But for the benefit of everyone, here’s a little light reading.

Fashion King, as its title connotes, is centred around fashion and its industry from the bottom up. Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘s Yoo Ah In leads in the drama as fashion label manager, Kang Young Gul. Shin Se Kyung, a little bit of a veteran herself, stars as Lee Ga Young, a headstrong, determined young lady who seems to be gifted in fashion design. Brought up in a less than nurturing environment under the care of a fashion boutique owner, Ga Young reaches the end of her tether and takes her leave. Crossing paths as a budding designer and him as a shop manager, Young Gul spots Ga Young’s talent and sponsors a coveted chance for her to further her studies at New York Fashion School. Ga Young flies out to New York to start classes while back home, Young Gul meets with an unfortunate case of mistaken identity. The police come after him and he boards a ship headed straight for New York. Lee stumbles into Kang, sees his plight and takes him in.

Yoo Ah In and Shin Se Kyung

Meanwhile, Ga Young’s vengeful ex-guardian catches wind of her illegal harbouring of a fugitive. She takes this to the police and Ga Young finds herself deported. Coming to dead ends, the pair return to Korea in search of new opportunities.

Transitioning from movies to the small screen, Lee Je Hoon comes into the picture as Jung Jae Hyuk, a chaebol whose business revolves around fashion production. Closing in on the (love) quadrangle is first time actress and Girls’ Generation member, Yuri, who plays Choi Anna. As mentee to a renowned designer as well as ex-girlfriend to Jae Hyuk, she presents as an added complication to the fashion and relationship pursuits that happen in Fashion King.

Lee Je Hoon and Yuri

Fashion King is an ongoing drama in Korea. In Singapore, it has premiered on Channel ONE on April 18.

Rooftop Prince is ONE’s other show pick. Starring JYJ member, Micky Yoochun (who also happens to be Yoo Ah In’s co-star lead from SKKS), the story depicts a Crown Prince from the Joseon Dynasty who time-travels to present day Seoul. Micky jumps back into (partly) traditional garb as Lee Gak, a royal widower who travels 300 years with his palace guards to land extraordinarily on the rooftop of a house in 2012. Kindly yet besieged homeowner, Park Ha, played by the lovely Han Ji Min, opens her home to the four guests.

Complications arise when Lee Gak realises that Jung Yoo Mi‘s character, Hong Se Na (also Park Ha’s long-lost stepsister), looks exactly like his deceased wife from the 18th century. Lee Gak isn’t the only one to be seeing double as he and his gang of guards each have their own doppelgängers in modern-day Korea. The Crown Prince is in fact known as Tae Yong, an heir to a huge corporation. Lee Tae Sung aka Tae Mu, his cousin, who claims to have last seen him in New York, and who also thinks that Tae Yong has perished in a foreign land, is shocked to find him alive and well and back at work. Hijinks ensue as Lee Gak adopts Tae Yong’s identity to fit in and get closer to Se Na, while being roommates with Park Ha.

Han Ji Min and Park Yoo Chun

Rooftop Prince is an ongoing drama in Korea. In Singapore, it has premiered on Channel ONE on April 23.

To tie in with the broadcasts of Fashion King and Rooftop Prince, kourier (with the help of Channel ONE) is doing a giveaway of various merchandise from both dramas. Answer just ONE question to win!

Channel ONE is found on the following channels
(a) Starhub channel 823, Starhub channel 876, Starhub channel 124 & SingTel mioTV channel 39
(b) Starhub channel 823, Starhub channel 525, Starhub channel 124 & SingTel mioTV channel 39
(c) Starhub channel 823, Starhub channel 876, Starhub channel 511 & SingTel mioTV channel 39
(d) Starhub channel 823, Starhub channel 876, Starhub channel 124 & SingTel mioTV channel 20

Send your answers to kourier.co@gmail.com with the subject header “FK/RP Giveaway”, in the following format:
Name (as reflected in NRIC or Passport):
Age:
Gender:
Mobile No.:
Occupation:
Answers:

10 winners will get 1 set of the following:

• Fashion King A3 Poster
   
  
• Rooftop Prince A3 Poster
  
• Fashion King Sketch Pads
  
  
• Rooftop Prince Note Books
  

This contest closes on 15 May 2012, 11.59pm. Good luck!