LEE JOON GI
A
CARP
TURNED
DRAGON
GLOBAL SUPERSTAR
IN
SENSE
MAGAZINE
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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7dZFCMvPI4 Lee Joon Gi, considered to be one of the greatest legends of all time, is the cover star of Sense China’s special Lunar New Year No 2 2021 edition. The Chinese magazine has unleashed their creativity with global superstar as their cover model. Strange as it might be, the promise of Lee Joon Gi’s cover star image did not materialise as expected much to the consternation and chagrin of some of his fans.
When Sense China magazine first advertised the special edition featuring Lee in a CARP-DRAGON transformation pose, Lee’s fans were promised that should the orders for the magazine exceed 6,000 copies, Sense China would launch support screen advertisements featuring Lee Joon Gi for a 3-7 day duration in the 4 major cities in China, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. And the orders exceeded that figure by 8 February 2021. But, the final printed cover of the magazine turned out to be different. The original cover depicts Lee as a carp that spirals upwards
and, according to a Chinese legend, jumps over the Dragon Gate and transforms
into a dragon. 
We do not understand the reason for the
change but the final cover of the magazine is an enigmatic, melancholic but
provocative image of Lee Joon Gi, whose head is encircled by a halo. Lee
seems to be in deep thought and likewise, the carp’s head is bowed. At the bottom of the magazine in small
print, Sense China addresses Lee directly in the Second Person, ‘Lee
Joon Gi - About You’. Is it a gimmick? The words are strangely
confrontational as if Sense China demands that the reader reflect on the images in the magazine.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CML_JohJcOA/ One would like to think that the special feature on Lee Joon Gi is actually a microcosm of his life-story - a pictorial biographical spread about him. The cover image is, presumably, a reminder to
the reader of Lee’s PAST which is not only a catalogue of astonishing successes
but also multiple disappointments and sadness. On the inside pages is a collection of
creatively designed pictures, which is Sense China’s depiction of his
brilliant, impressive and successful global PRESENT on the WORLD STAGE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMbSuj1HcS_/         It also includes the magazine’s projection
of his career in the FUTURE which is on an upward RED-HOT trajectory with Lee
Joon Gi becoming one of the world’s HOTTEST properties. None is like Lee, a
Carp-turned-DRAGON, whose fame, popularity and success would last a long
time. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMMJRwHJpHk/
It is pretty obvious that Sense China holds
Lee Joon Gi in high esteem because of his triumphant struggles in the past
and his golden achievements so far. The Chinese magazine’s interpretation of
multihyphenate Lee Joon Gi’s life is there for all posterity to remember,
including his tumultuous past and Lee’s struggles to make a remarkable success
of himself through his humility, relentless hard work, steely determination,
absolute confidence, consuming passion and the continual honing of his
skills. Lee Joon Gi, proclaimed to be one of the
handsomest men in Asia by TC Candler, has been bestowed many interesting
titles and compliments. King of Sagueks (1 blockbuster historical movie & 5 equally amazing historical dramas) King of Dance (His fans) Asian Male God – Nan Shen (Modern Entertainment Network – China 2015) Best Military Sharpshooter (KFN / Korean Forces Network 2012) Actor Who Looks Most Gorgeous In Suits (Korean Showbiz 2018) The Reigning Prince of Asia (Korean Showbiz 2018) Top Action Star (Korean Showbiz 2018) King of Martial Arts Lee Joon Gi, The Legendary Hero (ElleMen Hong Kong 2018) The Most Attractive Star with Single Eyelids
(Korean Showbiz 2019) The Actor with The Most Powerful Qualities
as an Artist (NamooActors CEO Kim Jong-do in WomanSense 2020) One of The Most Handsome Men in Asia (24th / TC Candler 2019) One of The Most Handsome Men in Asia (12th /TC Candler 2020) 2020 ICON (DRAMA) (Cultura, a Magazine for the Arts and Culture 2020) More Than Outstanding (Waves China 2021) et cetera et cetera et cetera. Lee is a multitalented global phenomenon; he
is the role model for global youths. It is without any doubt that Lee Joon Gi has
been accorded an Emperor’s treatment. Well, he’s a carp-turned-dragon after
all. And dragons are associated with Emperors.
 It is a sobering thought that Sense China
had spared no expense to design about four different styles of images for
Lee’s special issue.
And to further highlight and enhance his
superior celebrity status, a poet-scholar has been hired to write some descriptions
and poetry with deep meanings to accompany the beautiful pictures on their
website.
 And Sense China’s most recent effort is to
place even more screen advertisements to support Lee than initially promised. Lee
Joon Gi turned 40 (Korean age) last January. Sense China will also launch
another campaign to celebrate his 39th birthday (International age) / 40th birthday (Korean age) on 17 April. Lee’s
entry into the entertainment industry began with modelling in 2001 so this
year is a celebration of 20 years in showbusiness, a huge milestone. Lee Joon Gi’s life in the past has its ups and downs and Sense China’s cover calls attention to it. But the superstar has
been well-equipped to handle life’s difficulties. One has to board the time
machine for a flashback to his past.
After the overwhelming success of The
King and The Clown (2005), Lee was riding high on the Hallyu wave of fame
and popularity.
In 2008,
he was voted the Number 1 overseas star in China.
Lee Joon Gi even sang with Jackie Chan and other famous singers
for the Decathlon Beijing Olympics in 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYJZRfQFGUU
But, by a strange twist of fate, Lee’s
fortunes suffered. He was blacklisted by the South Korean government.  His fans suggest 2 reasons for this. First, in 2007
Lee played one of the rebels who were supporters of the Gwangju Democratization Movement in
the movie, May 18. The movie is based on the Gwangju massacre when
General Chun Doo-hwan (1980-1988) tried to suppress a popular uprising by
using military force on 18 May 1980.
Second, in 2008, Lee opposed President Lee Myung Bak's (2008-2013)
policy of importing beef from the U.S. At the time, there were massive
protests from an estimated tens of thousands South Koreans who were against the import
of beef from the U.S.
because of the mad cow disease. It was said that ‘the protest was the largest
demonstration in a month of daily protests.’
Protesters rally on a street leading to the U.S. embassy It has
been reported that the President ‘created a task force within the National
Intelligence Service (NIS) that compiled 'a (cultural) blacklist of people in the arts' who
were publicly critical of the government and made things disadvantageous for
them. This list included names of everyone from writers, actors, producers,
singers, comedians, to TV personalities.’ Lee Joon Gi was one of those
blacklisted.
It was said that the president’s successor, who is from the same political party, kept tabs on the people on the list. As a result, Lee Joon Gi suffered political persecution and was forced to enlist in the army (3 May 2010 – 16 February 2012); he was given only one-month notice. The timing of his enlistment was odd and he was denied permission when he applied for deferred military enlistment to complete a drama and a movie that he was working on.  Lee Joon Gi was compelled to drop out of both
projects, Faith and Grand Prix, a horse-racing movie, which
had already begun shooting. It was a troubling time for him as he was the newly-appointed Ambassador for Tourism Korea. He had also been appointed Goodwill Ambassador or Honorary PR Ambassador for the 2010
Shanghai Expo in China (1 May – 31 October 2010).      Lee Joon Gi – Appointed Public Relations Ambassador for the 2010
Shanghai Expo Trouble
was also brewing from another direction. In 2013,
Lee revealed on SBS’s 'Healing Camp' that he was once betrayed by a
close friend-cum-manager who swindled him of his fortune. The thief had cleverly
stashed the stolen money away in his own private accounts. The tale smells of grand
larceny, not petty thievery, mind you.
The
young superstar, who was probably lulled into feeling that his interests were
protected, was oblivious of the shady goings-on of the manager who had
gotten really chummy with the towering earnings that Lee had accumulated over
so many lucrative years. The superstar, who seemed to have slept through the
devious plots of the ‘friend’ who bamboozled him, was shocked to discover his
hard-earned money had been transferred abroad. Think of
it. All the big bucks from his movies, dramas, fan concerts and those big-name
advertisements like Pepsi, Mcdonald’s, Samsung Anycall, Spris et cetera et cetera vanished in the
blink-of-an-eye, siphoned off by his embezzling ‘friend-manager’ into foreign
accounts. The young superstar blamed himself for his misplaced trust and lack
of economic sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM8lLTLJZpw&t=29s Pomegranate CF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXN68fxUEk  McDonald’s   SPRIS  And, the
discovery, which happened just before he entered the military, was like a
thunderbolt which hit him and ripped his heart out. He suppressed his rage in
public but seethed in drunken rages in private. After a serious bout of
depression, his father came to his rescue.
http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/j/2009-09-26/11012714169.shtml But, his
former manager-friend was not the only one who lacked a conscience. Attention
also came to the notice of the public that Lee was scammed in his Taiwan
concert before he enlisted into the army. Was he also scammed in Mainland China? It is
frightening to think that conmen and scoundrels had been waiting, lurking in
every corner and ready to whisk his money off into the unknown. Lee's previous
agency claimed that the local Taiwan concert organizer absconded with the concert
entrance ticket money and money meant for arranging the fan concert just two
days before the scheduled show.
The reported
vanishing act of the unethical Taiwanese organizer jeopardized the entire
concert, but Lee's agency paid for the concert venue and he was able to
proceed with the show as planned. Lee was particularly adamant that the show should
go on as he had promised his Taiwanese fans a year before that he would hold
the event. The thief certainly made a whooping profit from the joint-venture.
But, Lee was not the only celebrity who had been scammed. Scamming had been
such a lucrative business in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China and elsewhere because of the
lack of supervision, regulation, legislation and communication.  Hangzhou
(2009) It was
reported that subsequently, Lee terminated his contract with his management
agency that was negligent in their duties and responsibilities. The agency filed
a compensation suit against Lee to demand that the actor pay 500 million won
($500,000) in compensation for breaking their contract. Lee
divulged in his lawsuit that he suffered losses due to the negligence of his
agency. He ‘underwent significant financial damage as the company was poor
in dealing with tax affairs and profit distribution.’ Lee is said to have
notified them of his contract cancellation earlier. How the
lawsuits were finally resolved is a bit foggy. Nobody knows whether the thieves
had been arm-twisted by the law into coughing out the stolen money. But, Lee’s
contract with his former management company ended in February 2010 before he
entered the military.
It was reported that more than 500 of Lee’s fans bid him
farewell when Lee entered the military. The numbers could be more than that. It was the first time in military
history that so many fans came to support a superstar.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeSmOPwoZfg   In 2010,
he starred in the military musical, ‘Voyage of Life’ to commemorate
the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
It was rumoured that during the rehearsal just hours before the
premiere, Lee Joon Gi was seriously injured by falling steel props.   But, according to Lee, he had ‘bumped his head onto a steel
structure (while) practicing just hours before the show.’ He was rushed to the
Seoul National University Hospital where he received 51 stitches. Lee
insisted on performing that day with the help of anaesthetics because the
public performance was fully supported by his enthusiastic local and overseas
fans. After only one day off, he returned to the stage again.
 His military service was distinguished. He was made a captain and he was the best sharpshooter. When he was discharged from the army, he was presented with one of the four Excellent Major-General Awards. He had also received an award from the Health Ministry.
2000 fans welcomed him back
to civilian life. It was also the first time in the Korean military history that a
superstar was welcomed back so passionately.
Lee’s trials and tribulations did not end after his military discharge. It was reported that Lee continued to face troubles and injustice, most clearly in 2016 and 2017, probably dealt by a hidden hand.
Many fans believe that Lee Joon Gi was robbed off his Daesang in 2016. Lee starred in the globally-loved SBS drama, Moon Lovers: Scarlet
Heart Ryeo which, like the Chinese Scarlet Heart, is
a Historical Fiction drama with Time Travel elements.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Heart The three awards that Lee received were for popularity: Hallyu
Award, Top 10 Stars Award and Best Couple Award (with
IU). None was given for his splendid acting performance in Moon
Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
So far, Lee Joon Gi has not been awarded the Daesang by
any South Korean Drama Awards organization. Lee Joon Gi, a formidable actor, is
far superior to many actors, particularly his peers and the younger actors, who
have already received their Daesangs. A conspiracy of silence hangs
over this issue.
If the Daesang is based on the ratings of the
drama, then Lee Joon Gi should have received it in 2008 for SBS’s Iljimae, the
final episode of which achieved a 31.4 % rating.
The Korean media stated in 2016 that
the Korean Audience (with meters in their homes) were ‘tired
of bad guys and complicated emotions, preferring instead a kind male lead and a
simple story.’ This comment was made with reference to a rival historical drama. Really?  Make no mistake about it, the Global Audience fell insanely in love with Wang So, the sexy, gorgeous but complicated Goryeon BAD boy, played by Lee Joon Gi, and the brilliantly crafted masterpiece, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, the Historical
Drama of All Time and a Masterpiece, evokes wide-ranging emotions: it makes
the audience rant and rave, reel in shock and at times, make them bitter. Oh,
many a heart has beaten furiously, mostly like a sledgehammer, at the sight
of the captivating and mesmerising Lee Joon Gi. No doubt about it, the gorgeous
heartbreaker is a commanding presence in the drama. But most importantly, Lee Joon Gi’s awesome
performance has made viewers cry their hearts out. Which actor or historical
drama, in your memory, has dealt such a crushing blow to the hearts of the
audience? Local Korean audience versus Global
audience. Are the South Koreans different from the Global audience? The Rating System has many flaws and the issue must be addressed. FACTORS DETERMINING TELEVISION RATINGS Runtime - Day of Broadcast (Weekdays or Weekends) Timeslots: Primetime 9 pm, 10 pm or 11 pm slot Terrestrial TV or Cable TV Competing Dramas from Other Broadcasting Stations (Simultaneous Broadcast) Other Drama Viewing (including internet) Platforms THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR The Korean Audience with Meters in their homes. The public are told that 2000+ meters had been installed in homes to gauge audience preferences or tastes. Pertinent Questions Are meters installed in shops or restaurants? Which type of audience would most likely allow meters to be installed in their homes? Are ratings based on the preferences of mostly the ‘Lower Class’? Would the ‘Upper Class’ or ‘Middle Class’ allow meters to be installed in their homes? Can data be tampered with or can the ratings be manipulated? The answer lies with the Internet; it abounds with articles about the tampering of data. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a global success. It was particularly very popular in Mainland China. It was reported by Wikipedia that ‘the series reached more than a billion views after episode 9 and two (2) billions after episode 18.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Lovers:_Scarlet_Heart_Ryeo Didn’t Wikipedia previously state that there were 2.5 billion views when the drama ended?
It is most interesting that certain facts concerning
the drama have been surreptitiously edited in Wikipedia. Who actually rules over the roost,
oops, posts on Korean Dramas in Wikipedia? Someone CHANGED the figures. Look, Wikipedia reads: ‘On the contrary, it performed well internationally and had over 1.1 billion views in China along with high ratings in Singapore and Malaysia.’ Is it 1.1 billion views or more than 2 billion views? This is proof of vandalism in Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Lovers:_Scarlet_Heart_Ryeo The Scarlet Heart (Chinese drama) page states that Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo '.... has 2.5 billion cumulative views on China's biggest platform, Youku.'  Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo garnered 73% (or three-quarters) of the viewership in Singapore and Malaysia, compared to another Korean historical drama. MLSHR was also very popular globally. Lee Joon Gi received the 2016 Best Actor Award from KKTV, Taiwan but no such award from his home country. (It must be stated that the relationship between South Korea and China deteriorated because of the THAAD issue in 2016. It has since improved.) In 2017, keyboard warriors, presumably
lackeys of the hidden hand, slammed Lee and his fantastic romantic-comedy
reality-drama, TVN's 2017 Candy In My Ears, which was shot in Florence,
San Gimignano and Venice in Italy.
The mesmerising series of Lee Joon Gi-Park
Min Young aired at 10:50 KST on 11 March 2017.
As expected, Lee and Park Min Young’s
awesome performance reduced the audience to tears. Perhaps, someday, the duo
should shoot a romantic-comedy drama together. It would be fun.
One shocking incident occurred shortly after.
Dispatch exposed Lee’s romantic relationship with an actress just days
before his fan concert on 15 April, just 2 days short of his birthday on 17 April
2017. Sounds rather fishy.      Romantic relationships are sensitive issues
in South Korean showbusiness. It has been reported that Dispatch normally
reveals romantic liaisons on New Year’s Day. Were the incidents orchestrated? Was the
hidden hand putting in a lot of overtime? Would it be overly dramatic to say
that the members of showbusiness fraternity are just pawns or chess pieces to
be moved around by a hidden hand? After the change in government in May 2017,
the news that Lee Joon Gi was on the previous government’s blacklist exploded. Only
then did his non-political minded fans realise that Lee Joon Gi had suffered in
terrible silence from being blacklisted by the former government.
Lee reassured his concerned fans, ‘JG always ok. Don’t worry n thank you all.
Lee Joon Gi’s tour de force performance and the 2020 drama masterpiece, Flower of Evil, have been critically acclaimed locally and globally. Lee has been proclaimed the 2020 ICON (DRAMA) by Cultura, the prestigious South Korean magazine for the arts and culture. Many critics, writers, media and entertainment organizations around the world have applauded Lee Joon Gi and Flower of Evil.     Lee Joon Gi’s interesting life with its twists and turns could be the basis for a world documentary on Role Models of the World. Lee’s experiences have shaped what he has become today. The talented, hardworking, determined, gorgeous, friendly, engaging, unpretentious, charming and humble superstar, who has made himself at home in the minds and hearts of the global audience, has left behind the difficult past and is now embracing his great future.
https://www.facebook.com/jgstylesg/videos/1140850726361216/
ElleMen Hong Kong (August 2018) acknowledges the extraordinary Lee Joon Gi as ‘The Legendary Hero’. Wave China (January 2021) declares that the smokin’ hot Lee Joon Gi is ‘More Than Outstanding’ and the superstar was also featured in their Nasdaq billboard advertisement at Times Square in New York. What is depicted in the special Lunar New Year edition of Sense China sets the successful multipotentialite Lee Joon Gi apart from his peers and other stars; Lee Joon Gi has not only survived all the misfortunes that have hit him, he has grown even stronger and better than ever before. Anything is possible. The impressive superstar hero with his equally awesome achievements, in the eyes of Sense China, is therefore, the perfect role model and inspiration for all global youths.    SENSE MAGAZINE CHINA AND
THE ADVERTISEMENTS Sense China had promised to launch support screen advertisements featuring Lee Joon Gi in the 4 major cities in China, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The magazine has more than honoured their promise. In fact, they have been more than generous towards Lee Joon Gi. There was an increase from 5 to 8 screens but there was a change in venues due to unforseen circumstances, e.g. Guorui Shopping Center / Glory mall replaced Beijing CapitaMall. The advertising period was for 3 days from 27 March till 29 March 2021, all generously sponsored by SENSE magazine.
It was also reported that on 25 March 2021 Sense China also generously promised that they would place birthday screen advertisements during Lee Joon Gi’s birthday (17 April) in Hongdae, South Korea. Hongdae is a neighbourhood in Seoul which is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs and entertainment.
The shopping complexes listed below were scheduled to run Sense China's screen advertisements featuring Lee Joon Gi.
BEIJING
Chaoyang Joy City Shimao Gongsan Plaza Capitamall Xizhimen SHANGHAI Shanghai Joy City Sun Moon Light Center New World Shanghai GUANGZHOU Poly Clover Plaza May Flower Plaza
CHAOYANG JOY
CITY BEIJING
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM6cFK6J5d-/       https://www.instagram.com/p/CM6EwqPpo6F/      SHIMAO GONGSAN PLAZA BEIJING      BEIJING GLORY
MALL BEIJING
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM9rHacJqlO/     BEIJING WORLD
TRADE PLAZA BEIJING The Beijing World Trade Plaza cannot be located but there is a
China World Trade Center in Beijing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM6waD9JS_D/       SHANGHAI JOY
CITY (1) SHANGHAI
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM6yoL_JS15/
SHANGHAI JOY
CITY (2) SHANGHAI
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM69l2Qpo2q/ https://m.weibo.cn/1727398391/4619427486370746
 SUN MOON LIGHT
CENTER SHANGHAI 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7JeNrJXkG/      POLY CLOVER
PLAZA GUANGZHOU
  MAY FLOWER
PLAZA GUANGZHOU
https://m.weibo.cn/status/4619329934727688?#&video
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