Most Popular
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
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Bae Doo-na shares portraying Korean identity in Hollywood's 'Rebel Moon'
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[From the Scene] Monks, Buddhists hail return of remains of Buddhas
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Medical schools granted enrollment quota flexibility for next year
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Korean art gets spotlight at Venice Biennale 2024
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Police uncover illegal gambling website made by teens, for teens
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Netflix removes 30-day free trial
Global online streaming service Netflix removed its 30-day free trial for new subscribers as of Wednesday in South Korea, one of the last countries to have the free trial period eliminated. “Starting in 2019 with Mexico, the 30-day free trial promotion has gradually been terminated. As of April 7, free trial promotion will be unavailable in South Korea as well as every other country in the world,” Netflix said. Netflix did not reveal the reason behind the decision. While the free
April 7, 2021
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TV series studio seeks W3b in damages for replacing lead actor after bullying scandal
The production studio of KBS' historical romance "River Where the Moon Rises" said Friday that it has filed a claim for damages against the agency of a lead actor who dropped out of the project after being embroiled in a school bullying scandal. In the lawsuit against KeyEast, Victory Contents said it is seeking 3 billion won ($2.7 million) in compensation for damage caused by the abrupt exit of actor Jisoo, who took the lead role of General Ondal in the show about the love story of P
April 2, 2021
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S. Korean series 'Vincenzo' to remove controversial ad scene from overseas streaming services
Producers of the popular Korean TV series "Vincenzo" said Wednesday that they will remove the controversial scene featuring a Chinese product from overseas streaming services amid rising domestic anger over Chinese sponsorship. In the eighth episode of the dark comedy that aired on March 14 on tvN, an instant Chinese bibimbap brand was exposed while the lead characters Vincenzo (Song Joong-ki) and Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-bin) have a meal. Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish consisting of a
March 31, 2021
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JTBC doubles down on denial of history distortion
Broadcaster JTBC on Tuesday hit back at criticisms of history distortion by releasing part of its plot for their upcoming drama “Snowdrop.” “Snowdrop,” a romance drama featuring actor Jung Hae-in and Blackpink’s Jisoo, is set to air in the second half of this year. Based on earlier released synopsis and character descriptions, some inferred that the plot revolved around a North Korean spy and the South Korean pro-democracy movement in the 1980s. Critics said th
March 31, 2021
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Remake rights to Mnet's 'I Can See Your Voice' sold to France, Belgium, Canada
"I Can See Your Voice," a music entertainment show from South Korean cable music network Mnet, has been newly sold to three countries, the company said Tuesday. Mnet said it has signed new remake export deals with broadcasters in France, Belgium and Canada, raising to 18 the total number of countries that purchased the format, including the United States and Britain. Since launching in 2015, "I Can See Your Voice" has been highly popular in Korea, continuing into its eight
March 30, 2021
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Park Soo-hong confirms his brother ran with Park’s earnings
Longtime comedian Park Soo-hong confirmed Monday that he is in a financial dispute with his brother and sister-in-law, after rumors of the conflict circulated online over the weekend. The matter was brought to light when someone claimed in a comment to Park’s YouTube channel that his brother, who has been the entertainer‘s manager for 30 years at Park’s one-man agency, took all of his earnings for 30 years, estimated to be over 10 billion won ($8.8 million). The post also cla
March 29, 2021
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Park Na-rae under fire for inappropriate remarks despite apology
Despite an apology from comedian Park Na-rae for making sexually explicit remarks and gestures on a YouTube show, controversy over her appearance on the small screen continues. Park has come under fire over the past several days for making “inappropriate” remarks and gestures on CJ ENM’s web reality show “Hey Narae.” While there have been calls for terrestrial broadcaster MBC to pull Park off from its weekly entertainment shows “I Live Alone” and &
March 29, 2021
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[Newsmaker] SBS ‘Joseon Exorcist’ writer, cast apologize for historical controversy
The writer and cast of SBS ‘Joseon Exorcist’ on Saturday released apology statements for taking part in the show that depicts Korean history inaccurately. “I sincerely apologize for the trouble my inconsiderate script has caused to viewers over the past few days,” writer Park Kye-ok said in a statement. “I should have learned from my past mistakes and presented a better story as a writer, I made viewers angry with my lack of judgment.” The apology statement
March 28, 2021
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Wavve to invest W1tr in original content by 2025
Largest South Korean over-the-top platform Wavve on Friday announced that it will proceed with investing 1 trillion won ($885 million) in original content through 2025. Wavve is a joint venture between SK Telecom and terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS and the biggest local OTT platform. “Through investment in original content, we hope to expand the partnership between broadcasters, production companies and intellectual property holders. We will also work to discover smaller-size
March 26, 2021
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[Newsmaker] SBS cancels ‘Joseon Exorcist’ after historical controversy
Broadcaster SBS announced it will cancel “Joseon Exorcist” after the drama faced controversy over historical inaccuracies in just two episodes. “Joseon Exorcist,” about zombies appearing in the Joseon era, was criticized by many Koreans for using Chinese-style costumes and props, especially at a time when Chinese claims to kimchi and hanbok in recent months have angered the public here. Although the production team -- Crave Works, YG Studioplex and Lotte Cultureworks --
March 26, 2021
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SBS drama ‘Joseon Exorcist’ takes beating over historical inaccuracies
Despite apologies by broadcaster SBS and the production companies involved over what viewers criticize as historical inaccuracies and distortions in the TV series “Joseon Exorcist” on Wednesday, public anger continues unabated. As of Thursday, over 156,500 people had signed a petition on the Blue House website asking for the cancellation of all future ”‘Joseon Exorcist” episodes. The period drama sparked controversy immediately after the first episode aired Monday
March 25, 2021
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NEW ID launches seven new Korean channels on Samsung TV Plus
NEW ID, a digital platform business subsidiary of movie distributor Next Entertainment World, announced on Wednesday that it has launched seven additional channels on Samsung TV Plus for viewers in Korea. Samsung TV Plus is a free OTT platform pre-installed on Samsung’s Smart TV operating systems. The platform is available in 12 different countries, and this year Samsung aims to double the number of countries the service is available. Different from OTT platforms like Netflix that provi
March 24, 2021
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Sayuri, single mom by choice, to appear on ‘The Return of Superman’
South Korea-based Japanese entertainer Sayuri Fujita will be joining “The Return of Superman,” broadcaster KBS said Tuesday. The entertainer, better known as Sayuri, became a single mother by choice in November last year. Her decision to get pregnant through a sperm bank in Japan -- because it is illegal in Korea for a single woman to do so -- raised awareness of the legal issues surrounding sperm donation in Korea. Sayuri, who has spoken out about her choice on TV and also has a
March 24, 2021
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Which Korean military unit is the strongest?
A new military entertainment show “The Iron Squad,” which kicked off on Tuesday, will be the ultimate showdown to determine which branch of the armed forces is the strongest by pitting former members of different units against each other. Produced by Sky Channel and Channel A, the show is unlike many past military entertainment programs that featured celebrities experiencing military training. In the show, four former members each from six of the toughest military units -- Sea Sa
March 24, 2021
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‘Sing Again’ top 3 to return with ‘Famous Singer’
The top three finalists of JTBC’s hit audition program “Sing Again” -- Lee Seung-yoon, Jeong Hong-il and Lee Mu-jin -- will meet renowned artists in the broadcaster’s new entertainment show “Famous Singer” starting April 2. “Sing Again,” which ended last month, aimed to give a second chance to singers who never gained popularity. The program was a mega success and tickets for its concert featuring the top 10 finalists sold out within minutes, wit
March 21, 2021
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Rain to star in upcoming drama ‘Ghost Doctor’
Actor and singer Jung Ji-hoon, also known as Rain, confirmed on Wednesday that he will play the lead role of Cha Young-min in upcoming fantasy medical drama “Ghost Doctor.” The drama is about two doctors with polar opposite backgrounds, medical skills and personalities fusing together in body and soul. Cha is a selfish and proud doctor with unparalleled medical expertise. After being involved in a series of unexpected events, he works hard as a character that enters the body of ot
March 17, 2021
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JTBC’s one-act play continues with ‘Off the Course’
Broadcasting company JTBC continued its annual one-act play TV series “JTBC Drama Festa” with “Off the Course” which aired Monday and Tuesday. JTBC Drama Festa, which kicked off in 2017, gives rookie directors and screenwriters a chance to make a debut. Similar programs include KBS’ “Drama Special” and tvN’s “Drama Stage.” Although viewership rating remained low at less than 2 percent in previous years, actors, directors and screenwri
March 17, 2021
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Kakao TV’s original content gets 400 million views
Original content from Kakao TV has attracted 400 million views, entertainment company Kakao M said Friday. Streaming platform Kakao TV, which was launched in September, attained 100 million net views in November and 200 million views in January. The number of views per week quadrupled to 33 million from 8.3 million in September. Popular Kakao TV original series include the webtoon-based drama “No, Thank You,” which focuses on the lives of South Korean women and their in-laws, and
March 12, 2021
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Snowballing bullying scandal deals blow to TV series projects
The recent school bullying scandal that continues to roil the South Korean entertainment scene is now snowballing to affect several TV series projects starring some of the actors embroiled in the scandal. The scheduled airing of the college romance series "Dear. M" was postponed indefinitely after the emergence of accusations that its lead actress Park Hye-soo was allegedly involved in violence during her school days. The show was originally set to premiere on Feb. 26 on KBS, a public
March 4, 2021
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Regulator to appeal court decision against biz suspension of cable channel operator
South Korea's telecommunications regulator said Tuesday it will appeal a recent court decision to temporarily lift a suspension order against local cable TV channel MBN over accounting fraud. Last month, the Seoul Administrative Court granted an injunction sought by MBN against the six-month suspension order from the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), citing possible "irreversible" damage against the company. The KCC issued the suspension last October after it found that MBN mani
March 2, 2021