Most Popular
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Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors
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Hybe's multilabel system tested amid conflict with Ador
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SNU profs to suspend treatment for one day
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
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SK hynix pledges W20tr to ramp up DRAM production at home
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[Weekender] How Korean dramas hook global viewers
A longtime fan of Korean dramas, Yu Yijie, a 25-year-old Chinese graduate student at Kookmin University, instantly fell for Korean entertainment watching “Full House,” starring Rain and Song Hye-kyo, which aired in 2004. Since then, she has watched every popular Korean drama and gradually developed an interest in drama production. “I thought I would come to Korea (to study) when I was watching ‘My Girl’ in 2005, which was a huge hit in China, starring Lee Jun-ki and Lee Da-hae,” said Yu, in a ph
March 18, 2016
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[Weekender] ‘Makjang’: Escape into the absurd
A vindictive mother-in-law slaps the male lead with a thick wedge of kimchi. Neon green laser beams shoot out of a businessman’s eyes. A woman fakes her own death, gets plastic surgery and remarries her ex-husband to take revenge. These are scenarios that have actually aired on prime-time Korean television series, and moreover been met with favorable ratings. Locally, these types of shows are referred to as “makjang” -- vernacular for situations that seem too outrageous to be true. The genre is
March 18, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' renews viewership record
TV drama "Descendants of the Sun" has set a fresh viewership record for itself on the eighth episode, when Dr. Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) finally confesses her feelings for Army Capt. Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki), data showed Friday.The KBS 2TV series was viewed by 28.8 percent of TV homes nationwide on Thursday, up 0.3 percentage points from its previous record of 28.5 percent.In and around Seoul, the figure remained above the 30 percent mark, at 30.5 percent.In episode 8, Yoo enters a building
March 18, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' to premiere in Japan
South Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun" will come to Japan in June, its production company said Thursday.The KBS 2TV series, which has been broadcast simultaneously in China on the local video platform iQiyi, will start airing on the Japanese cable channel Eisei Gekijou, NEW said. Actor Song Joong-ki stars in KBS2 TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun.” (KBS2)Media reports have said broadcasting rights for show the starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo fetched $100,000 per
March 17, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' maintains strong viewership
The drama "Descendants of the Sun" has maintained a strong following for its seventh episode, with viewership in and around Seoul breaking 30 percent for the first time, data showed Thursday.The KBS 2TV series, starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo, was watched by 30.1 percent of the Seoul metropolitan area on Wednesday, data by Nielsen Korea showed.In Seoul, the show set a fresh record of 31.8 percent, but nationwide viewership inched down 0.2 percentage points to 28.5 percent.I
March 17, 2016
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Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi to be assigned to special forces command
Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi, who is undergoing basic training for military service, will be assigned to the Special Warfare Command next week, a military official said Thursday."Lee Seung-gi has been classified into the intelligence specialty group and will join the Special Warfare Command on March 21," the Army official said. Lee joined the Army in early February and has been undergoing boot camp like all other recruits.Lee's duty with the special forces command will be in administrative affairs,
March 17, 2016
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Actor Song Joong-ki attributes popularity to soldier-doctor couple
Actor Song Joong-ki said Wednesday the novelty of the soldier-doctor couple in the TV series "Descendants of the Sun" is probably what catapulted him to the center of attention lately."I think people like the idea of a doctor dating a soldier because it's different," he told reporters at Hyundai Motorstudio in southern Seoul. "Doctors have appeared in many dramas, but a soldier is a relatively uncommon occupation on TV. I think people appreciate that."Song plays the Army captain Yoo Si-jin who f
March 16, 2016
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Korean hit drama to get Chinese remake
The South Korean mega-hit TV drama "Pretty Woman" will get a Chinese version, its producer said Tuesday.Bon Factory said the Chinese remake of the popular MBC TV romantic drama, which gained great popularity last year, will be co-produced with China's J-Walk Studio, the entertainment agency for Chinese top star Yang Mi.The drama's author Cho Sung-hee will participate in the joint production to revive the drama's original traits, according to Bon Factory.Details such as who will become the main a
March 15, 2016
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Actor Song Joong-ki toes line between pretty, masculine in 'Descendants of the Sun'
Rarely have the words "pretty" and "masculine" been used to describe the same person, but actor Song Joong-ki is an exception.Song, who portrays the relentlessly romantic Yoo Si-jin in "Descendants of the Sun," has proven that pretty boys can be just as manly, if not more so than the Don Drapers typically cast in such roles.In the KBS 2TV series, Yoo plays the Army captain who not-so-subtly admires Dr. Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo). Even though his lines border on sexual harassment -- "Are you sti
March 15, 2016
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Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo to promote show in Hong Kong
Actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo will leave for Hong Kong to promote their drama "Descendants of the Sun" next month, the actor's talent agency said Tuesday.They will likely hold a promotional event some time before April 6, which is when the KBS 2TV series will premiere on the channel Viu TV in Hong Kong, Blossom Entertainment said.It'll be their first promotional tour abroad since the show, broadcast simultaneously in South Korea and China, started last month.It's unclear whether o
March 15, 2016
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‘Descendants of the Sun’ hits 440m views in China
The popularity of KBS2 TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” in China apparently has the nation’s government on edge. On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Public Security posted a warning against watching “Descendants of the Sun” on its official Weibo site. “An enormous fandom of Korean drama ‘Descendants of the Sun’ starring Song Joong-ki has emerged as it began to air in Korea and China. It is easy to see that many have fallen in love with the male lead Song,” it said, warning that “watching K
March 14, 2016
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Korea to host Mrs. World Pageant 2016 in Sept.
South Korea will host the 28th Mrs. World, a global pageant for married women, hoping to boost cultural exchange and the nation's thriving beauty business, the organizing committee said Monday. Mrs. World 2016 will run from Sept. 20-Oct. 4, bringing representatives from over 70 nations, the Mrs. World Korea Organizing Committee said. Currently, the western port city of Incheon and southeastern port city Busan are competing to host the event, it said. "We will jointly work with local businesses
March 14, 2016
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KBS tightens grip with ‘Descendants of the Sun,’ ‘Signal’ hogs cable viewership
KBS continued its ratings lead over terrestrial networks with its drama "Descendants of the Sun" last week, with tvN's "Signal" capturing the top cable viewership as it held its season finale, data showed Monday.Starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo, "Descendants of the Sun" fetched 28.0 percent of viewers between last Monday and Sunday, data by Nielsen Korea showed.In Seoul, it claimed 31.2 percent on Thursday, the first time the show has entered the 30 percent range."Descendant
March 14, 2016
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Drama 'Signal' concludes with double-digit viewership
The popular crime drama "Signal" has ended with a double-digit viewership, defying the long-held notion that romantic comedies and family dramas are the only genres that can command such popularity in Korea.The finale of the 16-part series was open-ended on Saturday, with criminal profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) and detective Cha Su-hyeon (Kim Hye-soo) learning that officer Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong), who has been missing for 15 years, may actually be alive at a hideout in a nursing facil
March 14, 2016
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Hwang Chi-yeol potentially a final winner in Chinese ‘I am A Singer’
Korean singer Hwang Chi-yeol, who is competing on the Chinese popular singing survival show “I am A Singer,” is ranking high on the program and his chances of becoming the final winner is rising. Singer Hwnag Chi-yeol (Hunan TV)In the latest ninth episode that aired on Friday, Hwang sang “You are Only in a Place Slightly Higher,” which was originally sung by Korean singer Shin Seung-hoon.” He showed off his explosive ability and expressive emotions. After the performance, he ranked fourth amon
March 13, 2016
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G-Dragon, Park Bo-gum, Girls’ Generation and Song Joong-ki picked as style icons
Style Icon Asia, or SIA, officially announced its list of top ten Style Icon celebrities on Saturday. The list includes Big Bang’s leader G-Dragon, Girls’ Generation, actors Park Bo-gum, Song Seung-heon, Song Joong-ki, Yoo Ah-in, Lee Jung-jae, actresses Lee Honey and Ha Ji-won, as well as Chinese singer-actor Li Yi Feng. Style Icon Asia (CJ E&M)The stars were chosen through a survey by sponsoring company CJ E&M via SIA’s official website and Chinese internet service portal Tencent from Jan. 29 t
March 13, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Angolan artiste Coreon Du talks Seoul Drama Awards win
To the locals of Angola, Coreon Du needs no introduction. The 31-year-old artiste is widely talked about in Africa -- he is a singer, musician, TV producer and fashion designer.Last year, he was named by Forbes Magazine as one of 15 Young Africans Rebranding Africa. His critically-acclaimed 2010 debut album “The Coreon Experiment,” fused the sounds of his Angolan culture with Kilapanga -- a type of traditional folk music --and global influences such as pop, semba and jazz. His telenovelas “Winde
March 13, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' commands six-figure tag in Japan
Sensational South Korean television series "Descendants of the Sun" has been exported to Japan with a big price tag, industry sources said Sunday, reviving a foray into the market that the country had trouble reaching lately.The sources said the KBS 2TV drama has been sold at $100,000 per episode. It airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the sixth episode of the 16-part series will be on air this Wednesday."Descendants of the Sun" is the first South Korean drama to command six figures per episod
March 13, 2016
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U.S. TV networks embrace ‘binge-watching,’ taking cue from Netflix
U.S. networks are changing the way they develop and release new shows, and even commercials, as they seek to adapt to new TV viewing habits and profit from the “binge-watching” made popular by video streaming services like Netflix.The changes could help offset declining audiences and the trend known as “cord cutting,” as a growing number of Americans opt to go without traditional cable or satellite television service and rely instead on Internet streaming video.Viacom Inc’s TV Land network is de
March 13, 2016
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Kwon Sang-woo to lead Chinese drama
Korean actor Kwon Sang-woo will play the main character on Chinese TV drama “Returning Love,” the actor’s agency SU Company announced Friday. Actor Kwon Sang-woo (SU Company) The drama series will depict the story of a man who suffers from amnesia following an earthquake. The man, played by Kwon, struggles in his relationships with two women -- his wife and a woman who took care of him as he suffered from amnesia -- while gradually regaining his memory. Kwon will leave for Beijing this month to
March 11, 2016