Controversy surrounding actor Seo Yea-ji has continued to mount, as more allegations of bullying have surfaced, despite denials from her agency in an official statement. An alleged staffer that used to work with the actress posted on an online portal early Wednesday morning that Seo had regularly mistreated her staff members in her agency, Gold Medalist. “As a staff member going around in the s...

After recent drama fiascos, Chinese investment seen as poisoned chalice

In response to the brewing controversy, JTBC last month released the plot for the drama and denied the allegations, but apparently to no avail judging by the number of petitioners. “The current controversy stems from combining fragmented information from an incomplete synopsis and character introductions that were leaked online. Suspicion has been added to information fragments, making false inf...

The third season of TV Chosun reality show “Taste of Wife” will end earlier than planned, as actress Ham So-won and the show producers apologized Thursday for fabricating many elements of the show. The show became mired in controversy when viewers alleged that the program‘s most popular couple, Ham and her husband Jin Hua, had fabricated several scenes in the reality show that looks at the every...

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...

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...

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) a...

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 t...

"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...

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 f...

Comedian mired in controversy for R-rated jokes on YouTube show

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...

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, produ...

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...

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 dram...