‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ ends on a questionable note

TvN coming-of-age romance drama “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” came to an end Sunday, landing top ratings for its time slot. Featuring the strong friendship of teen fencers Na Hee-do (played by Kim Tae-ri) and Ko Yu-rim (Bona) along with high school friends Ji Seung-wan (Lee Ju-myoung) and Moon Ji-woong (Choi Hyun-wook), “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” caught drama fans’ hearts with stories of teenagers pursuing their dreams. Viewers shared their thoughts about the series in

April 4, 2022

Kim Tae-ri makes extra efforts for teen character in 'Twenty Five Twenty One'

Star actress Kim Tae-ri said she made extra efforts to look as young as she could to play the part of a teenager in her latest TV series "Twenty Five Twenty One." In the tvN's rom-com, which released its final 16th episode Sunday, Kim, 31, plays Hee-do, a member of a high school fencing team that is about to be disbanded due to financial issues stemming from the Asianwide financial crisis that affected the country in the late 1990s. In an online media interview held Wednesday last week

April 4, 2022

Actor Kong Hyo-jin, singer-songwriter Kevin Oh confirm relationship

Actor Kong Hyo-jin and Korean American singer-songwriter Kevin Oh are in a relationship, Kong’s agency Management Soop and Oh confirmed. The couple was responding to marriage rumors after Kong caught the bouquet at top actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s wedding on Thursday. While confirming the relationship on Friday, Management Soop did not elaborate further on the marriage speculations. Oh, who is not represented by an agency, later on the same day posted a letter on his official

April 3, 2022

MBC presents new webtoon-based drama ‘Tomorrow’

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC starts airing a new fantasy series “Tomorrow” on Friday. The broadcaster’s new Friday-Saturday drama is an adaptation of a highly rated Naver Webtoon of the same title created by author Llama. Helmed by Kim Tae-yun, the director and screenwriter behind hit films “Perfect Number” (2012) and “New Trial” (2016), the series presents a star-studded lineup, including veteran actors Kim Hee-sun, model and actor Lee Soo-hyuk, actor

March 31, 2022

‘Queendom’ season 2: Six female K-pop acts face fiercer competition

Mnet’s hit survival program “Queendom” is returning with a second season, featuring six high-profile female K-pop acts vying to take home the top honor, along with an opportunity to air its global comeback show through the cable channel. The show will take on the same format as the previous season, which ended in October 2019, but this time also allows global fans to participate in the voting to pick their No. 1 “global queen.” The program’s first season r

March 30, 2022

'Business Proposal' tops Netflix viewership chart for 2nd week

South Korean romantic comedy "Business Proposal" topped Netflix's latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows for the second consecutive week, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The TV series, which has aired every Monday and Tuesday on SBS from Feb. 28, marked 30.9 million hours of viewing for the week of March 21-27 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs available on the service, according to the company. The show, based on the

March 30, 2022

Netflix stars Park Ju-hyun, Lee Yoo-mi to return with sports dramas

Actors Park Ju-hyun and Lee Yoo-mi, who made a name for themselves in Netflix’s Korean originals, are returning to the small screen as athletes. Park, 27, who caught global viewers’ attention with her performance of Bae Gyu-ri, a kleptomaniac high school student in “Extracurricular” (2020), is set to play badminton player Park Tae-yang in upcoming KBS sports drama “Love All Play.” The 16-part sports romance centers around a renowned badminton player, who w

March 29, 2022

Womance dramas dominate Korean television

Hit television dramas portraying the special bond between female characters have given rise to a genre called “womance.” A combination of the words “woman” and “romance,” womance refers to the non-sexual, tight bond between female characters that goes above and beyond ordinary friendship. Though there have been many films and television shows centering around “bromance” – a combination of the words “brother” and “romance

March 29, 2022

‘Pachinko’ Jin Ha apologizes for his creep shots on Tumblr

Jin Ha, who plays the grandson Solomon in the recently released Apple TV+ series “Pachinko,” on Saturday released an apology statement -- both in English and Korean -- for posting inappropriate photos on his Tumblr account, including surreptitiously taken images of older Korean women. The apology came after online criticism of the actor for posting over 90 “creep shots” of the women that were taken in public without permission on his “Korean Flowers in Bloom&rdqu

March 27, 2022

Cardi B to star in 'Baby Shark’s Big Show!' as Sharki B

Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is collaborating with American rap superstar Cardi B. The rapper is scheduled to guest-star in “Baby Shark’s Big Show!”, a television program jointly produced by Pinkfong and children’s entertainment network Nickelodeon, according to a press release from The Pinkfong Company on Friday. “Inspired by the rapper, a new character Sharki B and her family -- Offshark (played by Cardi B’s

March 25, 2022

Iconic ‘Gayo Top 10’ revived after 25 years with K-pop artists performing on virtual stage

State-run broadcaster KBS’ legendary music program “Gayo Top 10” is set to return for the first time in 25 years on both YouTube and TV, bringing performances from some of the hottest acts in K-pop to the virtual world. “Virtual Gayo Top 10” will carry on the tradition of “Gayo Top 10,” which ended its 17-year run in February 1998. Applying the format of giving the “Golden Cup” to artists when their songs stay at the No. 1 spot for five con

March 25, 2022

‘Squid Game’ creator hints at return of Jung Ho-yeon in season 2

After “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said the series will return with a second season due to popular demand, one burning question remains: Who will be starring in the next season? On the red carpet at the Producers Guild Awards ceremony on March 19, Hwang said told the press that he was working on many ideas and hinted that Jung Ho-yeon might play the role of a twin sister to Sae-byeok, Jung’s character who died in the final game of season 1. However, it may be prematu

March 22, 2022

Lee Byung-hun to play traveling salesman in star-studded ‘Our Blues’

Top actor Lee Byung-hun, 51, is set to make his small-screen return in tvN’s new Saturday-Sunday drama “Our Blues” scheduled to premiere April 9. Playing Jeju-born salesman Lee Dong-suk, he travels the island in a truck selling all kinds of household goods and clothing. Lee’s new role is a stark contrast to his previous role as a charismatic US Marine in period drama “Mr. Sunshine” released in 2018. “Our Blues” is one of the most anticipated dra

March 20, 2022

Lee You-mi to lead tvN’s upcoming series ‘Mental Coach Je Gal Gil’

Actor Lee You-mi, who shot to stardom in Netflix’s “Squid Game” and “All of Us Are Dead,” has been cast in a new sports drama called “Mental Coach Je Gal Gil.” In the upcoming tvN series, Lee plays the female lead for the first time, her agency Varo Entertainment said Saturday. The series presents the stories of former world short track medalist Cha Ga-eul (played by Lee), who is especially hard on herself. Cha Ga-eul, once a short track prospect, is

March 20, 2022

Jung Ho-yeon to star in new Cuaron thriller series alongside Cate Blanchett

Jung Ho-yeon, 28, the rising actor from Netflix’s global sensation “Squid Game,” is officially on board to star in “Disclaimer,” a new Apple TV+ series by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron, according to US entertainment magazine Variety on Friday. The upcoming series is based on the thriller novel “Disclaimer” by Renee Knight, published in 2015. Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a popular television documentary journalist who uncovers wr

March 20, 2022

Apple TV+ series ‘Pachinko’ to present Korean-specific, but also universal, story

Although the story of Apple TV+ series “Pachinko” appears to be specific to Korean history, the series’ co-director Kogonada said it is more than just that. “I think this story is specific to Korean history but also deeply universal,” Kogonada said during an online event with Korean media from Los Angeles on Friday. “Even today, we know that people are being displaced, and families are having to make choices on how to survive. And this is a common story thro

March 18, 2022

'Pachinko' tells universal story of immigrants through Korean family: director

A co-director of the upcoming period drama "Pachinko" said Friday the show is specifically about a Korean family moving to Japan in the 20th century, but it also tells a timelessly universal story of immigrants throughout the world. Based on the namesake novel written by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, the latest Apple TV+ original series depicts the life of Sunja, born to a poor family in Busan in the early 1900s. The 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule forces her to move to Japan, a

March 18, 2022

'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae returns home after Critics Choice honor

Lee Jung-jae of "Squid Game" on Thursday returned home after winning best TV drama series actor at the Critics Choice Awards. "The award is not only given to myself but also to all people who love Korean content," Lee said through his management agency, after arriving at Incheon International Airport from the United States. "I hope to hear more pleasing and significant news about Korean content in the future." At the Critics Choice Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on

March 17, 2022

S. Korean TV directors set to tap into Hollywood

Talented South Korean directors of popular TV series are poised to begin their Hollywood career amid the unprecedentedly strong presence of Korean content across the world. Director Lee Myung-woo, who helmed the action comedy "The Fiery Priest" (2019) and the crime thriller "One Ordinary Day" (2021), signed a contract with the American talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) last month. The CAA is one of the biggest management agencies in North America, representing filmm

March 16, 2022

‘Squid Game’ makes history again with two Critics Choice Awards

Netflix’s global megahit drama “Squid Game” won two trophies at the 27th Critics Choice Awards held in Los Angeles on Monday. The show’s lead Lee Jung-jae won best actor in a drama series for his role as Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man who takes part in the deadly “Squid Game.” “Thank you, god. Thank you very much Critics Choice Awards and everyone who loved and supported ‘Squid Game.’ I can’t express how wonderful I am. Th

March 14, 2022