Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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‘Tomorrow With You’ kicks off to mixed responses
The first two episodes of the new drama series “Tomorrow With You” aired on Friday and Saturday, featuring a mix of time-travel fantasy and destined romance.The first episode kicked off with a 3.9 percent viewership while ratings for the second episode slipped slightly to 2.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. Though the figures are lagging when compared to the pilot of the preceding show “Guardian: The Great and Lonely God,” which averaged a 6.9 percent viewership, viewers responded with favo
Feb. 5, 2017
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Korean dramas enjoy huge wave of popularity in US
South Korean dramas have become another driving force of the "hallyu" craze, or the Asia-wide boom of Korean culture, along with K-pop in the United States, a Seoul-based cultural agency said Friday. According to a recent report released by the Korea Creative Content Agency's (KOCCA) U.S. office, Korean TV series, particularly romantic comedies, are riding a huge wave of popularity among women in their teens to early 30s in America. The report is based on an online survey conducted by the KOCCA
Feb. 3, 2017
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Actress Moon Geun-young receives emergency operation, cancels play
Actress Moon Geun-young received emergency surgery earlier this week to treat right-arm muscle pain and canceled her planned stage performances, her agency said Friday.Moon was diagnosed with compartment syndrome after visiting a hospital Wednesday for sudden pain in her right arm, her agency Namoo Actors said. (Yonhap)Compartment syndrome is a condition that occurs when excessive tissue pressure builds up in compartments containing muscles and nerves. It can lead to permanent muscle and nerve d
Feb. 3, 2017
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'Legend of the Blue Sea' writer vows legal action against plagiarism charge
Park Ji-eun, screenwriter of SBS TV's "Legend of the Blue Sea," said Thursday she will take legal action against accusations her mermaid show copied an unmade-film scenario. (Yonhap)In a joint statement released with the show's production company Culture Depot, Park said she will launch a "strong legal response" against what she described as "false accusations."Screenwriter Park Ki-hyun on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Park Ji-eun, claiming that the TV series violated copyrights of an unmade m
Feb. 2, 2017
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Major K-pop agencies expand reach to TV industry
Korea‘s major K-pop agencies have tapped into new areas like fashion, cosmetics and food in recent years to generate more money and make full use of K-pop idols in high demand at home and abroad.Now the companies are broadening their reach even further into the television industry, casting their stars in their own variety shows and drama series.Leading the industry trend is YG Entertainment that manages globally renowned K-pop stars, such as Psy and BIGBANG. YG announced on Wednesday that it has
Feb. 2, 2017
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Actress Hwang Jung-eum expecting a baby
Actress and former singer Hwang Jung-eum is expecting a baby, due in autumn, her agency said Thursday. (Yonhap)C-JeS Entertainment said the actress will take a temporary break from her acting career to take care of her health.Hwang married golfer-turned-entrepreneur Lee Young-don last February. She began her career as a member of Sugar in 2002. Four years later, the group disbanded and she became fully committed to acting. She's appeared in various popular TV series including "Kill Me, Heal Me,"
Feb. 2, 2017
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Crime thriller 'Defendant' surpasses 20% TV viewership in capital area
SBS TV's "Defendant" appears to have clinched its lead in the Monday-Tuesday late night drama race, with more than 20 percent of TV-watching households in and around Seoul tuning into the new series, data showed Wednesday. (Yonhap)The show's fourth episode that aired Tuesday recorded a 20.8 percent viewership among the Seoul metropolitan area households, while snatching an 18.7 percent score nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.Its competitors, MBC TV's "Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People" and
Feb. 1, 2017
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'Guardian' ends chart run with hurrah, 'Missing Nine' debuts at No. 3
"Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," which recently rewrote cable TV ratings history, secured a four-week winning streak on a benchmark TV popularity chart, while new castaway drama "Missing Nine" debuted at No. 3, data showed Tuesday. (tvN)tvN's "Guardian," which ended its 16-episode run on Jan. 21, scored 301.2 points on the Content Power Index, becoming the No. 1 among TV programs during Jan. 16-22.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of T
Jan. 31, 2017
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'Legend of the Blue Sea' ends strong despite being too familiar
To many, SBS TV's "Legend of the Blue Sea" ended up as somewhat of an artistic letdown. Famed screenwriter Park Ji-eun's time-slip tale of star-crossed lovers was criticized by many viewers for being derivative and too familiar.But that doesn't mean people tuned out. On the contrary, Wednesday's happy-ending finale claimed the No. 1 spot among its competitors in the same time slot, garnering a 17.9 percent nationwide viewership, according to Nielson Korea. (SBS)The take away? Star power still ma
Jan. 26, 2017
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Lee Young-ae aimed to show boldness behind the good, wise wife
Returning to television drama after 14 years, Lee Young-ae said she wants to portray a passionate, modern rendition of a historical figure in her latest role. “Saimdang, Light’s Diary,” which launches Thursday at 10 p.m. on SBS, alternates between the present and the past. Lee plays both Seo Ji-yoon, an art history student living in modern-day Seoul, and Shin Saimdang, a famed poet, artist and scholar of the Joseon era, as their lives overlap.“I thought it would be interesting if I could show th
Jan. 25, 2017
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Actor Lee Dong-wook goes on Asia tour
South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook, riding a huge wave of popularity thanks to his character on the recent tvN hit drama "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" is to embark on an Asia tour to meet fans, his agency said Wednesday. (King Kong Entertainment)According to Kingkong Entertainment, the actor will kick off a series of meet-and-greets in Seoul on March 12, and then visit other various regions in Asia starting from April."Lee has been preparing for the upcoming event in his spare time despite
Jan. 25, 2017
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Tale of time travel romance succeeds hit drama ‘Guardian’
Yet another fantasy romance series -- “Tomorrow With You”-- is set to follow the recently concluded hit tvN series “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” which featured a hybrid of modern times and traditional Korean folktale elements.A love story featuring time travel and mystery, “Tomorrow With You” is a “a mix of genres,” according to its producer Yoo Je-won, who spoke at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. “But it’s heartwarming and comforting,” he said. “I hope viewers focus on the romanc
Jan. 24, 2017
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'Guardian' reigns TV chart, 'Infinite Challenge' soars to No. 2
"Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," the hit tvN drama which ended last week, held on to its lead on a TV popularity chart to claim a three-week winning streak, data showed Tuesday. (tvN)"Guardian," which ended its 16-episode run last Saturday, scored 315.1 points on the Content Power Index, becoming No. 1 among TV programs during Jan. 9-Jan. 15.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stor
Jan. 24, 2017
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‘Tomorrow With You,’ time-traveling romance on subway train
Yet another fantasy romance series -- “Tomorrow With You”-- is set to follow the recently concluded hit tvN series “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” which featured a hybrid of modern times and traditional Korean fairy-tale elementsA love story featuring time travel, mystery and intrigue, “Tomorrow With You” is a “a mix of genres,” according to its producer Yoo Je-won, who spoke at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. “But it’s very heartwarming and comforting,” he said. “I hope viewers foc
Jan. 23, 2017
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Local version of 'Running Man' becomes most popular reality show in China
(Yonhap)Chinese remakes of Korean reality programs show strong performance in viewership, the Beijing office of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) said Monday.Among the top 20 reality shows which went on air in China last year, seven programs turned out to be remakes of Korean shows. They are ranked in order of viewership rates at their peak during the run of each program."Hurry Up, Brother," the Chinese version of Korea's popular reality show "Running Man," has snatched the number one an
Jan. 23, 2017
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Novelty factor drives success of ‘Phantom Singer’
With the final episode of its inaugural season just around the corner, “Phantom Singer” is enjoying greater popularity than expected.Segment one of the finale, which aired last Friday, notched up a 5.3 percent viewership according to ratings agency Nielsen Korea. While not eye-popping, the figure is high for a cable TV program.The feat is even more impressive when compared to abysmal final episode of Mnet’s singing competition show “Superstar K,” which was watched by only 1.2 percent of viewers.
Jan. 22, 2017
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Last episode of fantasy rom-com 'Guardian' boasts record viewership
A TV series about a goblin under the spell of eternal life posted a record-breaking viewership rating of 20.5 percent, data showed Sunday, becoming the first cable channel program to achieve over 20 percent.The last episode of the drama, which aired Saturday, surpassed the rating of 19.6 percent posted by another hit cable series, "Reply 1988," on Jan. 16, 2016, according to data compiled by media ratings company Nielsen Korea."Guardian" had posted a record-breaking viewership of 6.9 percent for
Jan. 22, 2017
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Long-awaited ‘Saimdang’ to air first in Korea
The much-anticipated period drama series “Saimdang, Memoir of Colors” is set to begin airing on Korean broadcasting network SBS next Thursday. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, the show’s writer and director said that the goal of airing the series simultaneously in China has been thwarted.Since August, Beijing has reportedly been banning Korean actors from starring in Chinese productions and restricting the import of Korean content, moves allegedly arising from diplomatic tension between the two co
Jan. 18, 2017
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Amid THAAD spat, 'Saimdang' director hopes to bring the show to China
Director of the highly-anticipated Lee Young-ae drama "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors' on Tuesday asked Beijing to approve his show's Chinese broadcast amid a reported Korean culture ban sparked by diplomatic tension between the two countries."About the subject of simultaneous airing in China, its true that Korea-China (cultural) relation was better before (the Korean pop culture ban). But the fact is 'Saimdang' approval (byregulators) remains pending," Director Yoon Sang-ho said during a press conf
Jan. 17, 2017
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Russian state television blames hackers for BBC Sherlock finale leak
MOSCOW (AFP) - A Russian state-controlled broadcaster on Monday blamed hackers for the embarrassing leak online of the final episode of the BBC drama Sherlock a day before it was due to air.Russia‘s Channel One was set to broadcast the final episode of the fourth series of the popular detective drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch on Monday just after midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT), simultaneously with Britain.But the full episode professionally dubbed into Russian by the channel was leaked onli
Jan. 17, 2017