Producers at broadcaster KBS apologized to fans on Friday for controversial questions asked to K-pop girl group Brave Girls in a YouTube video, but stopped short of apologizing to Brave Girls. The producers of the online program “Sketchbook Without You Heeyeol” uploaded a preview of the group before their appearance on “You Heeyeol’s Sketchbook” on Friday. In the video, the four members of Brave...

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 featuri...

With Korea now better known around the world, there is less demand for introductory books on Korea and a higher interest for fictions by notable authors like Han Kang in English, compilations of Korean traditional stories and books about K-pop, among others. For those interested in finding and reading Korean literature in English, the best odds of finding them lies here. By Lim Jang-won ( ljw@...

A survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute survey showed that Koreans are becoming more relaxed about domestic travel as the COVID-19 situation continues. KCTI conducted online survey about traveling amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May last year on 2,000 Koreans over 15 and did a follow up survey last November on the same subjects, to which 1,079 responded. The results showed that Koreans b...

Enjoy spring at Novotel Ambassador Doksan Novotel Ambassador Doksan offers a spring picnic package until the end of May, allowing guests to enjoy both a staycation and a picnic. The package comes with a one-night stay, a picnic set consisting of two Americanos and one sandwich, and complementary use of the fitness club with its sauna, indoor swimming pool and gym. Those reserving online with a ...

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 i...

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 previou...

South Korean director Erick Oh’s short animation “Opera” made the final list of nominees Monday for the Oscar for best animated short film. “It is such an incredible honor to have ‘Opera’ nominated for an Oscar!” said Oh from California. “I hope this recognition will bring a very positive impact on all the creators and audiences out there because ‘Opera’ presents a different way to view and enjo...

Social media can be used to keep production costs manageable as well. The editors of the Seoul Review of Books, vegan magazine Moolgyul, feminist magazine RADish, independent magazine Quarterly Alone and film magazine FILO used Tumblebug to carry out crowdfunding campaigns. Smaller magazines can also opt to publish on an irregular basis and use social media to alert loyal readers to an upcoming ...

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 “...

The trails around the Joseon royal tombs in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province that have undergone maintenance work will also feature peach blossoms and other flowers, such as the Japanese cornel and the Korean rosebay. In observance of the social distancing guidelines, the Royal Palace and Tomb Center is insisting on a 3-meter distance between visitors, making visitors walk in one direction and requir...

Meanwhile, an offline exhibition for “Opera” is coming to Korea later this year. “‘Opera’ is originally designed to be showcased in a gallery space, and fortunately Korea is one of the few countries that can open galleries and exhibitions because Korea really did a great job managing this pandemic situation. We are planning to utilize projection mapping technology so it’ll be a full immersive ex...

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel offers ‘Spring, Rejuvenate You’ promotion Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, located in Songdo, Incheon, offers its “Spring, Rejuvenate You” promotion at the Feast buffet on the first floor. Dishes prepared with ingredients found in spring to help boost immunity will be the main dishes on the buffet until the end of April. The special spring cuisine includes fresh spring...

The Korea Association of Games Industry announced on Monday that Busan will continue to host the G-Star gaming exhibition until 2028. G-star is the country’s largest gaming exhibition held annually in November featuring games and developers from around the globe. After kicking off in Seoul in 2005, it relocated to Busan in 2009 and has been held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center ever...

The online survey conducted by Riot Games Korea involved 1,000 people from ages 14 to 49 who have watched at least one LCK game, to find out specifically about the LCK audience. The average age of people who play LoL was 23, with around 80 percent of the entire player base for LoL being 30 or younger, according to Riot Games. Contrary to the perception that students make up the bulk of esports w...