Articles by Lee Si-jin
Lee Si-jin
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com-
‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ creators delighted by series’ popularity
With half of its series released as of July 21, television channel ENA’s legal drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a story about a gifted, autistic attorney, has been writing history. It topped global streaming platform Netflix’s weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows at the second week of July. It made ENA the most-watched channel during Wednesday-Thursday’s prime time with viewership rating of 13.1 percent, the highest number in the channel’s his
Television July 27, 2022
-
[Feature] Caught between plagiarism and 'referencing'
Though renowned South Korean singer-songwriter You Hee-yul issued multiple apologies and has stepped down from the KBS music program “You Heeyul’s Sketchbook,” a heated debate over plagiarism claims is unlikely to die down anytime soon as more claims of plagiarism by K-pop artists surface. The controversy erupted in mid-June, when a post surfaced online claiming that You’s 2021 track “A Very Private Night” felt almost identical to Japanese composer Ryuichi S
Performance July 26, 2022
-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Taebaek Sunflower Festival The 18th edition of Taebaek Sunflower Festival is scheduled to run from July 22 to Aug. 7 at Guwau Village in Taebaek, Gangwon Province. Presenting colorful wildflowers and seemingly endless fields of sunflowers, known to be the largest sunflower patch in South Korea, the festival welcomes flower lovers of all ages. The array of 300 species of wildflowers and sunflowers make for stunning Instagram photos. The festival offers hands-on programs to entertain visitors,
Travel July 22, 2022
-
[Herald Interview] Director explains why ‘Remarriage & Desires’ eschews erotic scenes
While they enjoy increasing popularity worldwide, one of the few criticisms that Netflix‘s Korean originals face from viewers is that they often include too many“ unnecessary ”erotic scenes that do not relate to the stories or are seemingly only used to be provocative. But despite its themes of love, marriage and infidelity, “Remarriage & Desires” director Kim Jung-min decided to resist the temptation. Directors Kim Jin-min of “My Name” (2021) an
Television July 21, 2022
-
[Herald Interview] ‘Remarriage & Desires’ offers new look at society: Kim Hee-seon
Marriage, infidelity, divorce, low morals, social climbers, political and business feuds were some of the major setting and themes that captivated Korean TV viewers up until a few years ago. With their seemingly identical characters and implausible stories, such series were labeled “makjang dramas” and seen as trashy soap operas. But while Netflix’s latest presentation revolves around similar themes -- with an upper-class matchmaking company the central point of the drama --
Television July 20, 2022
-
Tooniverse to air hit Nickelodeon animated series
Tooniverse, a leading South Korean animation channel and an affiliate of South Korea’s entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, will air Nickelodeon series starting in August. Titled “Nickelodeon Time,” Tooniverse will present hit American animated series daily from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The animated comedy series “SpongeBob SquarePants” is set to air at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 p.m. on weekends. The show, featuring a square yellow sponge character, ha
Television July 18, 2022
-
Take a light walk, eat to beat the heat at Namhansanseong
SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- While most people try to fight to summer heat with indoor air conditioning and ice-cold drinks, some Koreans still hold on to the saying that you can beat the heat with heat -- like eating piping hot dishes or exercising outdoors in the hot, humid weather. If you want to test this maxim handed down through generations, consider walking Namhansanseong-gil in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Located just to the east of Seoul, Namhansanseong-gil is one of seven courses
Travel July 16, 2022
-
Pinkfong to expand IP-based NFTs
Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is set to sell shark family-related non-fungible tokens on the digital art platform and marketplace MakersPlace in the third quarter of the year. According to the company, a total of 10,000 generative art NFTs, including the members of shark family -- Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, Alec (the grandfather shark) and Ollie, the Little Baby Shark -- and background images, will be produced for the upcoming projec
Cartoon July 15, 2022
-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Vacation in Snoopy Garden The Vacation in Snoopy Garden is scheduled to run through Aug. 31 on Jeju Island. Held at Snoopy Garden in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup of Jeju City, on the western side of the island, the festival allows the visitors to stroll through Peanuts comics-themed gardens, featuring the major characters, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Ranging from a garden to a cafe and souvenir store, various sites in Snoopy Garden will entertain cartoon-lovers of all ages. Tickets cost 18
Travel July 15, 2022
-
Netflix sees Korea as proving ground for hit content
Global streaming service Netflix seeks to catch the eyes of Korean viewers by strengthening its unscripted content lineup. “I personally think the Korean viewers have strict standards and high expectations of variety programs. Our team believes that winning the local audiences’ heart is important. This may lead the show to become a global hit like ‘Single’s Inferno,’” Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix’s manager of content, said in a press conference held at Communi
Television July 14, 2022
-
Choi Dong-hoon hopes 'Alienoid' is as entertaining as 'The Avengers'
From a boomerang-shaped spaceship, an exoskeleton powered by a fictional source and a time-traveling vehicle to a dynamic gun fight and fan-wielding magician from the Goryeo period (918-1391), director Choi Dong-hoon’s latest sci-fi-action film “Alienoid” has many elements that connect past, present and future. “I wanted to make a movie as fun as Marvel‘s ’The Avengers,‘ but with a Korean twist. I really wanted the audience to enjoy ’Alienoid&lsq
Film July 14, 2022
-
'Squid Game' nets 14 Emmy nominations
Netflix’s South Korean megahit “Squid Game” has been nominated for 14 awards at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first non-English best drama series nominee, the Academy of Television Arts and Science announced Tuesday. The 16-part “Squid Game” vies for the best drama series award with “Better Call Saul,” “Euphoria,” “Ozark,” “Stranger Things,” “Succession” and “Yellowjackets,” whi
Television July 13, 2022
-
Korean dating reality shows have viewers hooked on romance
From terrestrial broadcasts to local streaming services, there seems to be no end to the amount of dating reality shows available to viewers. Cable channel MBN’s hard-hitting dating show “Love After Divorce” returned with season 3 on June 26, while “Singles Inferno,” the first-ever Korean reality show to soar to the No. 5 slot on Netflix’s most popular shows, is set to come back with a second season this December. Content creators of hit romance reality sh
Television July 12, 2022
-
[Feature] LGBTQ streaming content influences Koreans' perception of sexual minorities
Two men fall into each other‘s arms on a bed. This scene, which might have been nearly unthinkable on Korean TV only a few years ago due to negative attitudes toward homosexuality, was part of the first episode of Korean streaming service Wavve’s new reality show “Merry Queer,” starring gay, lesbian and transgender couples. The co-hosts of the show, famous comedian Shin Dong-yup and TV personality and restaurateur Hong Seok-cheon, who came out as gay several years ago,
Television July 11, 2022
-
Jang Hyuk, Ryu Seung-ryong win awards at NY film fest
Acclaimed Korean stars and content creators are set to take center stage at the upcoming New York Asian Film Festival 2022, with actors Jang Hyuk and Ryu Seung-ryong, among others, winning awards at the fest. According to NYAFF, Jang won the Daniel A. Craft Award for excellence in action cinema for his roles in “The Swordsman” (2020) and “The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die,” which will be shown during a special screening at NYAFF. Ryu will receive the inaugural Bes
Film July 10, 2022
Most Popular
-
1
Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
-
2
Bae Doo-na shares portraying Korean identity in Hollywood's 'Rebel Moon'
-
3
S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
-
4
[From the Scene] Monks, Buddhists hail return of remains of Buddhas
-
5
Medical schools granted enrollment quota flexibility for next year
-
6
Yoon offers first one-on-one meeting with opposition leader next week
-
7
France rejects opening Paris flight routes to T'way Air, deals blow to Korean Air merger
-
8
Chinese man behind drug scam targeting teens nabbed in Cambodia
-
9
Iran fires air defense batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
-
10
Police find more evidence of murder-suicide in Paju hotel death case