Having benefited heavily from the webtoon boom that surged during the height of the pandemic, South Korea has marked webtoons as a key driver for future growth. In January, the Culture Ministry announced plans to invest approximately 4 billion won ($3 million) to boost webtoon production and commercialization. Major IT players such as Naver and Kakao also embraced webtoons as a key part of their strategic vision, with Naver listing its webtoon subsidiary on Nasdaq in June. Recent data such as co

Culture Sept. 16, 2024

Dramas depicting intercultural romances between Japanese and Korean characters are all the rage right now, amid efforts to draw in a broader audience and leverage larger production budgets, according to industry officials, Friday. In Japan, hit romance fantasy series "Eye Love You" lit up the schedules in the early part of the year. The drama depicted the love story of Yoon Tae-oh (Chae Jong-hyeop), a Korean graduate student in Japan, and Yuri (Fumi Nikaido), a CEO with the ability to

Television Sept. 13, 2024

Featuring Japanese heartthrob Kentaro Sakaguchi and Korean actor Lee Se-young, the upcoming Coupang Play's romance series "What Comes After Love" explores a timeless question: What happens when former lovers unexpectedly cross paths once again. "What Comes After Love" narrates the story of Choi Hong (Lee Se-young) and Aoki Jungo (Kentaro Sakaguchi), who meet again by chance five years after splitting up. The series is adapted from the novel of the same name, co-authored

Television Sept. 12, 2024

Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" will be the biggest cooking survival show in Korean entertainment show history, according to the show's producers, Wednesday. "Culinary Class Wars" features cook-offs featuring 100 contestants split into two teams: the white team, composed of Korea's top chefs, and the black team, made up of little-known chefs and cooks such as local restaurant owners. The contestants will face off in multiple elimination rounds with a panel of j

Television Sept. 11, 2024

The Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of the largest comics events in the nation, is slated to commence its four-day run from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6, with this year's festival placing a special emphasis on fostering international exchanges in comics. The 2024 BICOF will kick off with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m., Oct, 3, at Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony will include the Bucheon Comics Awards, an event which annually honors popular Korean comics. Accordi

Culture Sept. 10, 2024

The Korean content industry should seek out ways to diverse monetizing opportunities, experts told a global conference on streaming industries in Asia. Speaking at the conference titled "Korea in View" held Aug. 29, Marianne Lee, chief of content acquisition and development at streaming platform Viu, said the content industry in Korea is going through a "correction period," in which the industry is now struggling to keep up with soaring production costs, which have risen four

Television Sept. 10, 2024

Auteur Park Chan-wook clinched the Golden Bird Prize at this year's Seoul International Drama Awards for his significant impact on the drama industry with "The Sympathizer," according to the awards organizing committee on Monday. Seoul International Drama Awards, hosted annually by the SDA organizing committee and the Korean Broadcasters Association since 2006, celebrates outstanding achievements in drama series from around the world. This year’s awards ceremony logged a rec

Television Sept. 9, 2024

Veteran actor Kim Myung-min said he drew inspiration from the iconic American gangster film "The Godfather" while portraying the crime lord in the hit series "Your Honor." "Your Honor," an adaptation of the Israeli series "Kvodo," follows Judge Pan-ho (played by Son Hyun-joo), who seeks to cover up a murder committed by his son, and Gang-heon (played by Kim), a merciless crime lord who is determined to uncover the truth behind his son's murder. The se

Television Sept. 9, 2024

South Korea is set to host its first-ever global webtoon festival and awards ceremony, highlighting the country's leading role in the growing global popularity of webtoons, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Sunday. The 2024 World Webtoon Festival will run from Sept. 26 to 29 at various venues across Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The festival will kick off with the 2024 World Webtoon Awards on the opening day at S-Factory in Seongsu-dong, a retail, event and cultu

Culture Sept. 8, 2024

Jung Jong-yeon, producer of the hit Netflix survival game series "The Devil's Plan," said the series' second season has been upgraded to showcase an intricately designed filming set, alongside games created by some of his most dedicated fans. In its first season, "The Devil's Plan" brought together 12 contestants, including actors, doctors and YouTubers, to compete in a battle of wit and strategy. Upon its release in September 2023, the show quickly gained glob

Television Sept. 4, 2024

Actor Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison by the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday for repeated drug use. The court ordered Yoo's immediate detention after handing down the sentence, which included a one-year prison term, a 2 million won fine ($1,489) and a surcharge of 1.54 million won. Yoo was ordered to pay a surcharge for the value of items obtained illegally. "Prescription narcotics, like propofol, are tightly controlled because of their potential for dependence an

Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2024

The director of Netflix's original thriller "The Frog" said he aimed to offer solace to viewers by sharing the stories of those who encounter sudden calamities and suffer deep isolation, their plight ignored by those around them. "The Frog" is an 8-part mystery thriller centered on Young-ha (Kim Yun-seok), who operates a pension in the woods. Seeking a quiet life away from the world, Young-ha's peace is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious guest, Sung-ah (Go Min

Television Sept. 3, 2024

The K-drama industry must improve its overseas retail strategies and adopt seasonal formats to become an IP powerhouse, according to media experts. During "Korea In View," a series of talk sessions held Thursday as a part of Broadcast Worldwide (BCWW) 2024, the chief researcher at Export-Import Bank of Korea remarked that Korea currently suffers from its content being stockpiled. Broadcast Worldwide (BCWW) 2024 is an annual gathering of global broadcasters. "It's true that K-

Television Sept. 2, 2024

South Korean actor Yoo Teo, acclaimed for his performance in the Oscar-nominated romance drama "Past Lives" (2023), has been officially cast as the lead in the upcoming Hollywood action thriller "Karoshi." "Karoshi" is written and directed by US filmmaker Takashi Doscher, who is known for his award-winning thriller "Still" (2018). The film is produced by 87eleven Action Design, a US production company popular for producing multiple hit action flicks such a

Film Aug. 30, 2024

With the recent news of numerous AfreecaTV livestreamers -- commonly known here as "BJs" -- being arrested for drug use and accused of engaging in group sexual activities making waves, a spotlight has been shone on their conduct. As livestreamers become increasingly successful in the entertainment market, pop-culture experts call to attention the circumstances that make livestreamers on AfreecaTV, the country’s largest one-person streaming platform, vulnerable to crime. Explosi

Television Aug. 28, 2024