Among non-English content streamed on Netflix during the second half of 2023, Korean shows were watched the most, according to a Netflix report. "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report" released Friday, showed that non-English content accounted for some 30 percent of all viewing on Netflix. Titles in Korean (9 percent), Spanish (7 percent) and Japanese (5 percent) captured the largest shares of viewership outside of English, respectively. Among Korean series, JTBC's romance

Television May 28, 2024

South Korean comedy occult flick "Handsome Guys," starring veteran actors Lee Hee-jun and Lee Sung-min, will set itself apart from recent occult box office hit "Exhuma" by incorporating a Hollywood occult vibe, alongside a narrative rife with comedic scenes, said the director, Monday. "Handsome Guys" tells the story of Jae-pil (played by Lee Sung-min) and Sang-gu (played by Lee Hee-jun), two friends who decide to move to a new house in a rural area. In there, they d

Film May 27, 2024

The director and one of the actors of Netflix's original series, "The 8 Show," sought to criticize capitalism today while asking how far creators should go in the pursuit of entertainment. Based on popular webtoons "Money Game" and "Pie Game," "The 8 Show" follows the stories of eight contestants in dire financial straits as they strive to earn money in a mysterious reality variety show. The participants are trapped on separate floors in an eight-st

Television May 27, 2024

SBS's new thriller drama series "Connection" will aim to raise awareness about drug use in Korean society by dealing with destructive effects of drugs -- a sensitive subject for terrestrial television. "Connection" is a 16-part series that narrates the story of Jang Jae-kyung (played by Ji Sung), a detective specialized in catching drug criminals, who becomes forcibly addicted to drugs by an unidentified person. The series' director, Kim Mun-kyo, said he aimed to sh

Television May 24, 2024

The director of "High School Mystery Club 3," a popular Korean mystery reality show series, aimed to address current societal issues by incorporating such themes into a mystery reality show. "Considering the genre of 'High School Mystery Club,' the show must deal with subject matter related to crimes and I did not want to create a program which lightly and humorously dealt with the matter," said Im Soo-jung, the producer of "High School Mystery Club 3," du

Television May 21, 2024

Top Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-sook will return with a new romance series featuring Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy. Netflix will stream the 12-part fantasy romantic comedy series "All The Love You Wish For," (working title) starring Kim Woo-bin, Bae Suzy, Ahn Eun-jin and Noh Sang-Hyun, according to the global streaming service Monday. The series is helmed by Lee Byoung-heon, who directed the Netflix comedy series "Chicken Nugget" (2024), "Extreme Job" (2019) and JTBC rom

Television May 20, 2024

South Korean actors who have been involved in controversies or facing charges are returning to the screen via streaming services, where they face less scrutiny and regulations. These comebacks can serve as tests to gauge the timing of their official comebacks, according to critics, Sunday. Actor Bae Sung-woo, who has been suspended from appearing on broadcast channels such as KBS and MBC for driving under the influence in November 2020, appears on the Netflix original series "The 8 Show,&qu

Television May 19, 2024

Disney+ original series "Uncle Samsik," which marks "Parasite" star Song Kang-ho's debut in a drama series, features a tightly constructed plot and superb acting by veteran actors. It also deals with themes and metaphors that may prove challenging for international audiences to fully appreciate. Set in the late 1950s in a war-torn South Korea, the 16-part series tells the story of Kim San (played by Byun Yo-han), a young government official who dreams of transforming the

Television May 18, 2024

Tired of the endless struggle with pricey tickets, cramped schedules, and the headache of snagging coveted concert seats? Now you can groove to concerts by some of the world's favorite artists right from your living room. Here are three shows to tune into this weekend. "Fujii Kaze Love All Serve All Stadium Live" on Netflix Fuji Kaze, one of the hottest Japanese singer-songwriters at the moment, skyrocketed to international fame from his beginnings as a piano-playing YouTuber. S

weekender May 18, 2024

Explore legendary Korean comics Visit the National Library of Korea this weekend to explore a special exhibition that delves into the history of Korean comics, or manhwa, by following the career of Lee Hyun-se -- the cartoonist behind one of Korea's most successful series ever published, "A Daunting Team." The exhibition, titled "The Road of Lee Hyun-se: Start of K-webtoon Legend," is free of charge and divided into three parts. The first part introduces various wor

Arts & Design May 17, 2024

South Korean cartoonist Lee Hyun-se, creator of one of the most successful cartoon series ever to be published in Korea, "A Daunting Team," said his curiosity to uncover untold stories is what pushes him to challenge himself, even after achieving stardom. Lee made his debut as a cartoonist in 1976. Following the success of "A Daunting Team" (1982), he has been honored with some of the most prestigious awards in the field of cartoons in Korea, including the Korea Popular Cultu

Culture May 15, 2024

Upon its release in 2011, the classic Hollywood blockbuster IP Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, backed by Oscar-nominated VFX techniques, captivated audiences worldwide with its shocking story of primates challenging humans as the dominant species on Earth. The series is back seven years later with a meticulously crafted fourth installment, which effectively prompts the question of what it means to be human -- and whether it will be possible for different species with high intelligence to co

Film May 14, 2024

Kakao Piccoma, the overseas webtoon distributor of Kakao webtooons, said it would end its service in Europe, following an underwhelming performance in the French market. Kakao Piccoma currently distributes translated versions of Korean webtoons serialized on Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon as well as Japanese manga series,via its digital cartoon platforms in Japan and France. The company said it is scheduled to stop its services in France in September, two years after it commenced local services th

Culture May 13, 2024

"The Land of Happiness," a film starring the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his appearance in the Oscar-winning flick "Parasite," will hit theaters in August, according to the film's distributor, Friday. "The Land of Happiness" depicts the story of a lawyer, Jung In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk), who defends a soldier named Park Tae-joo (Lee Sun-kyun) during a trial involving the assassination of President Park Chung-hee, according to NEW, the film's distributor.

Film May 10, 2024

Director Han Jae-rim, who helmed numerous hit Korean flicks such as "The Face Reader" and "The King," said he aimed to depict the power dynamics that arise when people group together in his latest Netflix original series "The 8 Show" -- which re-imagines the popular Korean webtoon "Money Game" and its sequel "Pie Game." The eight-part thriller series narrates the story of eight financially struggling individuals who take part in a mysterious sh

Television May 10, 2024