[Herald Interview] Jin Sun-kyu hopes viewers enjoy ‘Bargain’ without a frown

Since making a name for himself with the hit crime film “The Outlaws” in 2017, Jin Sun-kyu has been mesmerizing the Korean audience playing charismatic, hard-boiled characters in various projects, including “Dark Figure of Crime” (2018), “Extreme Job” (2019) and “Confidential Assignment 2: International,” released in September. While many fans already consider him one of the nation's go-to actors with an impressive filmography and a long lis

Nov. 14, 2022

[Herald Interview] Director shares hopes, dreams with 'Food Chronicle'

As a documentary director in South Korea, a country where many people believe documentary series are not popular content, Lee Wook-jung had many questions to ask himself. Recognizing the changes in the way the public enjoys and accepts creative content, Lee tried to blend his experience as a veteran director and fresh attempt in presenting his latest project "Food Chronicle," which targets young viewers. "Ninety percent of local content are either drama series or unscripted show

Nov. 10, 2022

[Feature] Called out for cultural insensitivity: Can Korean entertainment finally reform?

When Korean dramas first became popular outside of Korea in the early 2000s -- “Winter Sonata” (2002) and MBC’s “Jewel in the Palace” (2003) are prime examples -- the viewership was mostly Asian. It was at this time that the term hallyu, or Korean Wave, began to be used to describe the popularity of Korean entertainment overseas. While Korean films, such as “Oldboy” (2003), “Train to Busan” (2016) and “Parasite” (2019), have recei

Nov. 9, 2022

Ryan Reynolds recalls ‘horrible’ memories of ‘Masked Singer’ appearance in Korea

Actor Ryan Reynolds described his experience of appearing in the Korean TV show “The King of Masked Singer” back in 2018 as “being in actual hell,” during a recent interview. Reynolds appeared on NBC's Today show on Monday to promote his upcoming movie “Spirited” with Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer, during which he talked about why he appeared on the Korean show. "Masked Singer," which is still airing on South Korea's MBC TV, has masked c

Nov. 8, 2022

tvN's ‘Behind Every Star’ shows little-known world of management agents

Depicting the lives of the people behind celebrities, cable channel tvN’s “Behind Every Star” presents celebrity managers' drama-filled lives with their clients, who are real Korean celebrities playing themselves. According to director Paek Seung-lyong, the 12-part series will be a magical TV drama featuring a star-studded stream of cameos, including Cho Yeo-jeong from 2019's Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.” “To make our series more realistic, we tr

Nov. 8, 2022

Lee Jung-jae confirmed to join new ‘Star Wars’ series

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., announced that top South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae will be among the star-studded lineup of its new “Star Wars" series “The Acolyte.” US actor Amandla Stenberg of “The Hate U Give” (2018), British and Spanish actor Dafne Keen of “His Dark Materials” (2019) and the Philippines-born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto of “Nine Perfect Strangers” (2021) have also been confi

Nov. 8, 2022

Educational talk shows, a new trend in Korean TV

Talk shows that incorporate storytelling in exploring topics in the humanities and other areas are gaining popularity on Korean television. While global streaming services focus on big budget shows featuring top TV celebrities, like “Take 1” and “The Zone: Survival Mission,” local broadcasters and cable channels are offering programs that aim to satisfy intellectual curiosity. These shows are notable for the absence of jokes or entertainment elements that are often employ

Nov. 7, 2022

Paramount+ to present Tving’s ‘Bargain’ in 2023

Tving's latest original series “Bargain” is scheduled to premiere globally via Paramount+ in 2023, the local streaming service announced Friday. The six-part thriller will be Tving and Paramount+’s second shared series, following director Lee Joon-ik’s sci-fi series “Beyond the Memory,” widely known by its Korean title “Yonder.” Paramount+ landed in South Korea as a free-to-view addition to Tving in June. As to why the series is being released

Nov. 4, 2022

EBS to present sci-fi show “The Dreamer”

Public educational TV channel EBS delves into the mysteries of the future with its upcoming talk show “The Dreamer,” featuring the latest computing technologies including extended reality, motion capture and deep fake. Extended reality is an umbrella term that covers virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. The computing technology can merge physical and virtual worlds, bringing digital elements to the viewers. “The Dreamer,” the first Korean XR talk show,

Nov. 1, 2022

Broadcasters, streaming services to halt shows and dramas

Terrestrial broadcasters, cable channels and streaming services have cancelled or postponed airing weekly programs and upcoming series which were scheduled to be released this week, as South Korea enters a weeklong national mourning period that ends on Nov. 5. In an attempt to offer their condolences to the victims and their families of the unfortunate accident that occurred in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Saturday night, references to Halloween were removed from Korean creative content. Pub

Nov. 1, 2022

[Video] Everything about Anupam Tripathi from Squid Game

We sat down with Anupam Tripathi from Squid Game and got the full story behind his journey to the screen. From how Korea became his second home and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, to his hopes for the future, we get the full scoop! Lee Ji-min, Lim Su-mi, Park Seo-hee and Park Ju-min contributed to this report. By Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com)

Oct. 31, 2022

Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon to star in Tving’s ‘Bros on Foot’

It has been confirmed that top actors Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon will star in the Tving entertainment series titled “Bros on Foot.” The local streaming service announced Wednesday that its upcoming show will be available in the first half of 2023. Aside from the two veteran actors, young stars Yeo Jin-goo and Choi Min-ho, widely known as Minho of K-pop boy group SHINee, are also part of the main cast. The four actors will be challenged with mysterious missions and quests on their j

Oct. 26, 2022

[Feature] Broadcasters part ways with old ways of presenting foreign-born TV personalities

Alberto Mondi, Tyler Rasch and Jonathan Yiombi are names familiar to many Koreans, some even more popular than Korean TV stars. With their deep understanding of South Korea along with their multicultural experiences, they are some of the most sought-after figures when TV shows cast foreigners. Broadcast programs featuring foreigners were not a major trend at first, and their roles were limited to being surprised or impressed by different aspects of South Korea. All that changed, however, with

Oct. 25, 2022

Mnet’s ‘Show Me the Money’ aims to have positive effect on hip-hop scene

The 11th season of “Show Me the Money,” the longest-running hip-hop competition on Mnet, is set to premiere at 11 p.m. on Friday. As it is about to kick-start a new season, the program hopes to contribute positively to the local hip-hop scene. “‘Show Me the Money’ has long been associated with hip-hop. Beyond creating a virtuous circle, the two have coexisted with each other,” Choi Hyo-jin, the program’s chief producer, said during an online conference

Oct. 21, 2022

Korean documentary series to receive global distribution

Two Korean documentaries, “Guardians of Tundra” and “The Era of Library,” have signed agreements with overseas content distributors during the 38th International Co-Production and Entertainment Content Market (MIPCOM), the Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday. According to the ministry, terrestrial broadcaster SBS’ documentary series “Guardians of Tundra” signed a letter of intent with the European production company Off the Fence. Supported by the

Oct. 21, 2022

Tving’s new ‘Bargain’ takes original film further

Tving, local entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, seeks to put a new spin on a story loved by movie stars, fans and filmmakers alike, with a natural disaster. Adapted from the short film of the same title by filmmaker Lee Chung-hyun, Tving’s upcoming series “Bargain” revolves around people who gather at a remote motel with ulterior motives -- seeking to bargain for sex. Unlike the original project, the series follows the characters afte

Oct. 18, 2022

'The Zone: Survival Mission' wraps up with bittersweet ending

While Disney+’s star-studded unscripted show “The Zone: Survival Mission” caught local viewers’ attention, its lackluster performance elsewhere around the world cast doubt on the possibility of repeated success of Korean reality shows on global streaming platforms. With its final episode released last Wednesday, the reality show became the second most popular show on Disney+’s Korean top 10 chart, data released by streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol showed. &ldquo

Oct. 17, 2022

Designer death on offer in 'Beyond the Memory'

“Beyond the Memory,” an upcoming sci-fi series on local streaming service Tving, seeks to impress viewers with an unprecedented setting named “Yonder.” “I began learning new expressions, thanks to scientific and technological developments. Terms like metaverse and virtual reality are some examples. ‘Yonder’ is a concept that exists in the metaverse, lying between the virtual world and reality,” renowned filmmaker Lee Joon-ik said during an online p

Oct. 12, 2022

Korean drama ‘Little Women' banned in Vietnam

Cable channel tvN’s mystery thriller “Little Women,” a Korean drama series which is ranked sixth on the global Netflix chart, has been pulled from the service in Vietnam. According to Vietnam online publication VnExpress, Vietnam’s Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information removed the series from Netflix in Vietnam for presenting misleading information about Vietnam and the Vietnam War. “We recognize the ongoing situation with ‘Little W

Oct. 7, 2022

Namkoong Min to wed longtime girlfriend next month

Namkoong Min is to wed his longtime girlfriend, model and actor Jin Ah-reum, next month, according to Namkoong's agency. “Actor Namkoong Min and his longtime partner Jin Ah-reum will be tying the knot,” 935 Entertainment announced Wednesday. “The private wedding will be held Oct. 7 in Seoul with close friends and families in attendance,” the agency said. The couple met in Namkoong’s directorial debut short film “Light My Fire” (2016), in which Jin starre

Sept. 28, 2022