Most Popular
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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NewJeans members submit petitions over court injunction in Hybe-Ador conflict
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[News Focus] Mystery deepens after hundreds of cat deaths in S. Korea
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S. Korea's exports of instant noodles surpass $100m for 1st time in April: data
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[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting
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US military commander in S. Korea during Gwangju uprising dies
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[Photo News] Seoul seeks 'best sleeper'
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US expert says N. Korea might ignore Trump if he returns to White House
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Yoon vows to advance freedom, welfare to uphold spirit of 1980 pro-democracy uprising
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Kakao M to pursue new content model for mobile age
Kakao M, the entertainment arm of Korea’s internet portal giant Kakao, on Tuesday said it will lead the paradigm shift to mobile content and the online platform within the entertainment industry. “We will create content most fit to the mobile environment. It will be well-made ‘mobile-fit’ content never witnessed before,” Kakao M CEO Kim Sung-soo said during a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday. Tuesday’s event was the first media gathering conducted
July 14, 2020
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New dramas focus on breakup of conventional families
Family TV series usually revolve around how the family as a whole reacts to relationship challenges like divorce and adoption, or present conventionally fundamental values, such as love and happiness. In recent days, however, the eased influence of the traditional family structure and newly emerging family issues of "graduation from marriage" and marriages of sexual minorities have penetrated into the small screen in South Korea and resonated with audiences. The KBS weekend show &qu
July 13, 2020
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A decade of celebs chasing each other
“Running Man” marked its 10th anniversary on Sunday, becoming SBS’ longest-running variety show. A game program where celebrities chase each other and snatch their opponents’ name tags, it is one of the most popular South Korean TV shows in Korea as well as abroad. Kicking off as a segment on the SBS reality show “Good Sunday” on July 11, 2010, “Running Man” became its own show in March 2017 when “Good Sunday” came to a close. The var
July 12, 2020
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K-dramas walk a fine line with controversial scenes
While the SBS drama series “Backstreet Rookie” has not responded to viewers’ complaints about its sexual objectification of women, the drama has been embroiled in yet more controversy, this time over the racist portrayal of a foreign character. During the show’s fifth episode that aired Friday, a man who introduces himself as Nigerian encounters a Korean man with a similar dreadlocked hairstyle to his own in a convenience store and the two suddenly embrace each other as
July 7, 2020
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Hwang Jung-eum returns through fantasy rom-com ‘Men are Men’
Hwang Jung-eum who has enjoyed success with romantic-comedy dramas is returning to the small screen through another lovey-dovey drama show. In the new drama “Men are Men” on KBS2, Hwang will play Seo Hyun-joo, a workaholic web comic platform coordinator who vows marriage to herself, only to find herself challenged to rethink the value of love by two suitors. Hwang, along with the series’ producer Choi Yoon-suk and lead cast members Yoon Hyun-min, Seo Ji-hoon, Choi Myung-gil
July 6, 2020
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Son Ye-jin to make Hollywood debut in Andrew Niccol’s ‘The Cross’
South Korean actress Son Ye-jin is set to make her debut in Hollywood with an upcoming film tentatively titled “The Cross.” According to an official from Son’s agency MS Team Entertainment on Monday, the actress has given consideration to the film and is undergoing negotiations over details. While stating the actress will likely star in the film, the official was cautious to confirm the decision as of now. The official also stated Son will play the film’s lead female r
July 6, 2020
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Actor Lee Soon-jae apologizes for unfairly treating former manager
Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae released a personal statement Sunday through his agency apologizing for unfairly treating his former manager and asked the public to stop any criticism towards the manager. The statement came out after the manager, who worked for Lee for two months starting March, claimed that he had to work long hours without signing a proper contract during his interview with SBS on June 29. He also added that he was unfairly dismissed after he requested insurance coverage. &ldq
July 6, 2020
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Ups and downs of K-dramas in first half 2020
The first half of this year was an especially bumpy road for Korean television. Although the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 halted some productions for a while, small-screen content came into a new limelight as a source of joy and comfort for people stuck at home in the period of quarantine. JTBC becomes big name JTBC ran strong last year with “Sky Castle,” which set a record viewership rating for the cable channel. And the broadcaster has further built on its success this year.
July 6, 2020
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Nana throws hat ‘Into the Ring’
Singer-turned-actor takes on her first lead role in a romantic comedy with new KBS drama “Into the Ring.” Im Jin-ah, who goes by the stage name Nana, plays the role of Sera, who decides to give up on looking for a job and finds herself a spot on the local assembly. Park Sung-hoon plays Nana’s counterpart, Seo Gong-myung, an elite public servant at a local district office who goes on to team up with Sera and punish the corrupt politicians around them. The two actors and the T
July 2, 2020
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Actor Lee Soon-jae’s agency apologizes to former manager but claims exaggeration
Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae’s agency SG Way entertainment released a press statement Wednesday providing details surrounding the firing of his former manager and apologizing to him as the dispute between them continued. The conflict between Lee’s previous road manager and Lee’s agency came to light when SBS aired an interview with the former manager Monday for its evening news segment. According to the report, the manager, who worked for Lee for two months starting March befor
July 1, 2020
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Return of 3 'hallyu' actors fail to give TV dramas a boost
The return of three A-list South Korean actors who finished their military duties has drawn wide attention from fans of Korean TV dramas at home and abroad. But their new dramas were performing far below expectations, and even the stars with large followings abroad were unable to give them a badly needed boost. Lee Min-ho, who soared to stardom with the 2009 drama series "Boys Over Flowers," starred in the fantasy romance "The King: Eternal Monarch" on SBS this spring. It
June 26, 2020
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Actor Woo Do-hwan to start military service next month
South Korean star actor Woo Do-hwan will join the military on July 6, his agency said Wednesday. Woo, 27, debuted in 2011 and rose to stardom after starring in the hit television series "The King: Eternal Monarch" this year and the film "The Divine Fury" in 2019. "Due to safety and health reasons, the location and time for Woo's entrance to the military camp will be kept closed without official media or farewell events," his agency, KeyEast, said in a statement.
June 24, 2020
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Actor Park Bo-gum to join Navy in August: officials
Actor Park Bo-gum is expected to join the Navy's military band in August to fulfill his mandatory military service, officials said Wednesday. Last month, the 26 year-old celebrity applied for a naval military band and honor guard unit. After going through a performance test and interview, he was deemed qualified to be a member specializing in piano, according to the officials. Park will begin his service on Aug. 31 at the Navy Education and Training Command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Pro
June 24, 2020
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Remake of ‘Hotel del Luna’ coming to the US
Last year’s popular drama “Hotel Del Luna” will be remade into a US television series. Studio Dragon, the maker of the drama, which recently opened a US branch, announced a collaboration with Skydance TV on Wednesday to plan and produce the US remake. Skydance TV is the production company behind “Terminator: Dark Fate,” “6 Underground” and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” among others. This is the first time a Korean studio will be w
June 24, 2020
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Lee Seung-gi, Jasper Liu team up in Netflix travel show ‘Twogether’
Netflix’s upcoming variety show “Twogether” features star actors from two countries who set off on a journey to meet their fans in Asia. Featuring Korean actor-singer Lee Seung-gi and Taiwanese actor Jasper Liu, the upcoming show will draw the bromance between the two stars as they overcome language and cultural barriers on their way to connect with fans. Star variety producer Cho Hyo-jin -- who produced Netflix’s “Busted” -- and producer Ko Min-seok have
June 23, 2020
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Portrayal of LGTBQ characters slowly evolves in K-dramas
In recent years, the portrayal of LGBTQ characters in Korean dramas has evolved, with more sexual minorities appearing as main and supporting characters in various series. Rather than shunning sexual minorities or describing them comically, as has been the case in the past, Korean dramas have begun to portray LGBTQ characters in ways that were once considered taboo in the Korean entertainment industry. In the past, LGBTQ characters rarely had major parts and appeared in dramas for no more tha
June 22, 2020
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‘Backstreet Rookie’ draws family, rom-com inside 24-hour convenience store
Convenience stores are located at almost every corner of Seoul. Inside the small stores, stories of the most ordinary yet extraordinary everyday life take place. A new TV series “Backstreet Rookie” depicts those heartwarming stories of family, comedy and romance taking place inside the 24-hour stores. Rom-com queen Kim You-jung stars as the lead character Jung Saet-byul of the drama -- titled “Convenience Store Saet-byul” in Korean -- who has a part-time job in t
June 19, 2020
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Kim Soo-hyun returns to small screen with ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’
Kim Soo-hyun is returning to the small screen for the first time in five years with tvN’s new romantic comedy series “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” set to start airing next week. The upcoming weekend series is the first television role for the 31-year-old since he was discharged from the military last July. His most recent TV credits include “The Producers” in 2015 and “My Love From the Star” in 2013. “I’ve been waiting for so long, I&rs
June 13, 2020
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Actor Ryu Seung-beom to marry Slovakian girlfriend
South Korean actor Ryu Seung-beom will tie the knot with his Slovakian girlfriend this year, his management agency said Thursday. "Ryu will soon marry his foreign girlfriend," said SEM Company. "He'd planned to have a small wedding ceremony with just family members, but it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic." He will become a father, it added. Ryu's girlfriend, an artist living in France, is about 10 years younger than the 39-year-old actor. The couple has b
June 11, 2020
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[Herald Interview] Focus on viewer empathy, attention to details spell success
Just as they did with their previous shows, including the three “Reply” series and “Prison Playbook,” producer Shin Won-ho and screenwriter Lee Woo-jung captured the hearts of viewers with likeable characters and heartwarming stories in “Hospital Playlist.” The 12-episode series racked up a 14.1 percent viewership rating on its final episode last month. “I feel relieved. While my previous works left me feeling ‘done’ with them, because &ls
June 10, 2020