Disney+ to release new BTS Suga doc series

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., has announced the release of music documentary “Suga: Road to D-Day.” The upcoming series features Suga, the 30-year-old artist and one part of K-pop sensation BTS, traveling through different cities, including Seoul, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Malibu in California, San Francisco and more, sharing his innermost stories and offering a glimpse into his work behind the scenes. This is not the first time the global streame

April 2, 2023

‘Decoy’ to return with part 2 in April

Local video streaming service Coupang Play’s crime thriller “Decoy” is scheduled to release part 2 of the 12-episode series in April. “Decoy” focuses on the story of a man behind South Korea’s biggest financial fraud case, who dies while in hiding from the police. The story develops as the deceased criminal is named as a suspect in a new murder case, eight years after his death. The first half of the series came to an end in early February as the two lead char

April 1, 2023

‘The Glory’ stars Lim Ji-yeon, Lee Do-hyun dating

It has been revealed that actor Lim Ji-yeon and her on-screen enemy in the hit drama series “The Glory,” Lee Do-hyun, have been a couple, their agencies confirmed Saturday. “The two have become intimate as co-stars and developed such intimacy into a romantic one as a couple. We understand that their relationship has just started and the two are in the beginning stages of getting to know each other. The two have been taking things slowly so please congratulate them,” Lim&r

April 1, 2023

Tving’s ‘Yonder’ to be streamed on Paramount Plus

Tving, the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, announced that its 2022 sci-fi series “Yonder” is scheduled to premiere globally via Paramount Plus in April. “Yonder,” which was adapted from the 2011 novel “Good-bye Yonder,” written by author Kim Jang-hwan, is the first joint production of Korean content between Tving and Paramount Plus. The series is set to be released in 27 countries, including the US, the UK, Can

March 29, 2023

‘Bargain’ invited to Canneseries competition

Korean streamer Tving’s crime-thriller “Bargain,” directed by Jeon Woo-sung, has been invited to this year’s Cannes International Series Festival, widely known as Canneseries Canneseries is an international television festival that promotes TV series from around the world. In the official selection for this year’s Canneseries announced Tuesday, “Bargain” was listed in the competition section along with nine other projects, including Israel’s 2022 s

March 29, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Actors are drawn to exciting stories'

While many drama fans felt “Oldboy” star Choi Min-sik’s return to the small screen with “Big Bet” represented the big-name movie star’s acceptance of video streaming services, the 60-year-old actor revealed that he simply felt the need to tell a fascinating story to the world. “I said in a press conference that I decided to star in ‘Big Bet’ because I really missed TV dramas, but what I actually meant was (I missed) the long, epic stories of

March 28, 2023

‘My ID is Gangnam Beauty!’ webtoon to be made into Thai TV drama

Naver Webtoon, South Korean tech giant Naver’s digital comics platform, confirmed that its popular webtoon series “My ID is Gangnam Beauty!” is being adapted into a TV drama in Thailand. Thai production company GMMTV has cast sought-after Thai actors, including Baifern Pimchanok, Win Metawin, Fah Yongwaree and Great Sapol, Naver Webtoon said. The 14-part “Beauty Newbie” will center around the story of a female college freshman who is ready for a fresh start after go

March 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘National Office of Investigation’ pays tribute to unsung heroes

Director Bae Jung-hun, who made a name for himself with the hit SBS investigative documentary series “Unanswered Questions,” said he's glad South Korean police are getting the praise they deserve with the rising public attention to his latest project “National Office of Investigation." “The detectives, who starred in the show, said they felt awkward with the online compliments and praises. Here, in many cases, police officers are not applauded for their action

March 24, 2023

Noonoo TV deletes pirated Korean TV dramas, films

Noonoo TV, a Korea-based illegal streaming site, has deleted hundreds of pirated Korean TV dramas and movies from their website. Ranging from star-studded 2022 film “Emergency Declaration” to smash hit drama series “Yumi’s Cells” (2021) and “Work Later, Drink Now,” (2021), a total of 169 TV dramas and movies were taken off Noonoo TV, as of Thursday. Pirated from local streaming platforms such as Wavve, Coupang Play, Watcha, Tving and Seezn, comedies and

March 24, 2023

BTS’ Jimin stars in KBS variety show

Public broadcaster KBS announced that Jimin of K-pop superstar group BTS is scheduled to star in its Thursday night variety show, “Beat Coin,” in an episode set to air on March 30. “Jimin said he liked to watch ‘Beat Coin’ even before starring in our show. The cast were surprised to see Jimin at the shooting site as well. Everyone always gives everything to entertain the viewers, but I think the viewers can have high expectations for our upcoming part with Jimin,&

March 22, 2023

Wavve's ‘Combat Correspondent’ Korea’s most expensive drama series to date

Local streaming service Wavve announced Tuesday that it will join hands with Eric Beck, the German screenwriter behind Paramount’s neo-Western American drama series “Yellowstone,” to produce an original historical drama series based on true events during the Korean War of 1950-1953. The 10-part series with the working title “Combat Correspondent” will center around the story of American reporter Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966), the first woman to receive the Pulitzer

March 22, 2023

MBC audition show ‘Fantasy Boys’ to be streamed across Asia

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC announced that its upcoming audition program “Fantasy Boys,” set to premiere on March 30, will also be available in 12 different Asian countries via video streaming platforms. While the platform Abema will stream “Fantasy Boys” in Japan, viewers in many Southeast Asian countries, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam will be able to watch the show through Chinese streamer iQiyi. In Korea, it will be strea

March 21, 2023

JTBC mystery show ‘Crime Scene’ to return with new season

Content production company Studio LuluLala (SLL) confirmed that its whodunnit variety series, “Crime Scene,” will be making a return after six years. SLL, a subsidiary of cable channel JTBC formerly known as JTBC Studios, announced Monday that it is in talks with Tving -- an online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM -- to produce a fourth season, titled “Crime Scene Returns.” The show is a mystery variety program featuring celebrities and TV pers

March 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] Please show Yeon-jin no mercy, ‘The Glory’ star Lim Ji-yeon says

While some actors who play villain roles ask viewers to sympathize with their characters, insisting that villains might also turn out to be likable in the end, Lim Ji-yeon requests viewers of “The Glory” to have no mercy on her character, Park Yeon-jin. “I wanted Yeon-jin to be hated by all ‘The Glory’ fans. I hoped for her not to be tolerated nor understood, not even for a moment. Even I, who played Yeon-jin in the series, could not forgive her,” Lim told The

March 19, 2023

Tving’s ‘Zero Sum Game’ expands reach to Vietnam

Tving, the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, on Wednesday announced that Vietnamese content production company Red Carpet and TV channel HTV7 acquired the Vietnamese rights for its variety show “Zero Sum Game,” which marks the beginning of their partnership with the streamer. The 12-part unscripted show presents 10 participants who seek the highest prize money possible by maintaining their first total body weight, measured in the firs

March 16, 2023

School bullying claims roil showbiz

Though celebrities who have been accused of school bullying do not have to face deadly consequences as presented in Netflix’s revenge-soaked hit series, “The Glory,” their past deeds are nonetheless considered unforgivable. Former K-pop boy band BLACK6IX member Kim Hyun-jae withdrew from JTBC’s latest audition project, “Peak Time,” which features already-debuted artists who have fallen short of building a successful career and gives them a second chance to bec

March 15, 2023

Cult group files for injunction against Netflix doc

Local religious cult Baby Garden has filed for an injunction against the streaming of two episodes of Netflix’s documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” featuring its leader Kim Ki-soon. The eight-part documentary series presents four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS); Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church; Kim Ki-soon of Baby Garden; and Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church -- wh

March 14, 2023

Streaming services release baseball docus for 2023 KBO season

Tving, entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, is scheduled to release its first sports documentary series, “Our Game: LG Twins,” on March 30, in time for the opening of the baseball season on April 1. The documentary features LG Twins, one of the most beloved professional Korean baseball teams, and its 2022 KBO season. The series, encompassing almost 2,500 hours of footage, documents the baseball players’ journey in seeking to once again

March 13, 2023

‘The Glory’ producer Ahn Gil-ho admits physical assault as a high schooler, apologizes to victims

Producer Ahn Gil-ho of the hit Netflix drama “The Glory” admitted to physically assaulting students at a neighboring middle school as a high school student, and apologized to the victims in a statement via his attorney on Sunday. According to the statement released by his law firm Jipyong, director Ahn physically assaulted middle schoolers when he was 17 years old while studying abroad in the Philippines in 1996. “After hearing that his girlfriend was teased by a group of her f

March 12, 2023

‘HyeMiLeeYeChaePa’ director confident show will become ENA’s next big hit

Local cable channel ENA, which made a name for itself with the megahit legal drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022), is aiming for another memorable hit with a highly anticipated weekly variety show called “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa.” The travel show is named after the first syllable of cast members' names: Singer-turned-actor Hyeri, Miyeon of (G)I-dle, Leejung of dance crew YGX, vocalist Choi Yena, Chaewon of Le Sserafim and TV personality Patricia. “If &lsqu

March 11, 2023