Most Popular
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Over 80,000 millionaires, 20 billionaires in Seoul: report
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Yoon apologizes for first lady Dior bag scandal, calls push for special probe ‘political’
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Korean battery makers heave sigh of relief over 2-year IRA reprieve
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Young Korean doctors seek plan B: cosmetic dermatology or overseas
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South Korea open to Indonesian proposal to cut KF-21 payments
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Korea forecast to overtake Taiwan in chip production by 2032: report
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Girl hanging on bridge, police trying to rescue her both fall off; rescued immediately
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Coupang earnings hit hard by losses from ailing Farfetch
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[K-pop’s dilemma] Time, profit pressures work against originality
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Why femicide and dating violence are growing issues in S. Korea
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In 'My Lawyer, Mr. Jo,' disgraced prosecutor seeks justice
The upcoming TV series "My Lawyer, Mr. Jo" will follow a prosecutor's search for justice in a world where the rich get richer and the poor even poorer, producers said Wednesday.Starring actor Park Shin-yang and actress Kang So-ra, the riches-to-rags story based on a web cartoon series will inherit KBS 2TV's Monday-Tuesday night time slots from "Babysitter," which flopped with a viewing rate of 3.5 percent.With another KBS 2TV drama, "Descendants of the Sun," making a splash in South Korea and Ch
March 23, 2016
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Carey, 50 Cent, Minaj part of TV‘s new music partnerships
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The love affair between television and music stars is getting personal. A top artist like Gwen Stefani hired as a singing contest judge for "The Voice"? Old hat. Live TV musicals boasting casts that include Carrie Underwood ("The Sound of Music") and Queen Latifah ("The Wiz")? With more Broadway-to-TV broadcasts ahead, they're becoming routine. But a flurry of announcements is signaling a new direction for some of music’s big names, who are driving projects they want to see
March 23, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' hits Americas
South Korea's TV hit "Descendants of the Sun" has become the most-searched latest TV series on a U.S.-based global video-streaming site in the Americas, the service said Wednesday. The 16-episode series has been shown exclusively by Viki (www.viki.com) in the region for the past four weeks. With the first eight episodes uploaded, it has become the most-searched of the world's 50 latest TV series available on the site, the service provider said.The Korean show is currently available with subtit
March 23, 2016
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Actor Jin Goo gets boost with 'Descendants of the Sun'
The TV sensation "Descendants of the Sun" was a jackpot for the otherwise less known actor Jin Goo.He made his acting debut with the SBS hit drama "All In," starring Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo, in 2003, receiving wide media attention for his superb childhood role of Lee's character.But the media splash didn't last long. His presence has been weak during his 14-year acting career."I admit that I'm really elated because this is my first time to receive such a hot response. It's like I'm gettin
March 22, 2016
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Latest drama hit creates new travel boom
South Korean travelers are showing interest in a remote part of Greece, while cities here that are home to former mines and military facilities are undertaking major uplifts to attract Chinese tourists, thanks to a TV drama that has been a stellar success.Local travel agencies said Tuesday they have been getting inquiries about tour programs to Zakynthos, one of the Ionian Islands of Greece that is the background of the currently running South Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun." The drama is
March 22, 2016
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Actress Song Hye-kyo denies dating actor Song Joong-ki
Actress Song Hye-kyo is not in a relationship with actor Song Joong-ki, her agency said Monday, ending rumors that the "Descendants of the Sun" couple is an item in real life, too."Song Joong-ki is her good colleague with whom she's done a TV series together," UAA Korea said in a statement.The two Songs star in the KBS 2TV series in which the actor plays an Army captain and the actress a doctor. The two fall in love as they try to save lives in the fictional war-torn country called Uruk.Speculat
March 21, 2016
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Users pose as actor Song Joong-ki on social media
Fans of actor Song Joong-ki are forewarned of the existence, and rapid growth, of social media pages claiming to be managed by the actor personally, Song's talent agency said Monday.An Instagram user posing as Song shared a photo of the actor in Greece along with the comment, "THANKS for support," earlier this day, but the account has been declared fake by the agency Blossom Entertainment."Song Joong-ki was briefly on Cyworld in the past, but he hasn't used any social networking services (SNS) s
March 21, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' nears milestone
A popular TV series about a soldier and doctor who fall in love on the battlefield, inched closer to the 30-percent viewership mark, data showed Monday."Descendants of the Sun," the KBS 2TV drama starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo, renewed its own viewership record at 28.5 percent last week, data by Nielsen Korea showed. In Seoul, the figure broke the 30-percent mark the week prior to last one.The Wednesday-Thursday night drama portrays the struggles of Korean peace-keeping tr
March 21, 2016
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Actor Song Joong-ki thanks fans on Instagram
Actor Song Joong-ki of the popular KBS 2TV series "Descendants of the Sun" on Monday expressed his gratitude for his fans on Instagram.Song, who plays Capt. Yoo Si-jin on the show broadcast in South Korea and China, posted a photo of himself in Greece along with the comment, "THANKS for support." Greece is where the scenes in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk were filmed.The post attracted hundreds of comments from fans all over the world.New episodes of "Descendants of the Sun" come out ev
March 21, 2016
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[Weekender] Will ‘Descendants’ spur film-style TV drama production?
Almost everyone is talking about “Descendants of the Sun,” the latest joint Korea-China television drama project.Fans have fallen head over heels into the love story between an Army captain played by Song Joong-ki and a doctor played by Song Hye-kyo in a faraway, natural disaster-hit country. Critics, meanwhile, predict that this blockbuster will boost KBS, a network broadcaster that has been lagging behind MBC, SBS and even cable channels such as tvN in dramas.A scene from “Descendants of the S
March 18, 2016
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[Weekender] Stars reap rewards of hallyu drama success
Behind the glory of hallyu dramas are the star-studded casts. After garnering attention abroad in Korean dramas -- mainly other Asian countries including China and Japan -- stars quickly jump into dramas and variety shows thereOverseas endorsements, and fan meetings follow, consolidating their positions, as well as the prominent status of hallyu.Starting with the unexpected success of the KBS2 TV drama series “Winter Sonata” which aired on Japanese satellite channel BS2 in 2003, the drama’s prot
March 18, 2016
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[Weekender] TV dramas exert tourist pull
As worldwide interest in Korean entertainment and content continues its global thrust, the city of Seoul is starting to see an influx in “hallyu-based” tourism, leading to the establishment of Korean drama-inspired tourist guides to assist die-hard fans in tracking down the filming locations of their favorite Korean dramas. “Not long ago, something strange happened on a cold winter day in China -- fried chicken and beer starting selling like hotcakes,” reads VisitSeoul’s Hallyu Tourist Guide. “T
March 18, 2016
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[Weekender] How Korean dramas hook global viewers
A longtime fan of Korean dramas, Yu Yijie, a 25-year-old Chinese graduate student at Kookmin University, instantly fell for Korean entertainment watching “Full House,” starring Rain and Song Hye-kyo, which aired in 2004. Since then, she has watched every popular Korean drama and gradually developed an interest in drama production. “I thought I would come to Korea (to study) when I was watching ‘My Girl’ in 2005, which was a huge hit in China, starring Lee Jun-ki and Lee Da-hae,” said Yu, in a ph
March 18, 2016
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[Weekender] ‘Makjang’: Escape into the absurd
A vindictive mother-in-law slaps the male lead with a thick wedge of kimchi. Neon green laser beams shoot out of a businessman’s eyes. A woman fakes her own death, gets plastic surgery and remarries her ex-husband to take revenge. These are scenarios that have actually aired on prime-time Korean television series, and moreover been met with favorable ratings. Locally, these types of shows are referred to as “makjang” -- vernacular for situations that seem too outrageous to be true. The genre is
March 18, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' renews viewership record
TV drama "Descendants of the Sun" has set a fresh viewership record for itself on the eighth episode, when Dr. Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) finally confesses her feelings for Army Capt. Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki), data showed Friday.The KBS 2TV series was viewed by 28.8 percent of TV homes nationwide on Thursday, up 0.3 percentage points from its previous record of 28.5 percent.In and around Seoul, the figure remained above the 30 percent mark, at 30.5 percent.In episode 8, Yoo enters a building
March 18, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' to premiere in Japan
South Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun" will come to Japan in June, its production company said Thursday.The KBS 2TV series, which has been broadcast simultaneously in China on the local video platform iQiyi, will start airing on the Japanese cable channel Eisei Gekijou, NEW said. Actor Song Joong-ki stars in KBS2 TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun.” (KBS2)Media reports have said broadcasting rights for show the starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo fetched $100,000 per
March 17, 2016
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'Descendants of the Sun' maintains strong viewership
The drama "Descendants of the Sun" has maintained a strong following for its seventh episode, with viewership in and around Seoul breaking 30 percent for the first time, data showed Thursday.The KBS 2TV series, starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo, was watched by 30.1 percent of the Seoul metropolitan area on Wednesday, data by Nielsen Korea showed.In Seoul, the show set a fresh record of 31.8 percent, but nationwide viewership inched down 0.2 percentage points to 28.5 percent.I
March 17, 2016
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Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi to be assigned to special forces command
Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi, who is undergoing basic training for military service, will be assigned to the Special Warfare Command next week, a military official said Thursday."Lee Seung-gi has been classified into the intelligence specialty group and will join the Special Warfare Command on March 21," the Army official said. Lee joined the Army in early February and has been undergoing boot camp like all other recruits.Lee's duty with the special forces command will be in administrative affairs,
March 17, 2016
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Actor Song Joong-ki attributes popularity to soldier-doctor couple
Actor Song Joong-ki said Wednesday the novelty of the soldier-doctor couple in the TV series "Descendants of the Sun" is probably what catapulted him to the center of attention lately."I think people like the idea of a doctor dating a soldier because it's different," he told reporters at Hyundai Motorstudio in southern Seoul. "Doctors have appeared in many dramas, but a soldier is a relatively uncommon occupation on TV. I think people appreciate that."Song plays the Army captain Yoo Si-jin who f
March 16, 2016
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Korean hit drama to get Chinese remake
The South Korean mega-hit TV drama "Pretty Woman" will get a Chinese version, its producer said Tuesday.Bon Factory said the Chinese remake of the popular MBC TV romantic drama, which gained great popularity last year, will be co-produced with China's J-Walk Studio, the entertainment agency for Chinese top star Yang Mi.The drama's author Cho Sung-hee will participate in the joint production to revive the drama's original traits, according to Bon Factory.Details such as who will become the main a
March 15, 2016