A majority of Koreans and foreigners believe that Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is likely to continue riding the tide of globalization for a long time to come, according to a recent Corea Image Communication Institute survey aimed at probing people's views on popular topics. The CICI’s multiple-choice survey, titled “AI, ChatGPT and Hallyu,” involved 471 participants -- 257 Koreans and 214 foreigners who either visited or resided in Korea. More than 60 percent of the parti

Culture March 13, 2023

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Although the weather still feels cold for early March, impatient flower lovers head to Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province to look for the first signs of spring. Some 50 kilometers southwest of Seoul, Hwaseong Botanical Garden welcomes visitors with more than 580 species of plants growing on the Korean Peninsula. Outside the garden, trees and flowers have yet to bloom and the dry, crinkled brown leaves are a reminder of the last snap of winter. But inside the walls of a la

Travel March 11, 2023

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

Television March 11, 2023

Among the four Korean religious cult leaders featured in Netflix’s latest Korean documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” Jeong Myeong-seok – the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission, better known as the Jesus Morning Star or JMS church – has been taking over local headlines. “I recognized that many viewers felt uneasy with professor Kim Do-hyeong’s stories featured in the series, but they make up only one tenth of his experiences over

Television March 10, 2023

Tving's latest sci-fi action thriller has landed on Amazon Prime Video top 10 charts in at least 17 countries as of Thursday, according to the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM. Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based video streaming service run by Amazon. “Island” topped Amazon Prime Video’s TV charts in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. It was listed among the top 10 on charts in 13 countries, including Br

Television March 10, 2023

Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to take place at various sites in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, including Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, the park of royal tombs, also known as Daereungwon, and more. The festival starts March 25 and will run through April 16. Visitors can enjoy a festival that combines cherry blossoms with art and culture. Hueree Maehwa and Canola Flower Festivals, Jeju Island The Hueree Maehwa Festival, which kicked off on

Travel March 10, 2023

Changgyeonggung's Grand Greenhouse under the stars With spring just around the corner, the Grand Greenhouse inside Changgyeonggung invites visitors to taken an enchanting stroll through the palace garden. Located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the Joseon-period palace offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the bustling city, having recently reopened its nighttime viewings in March, As you walk through the gates and into the palace court, the night lights cast a dreamy glow on the surroundings, cas

Culture March 10, 2023

Major South Korean broadcasters, KBS, MBC, JTBC, and the Korean Copyright Commission have joined forces with the production company Studio LuluLala (SLL) and the video streaming platforms Wavve and Tving to launch an alliance to stop the illegal act of digital piracy, on Wednesday. Collaborating with the world’s leading content protection coalition, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the Alliance for Protection of Videogram plans to take strict measures against any issues in re

Television March 8, 2023

Lee Ji-ah is returning to the small screen in the action-packed revenge series “Pandora: Beneath the Paradise.” The 16-part mystery-action thriller revolves around ordinary housewife Hong Tae-ra (Lee), who is living her dream life. The story develops as Tae-ra’s long-forgotten, heartbreaking memories come back to her, leading her to plot all-out revenge against those responsible. The 44-year-old actor explained that her character was raised to become a professional killer. Port

Television March 8, 2023

Online streaming service provider Tving scheduled to release “Unintentional Love Story,” a drama adaptation of a popular Naver Webtoon, on March 17. Adapted from writer and illustrator Pibi’s webtoon of the same title, “Unintentional Love Story” centers around a young man named Won-young becoming attached to Tae-jun. Gongchan of K-pop boy band B1A4 stars in the series as Won-young. Rising actor Cha Seo-won, who received nationwide recognition with his appearance in

Television March 7, 2023

South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s cable TV movie channel OCN is scheduled to livestream the 95th Academy Awards at 9 a.m. on March 13. Honoring the films released in 2022, this year’s Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, will be hosted by popular American comedian and producer Jimmy Kimmel at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. American action comedy “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which earned a total of 11 nominations at this year's Academy Awards

Television March 7, 2023

While streaming services generally seek to entertain viewers with unique originals, Netflix and South Korea’s largest streaming service Wavve are sending shock waves across the country with their latest documentaries. Netflix released its third Korean documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” featuring four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star, Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church, Kim Ki-s

Television March 6, 2023

Top actor Cho Seung-woo made his much-anticipated return to the small screen Saturday in JTBC’s “Divorce Attorney Shin,” his first TV drama in two years. The first episode saw the third highest viewership ratings of all Saturday-Sunday dramas, following KBS’ “Three Bold Siblings” and tvN’s “Crash Course in Romance,” which are scheduled to come to an end after only a few more episodes. With Saturday's episode marking a nationwide viewersh

Television March 5, 2023

Megabox, a South Korean cinema operator, Thursday announced that it would live stream South Korea’s World Baseball Classic matches in its theaters, starting March 10. The WBC is an international baseball tournament that has taken place every four years since 2009 The last tournament, scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes, considered Korea's next Major League Baseball hopeful, and Major Leaguer Kim Ha-s

Culture March 4, 2023

Nonsan Strawberry Festival Nonsan Strawberry Festival will take place from March 8 through March 12 at various areas of Nonsan Citizen Park in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. The event promotes Nonsan strawberries, providing opportunities for tourists visiting the city to enjoy them and the beautiful surroundings in which they are grown. The five-day festival offers various hands-on activities, including strawberry jam making, strawberry picking and more. Visitors can also enjoy delicious st

Travel March 3, 2023