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

Television Nov. 10, 2022

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

Television Nov. 9, 2022

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

Television Nov. 8, 2022

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

Television Nov. 8, 2022

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

Television Nov. 7, 2022

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

Television Nov. 4, 2022

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,

Television Nov. 1, 2022

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

Television Nov. 1, 2022

The main street in the Hongdae neighborhood in Seoul -- a street bustling with young people near Hongik University – will be full of Halloween vibes this weekend, complete with a zombie parade, Halloween busking, DJ party, street dance contest and costume contest. Free cocktails and Halloween makeup will be offered at booths set up near Hongik University Station Exit No. 8. The Halloween event will be held from Friday to Sunday. Halloween art market booths will sell handmade craftworks, ac

Culture Oct. 28, 2022

Colorful Autumn Garden, Gwangju The Colorful Autumn Garden opened on Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 13 at Hwadam Botanic Garden in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Visitors can enjoy the autumn foliage at its peak to the fullest in the eco-friendly arboretum, an hour’s drive from central Seoul. Autumn lovers can stroll down the promenade and feel the fall atmosphere with crisp air and some 4,000 different species of plants and trees. Admission costs 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for teen

Travel Oct. 28, 2022

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

Television Oct. 26, 2022

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

Television Oct. 25, 2022

The opening film and two winners from this year's EBS International Documentary Festival will be shown at a special free screening at Megabox Ilsan Bellacitta in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 29. Recognized for its splendid presentation of 20,000 Buddhist nuns at an annual retreat on a Tibetan plateau filmed over eight years, Chinese director Jin Haquin's “Dark Red Forest” opened the EIDF held in August. The 85-minute documentary offers a glimpse of the religious women

Film Oct. 24, 2022

As the temperature starts to drop, the heavy jackets come out from the depths of their closets and trees everywhere start to dress up in their seasonal flaming reds, dazzling yellows and brilliant oranges. With autumn in Korea seemingly getting shorter every year, travelers are gearing up and preparing to traverse the country to get the most out of the season at popular destinations for leaf peeping. With the fall foliage expected to be most spectacular from late October through early November,

Travel Oct. 22, 2022

Korean webtoons are out to make a splash in New York later this month. "Bang! K-webtoon," an exhibition of Korean webtoons, will be held at Gallery Korea of the Korean Cultural Center New York, from Oct. 31 to Dec. 16, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, or KOMACON, said Friday. Organized by KOMACON and Korean Cultural Center New York, the exhibit will feature three webtoons popular both at home abroad: “Navillera: Like a Butterfly,” “True Beauty” and “The R

Cartoon Oct. 21, 2022