South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM announced that it has expanded into the US as a free-to-view addition to Peacock, US media and entertainment company NBC Universal’s streaming platform. According to the company, CJ ENM will offer Korean content which includes dramas, movies and K-pop programs via Peacock’s CJ ENM branded channel “CJ ENM Picks.” CJ ENM’s collaboration with Peacock is the Korean company’s second partnership with a US media company, fol

Television Aug. 16, 2022

Global sensation “Squid Game” won two trophies at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards held in California on Saturday and Sunday. Netflix’s megahit drama won best international series, while star Lee Jung-jae was named best actor in a streaming series, drama for his performance as Gi-hun, a debt-ridden divorcee. “I am deeply grateful that so many of you around the world have enjoyed and supported this series. I think ‘Squid Game’ has opene

Television Aug. 16, 2022

Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival The Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival is set to be held at the Donam Tourist Complex in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 5-14. The festival commemorates the Great Battle of Hansan of 1592, the best-known naval battle in Korean history. Visitors can see the reenactment of the battle and experience hands-on programs at Yi Sun-sin Waterpark offered by the city and Great Battle of Hansan Memorial Foundation. Admission is free. People of all ages are wel

Travel Aug. 5, 2022

Top actor Lee Jung-jae’s espionage action film “Hunt” will be screened at the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, Lee’s agency Artist Company announced in a press release Friday. As the world’s largest public film festival, TIFF presents over 100 films in different sections based on genre and format, including Contemporary World Cinema, TIFF Docs and Discovery, among 10 other categories. “Hunt” has been selected for the Gala Prese

Film July 29, 2022

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Surrounded by serene nature and lush forests, the iconic two-story villa featured in the second season of K-pop powerhouse Hybe‘s reality show “BTS In The Soop” is set to host two special guests for the leisurely vacation that BTS enjoyed when filming. From RM’s beanbag chair to V‘s trumpet, small details from the show are reproduced, allowing fans to relive their favorite moments. The online house-sharing platform, Airbnb, is off

Travel July 29, 2022

Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival The 24th Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival is set to be held at gym park and areas around Naeseongcheon Stream in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. The nine-day event will start from July 30 to Aug. 7. The festival offers the opportunity to catch sweetfish, either with their bare hands or a scoop net. Visitors can also enjoy outdoor concerts, featuring artists like trot singer Jeong Dong-won, rock band Gukkasten, girl group Weeekly and more. The tourists can cook and ta

Travel July 29, 2022

Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut “Hunt,” an espionage action film, offers thrilling action scenes with seemingly unending gunfire and a heart-pounding rivalry between two intelligence agents. For some moviegoers, the long-awaited reunion of top actors Lee Jung-jae – who also stars in the film -- and Jung Woo-sung is enough to hold their expectations high for the movie. Lee seemed a little nervous when he introduced himself as a director for the first ti

Film July 28, 2022

With half of its series released as of July 21, television channel ENA’s legal drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a story about a gifted, autistic attorney, has been writing history. It topped global streaming platform Netflix’s weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows at the second week of July. It made ENA the most-watched channel during Wednesday-Thursday’s prime time with viewership rating of 13.1 percent, the highest number in the channel’s his

Television July 27, 2022

Though renowned South Korean singer-songwriter You Hee-yul issued multiple apologies and has stepped down from the KBS music program “You Heeyul’s Sketchbook,” a heated debate over plagiarism claims is unlikely to die down anytime soon as more claims of plagiarism by K-pop artists surface. The controversy erupted in mid-June, when a post surfaced online claiming that You’s 2021 track “A Very Private Night” felt almost identical to Japanese composer Ryuichi S

Performance July 26, 2022

Taebaek Sunflower Festival The 18th edition of Taebaek Sunflower Festival is scheduled to run from July 22 to Aug. 7 at Guwau Village in Taebaek, Gangwon Province. Presenting colorful wildflowers and seemingly endless fields of sunflowers, known to be the largest sunflower patch in South Korea, the festival welcomes flower lovers of all ages. The array of 300 species of wildflowers and sunflowers make for stunning Instagram photos. The festival offers hands-on programs to entertain visitors,

Travel July 22, 2022

While they enjoy increasing popularity worldwide, one of the few criticisms that Netflix‘s Korean originals face from viewers is that they often include too many“ unnecessary ”erotic scenes that do not relate to the stories or are seemingly only used to be provocative. But despite its themes of love, marriage and infidelity, “Remarriage & Desires” director Kim Jung-min decided to resist the temptation. Directors Kim Jin-min of “My Name” (2021) an

Television July 21, 2022

Marriage, infidelity, divorce, low morals, social climbers, political and business feuds were some of the major setting and themes that captivated Korean TV viewers up until a few years ago. With their seemingly identical characters and implausible stories, such series were labeled “makjang dramas” and seen as trashy soap operas. But while Netflix’s latest presentation revolves around similar themes -- with an upper-class matchmaking company the central point of the drama --

Television July 20, 2022

Tooniverse, a leading South Korean animation channel and an affiliate of South Korea’s entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, will air Nickelodeon series starting in August. Titled “Nickelodeon Time,” Tooniverse will present hit American animated series daily from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The animated comedy series “SpongeBob SquarePants” is set to air at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 p.m. on weekends. The show, featuring a square yellow sponge character, ha

Television July 18, 2022

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- While most people try to fight to summer heat with indoor air conditioning and ice-cold drinks, some Koreans still hold on to the saying that you can beat the heat with heat -- like eating piping hot dishes or exercising outdoors in the hot, humid weather. If you want to test this maxim handed down through generations, consider walking Namhansanseong-gil in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Located just to the east of Seoul, Namhansanseong-gil is one of seven courses

Travel July 16, 2022

Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is set to sell shark family-related non-fungible tokens on the digital art platform and marketplace MakersPlace in the third quarter of the year. According to the company, a total of 10,000 generative art NFTs, including the members of shark family -- Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, Alec (the grandfather shark) and Ollie, the Little Baby Shark -- and background images, will be produced for the upcoming projec

Cartoon July 15, 2022