A spinoff of the popular SBS variety show “Running Man” will be the first original content from South Korea on Disney+, the streaming platform said Thursday. The Walt Disney Company announced that “Outrun by Running Man” will star three members of the original cast -- Jee Seok-jin, Kim Jong-kook and Haha. While the original show’s main producer, director Im Hyung-taek, is behind the spinoff, its main star, Yoo Jae-suk, is not part of the upcoming series. “

Television Nov. 4, 2021

The South Korean government aimed for a gradual return to normal with its “living with COVID-19” policy, but the remaining restrictions are not being followed strictly at clubs and movie theaters. The clubs on the streets of Hongdae, a party neighborhood in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, welcomed the long-awaited return of music lovers for the first time in nearly four months and made great efforts to comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines. A notice at the entran

Culture Nov. 4, 2021

The upcoming tvN romance drama “Melancholia,” directed by Kim Sang-hyub, revolves around a math teacher and a gifted pupil at a private school, where corruption and favoritism runs rampant. “A drama involving mathematical formulas may sound odd and strange at first, but I am certain that the viewers will be drawn by how the two characters communicate through math,” Kim said in an online press conference Tuesday. The director, who is known for the hit series “True

Television Nov. 3, 2021

For director Ahn Gil-ho, a desire to portray the life of ordinary people was the reason to film “Happiness.” “When I read the script, the scenario was really interesting and had the power to draw a viewer‘s attention. But the biggest reason for me to choose this drama was my plan to make a series that focuses on the stories and feelings of common individuals,” the director said in an online press conference on Monday. The upcoming tvN Friday-Saturday series revolv

Television Nov. 2, 2021

Just days ahead of the theater release of Marvel Studio’s “Eternals,” Naver Webtoon unveiled the movie’s Korean webtoon version Sunday. The first two episodes, titled “Intelligent Design 1“ and ”Intelligent Design 2,” have a 9.26 rating on the Naver platform as of Monday. Celebrating the release of the film, the first four episodes are available free of charge, Naver Webtoon said. The webtoon, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same titl

Cartoon Nov. 1, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho will remain on the cast of the upcoming film “Sad Tropics (working title),” the movie’s production company NEW said on Monday. Since the actor stepped down from the films “2 O’Clock Date” and “Dog Days” in the aftermath of a controversy surrounding his ex-girlfriend, “Sad Tropics” is the first project to keep its offer of a lead character to Kim. According to NEW, the production staff held a long discussion in makin

Film Nov. 1, 2021

As the South Korean government raised hopes for a gradual return to normal with their “living with COVID-19” scheme, cinemas will see many of the pandemic restrictions lifted starting Monday. From Monday, multiplex operator CGV will be offering incentives for those who have been fully vaccinated in special “vaccine-pass theaters.” “Moviegoers who have been fully vaccinated for 14 days can eat and drink in the theaters, which was strictly prohibited after the outb

Film Oct. 31, 2021

Public broadcaster KBS has come under fire for what viewers say was unnecessary programming concerning the beleaguered actor Kim Seon-ho. On Friday, “Entertainment Weekly Live,” an entertainment show covering pop culture figures and industry news, aired a segment on recent controversy surrounding the actor. The segment dealt with the question of whether the actor, whose ex-girlfriend claimed he had urged her to have an abortion only to later dump her, could be in any legal hot wat

Television Oct. 31, 2021

Herb Island Pink Muhly Festival Herb Island Pink Muhly Festival will be available for flower-loving visitors through Sunday at Pocheon Herb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The autumn season event of Herb Island features a romantic ambiance created by the mesmerizing scenery with the pink muhly. Hands-on experiences with flowerpot decorating, pink soap making and pumpkin carving are offered for visitors of all ages. Every corner of Herb Island is an Instagram photo zone for festival par

Travel Oct. 29, 2021

K-pop cultural icons including Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, television director Kim Tae-ho, idol groups NCT Dream and Oh My Girl were named as the winners of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards on Thursday. The 12th edition of the annual awards, conferred by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recognized individuals’ contributions in spreading the Korean Wave. A total of 29 celebrities from diverse areas of the entertainment in

Culture Oct. 28, 2021

Aspiring to achieve the same global recognition as K-pop and K-dramas, North Chungcheong Province, the home of traditional Korean martial arts taekkyeon, plays host to various martial arts-related programs. “At the World Martial Arts Festival in 1998, North Chungcheong Province established the World Martial Arts Mastership, successfully hosting the first and second mastership in North Chungcheong Province in 2016 and 2019, respectively. We developed martial arts into a cultural business b

Culture Oct. 28, 2021

While the government on Monday unveiled a draft version of its road map for “living with COVID-19,” raising hopes of a gradual return to normal, the music industry is accusing it of bias against the sector and is calling for changes. Several music industry organizations -- the Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Korea Management Federation, Korean Singers Association, Recording Industry Association of Korea, Korea Music Content Association, Korea Music Copyright Associ

Performance Oct. 27, 2021

As Gen.G Esports triumphed over Cloud9 of the US, the last remaining hope for the West, in a clean 3-0 sweep Monday, three of four slots in the semifinals are now occupied by Korean teams: Damwon Kia, T1 and Gen.G Esports. The first game of the semifinals for the League of Legend World Championship will feature a clash of LoL giants Damwon and T1. The two teams, considered the two strongest teams in this year’s tournament, seek to cement their respective legacies by hoisting the Summone

esports Oct. 26, 2021

K-pop boy band BTS’ Jin and Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation are some of the well-known singers who will be featured in the soundtrack of “Jirisan,” tvN’s latest Saturday-Sunday drama series. The final star-studded lineup for the soundtrack announced by the drama production firms, Astory and Most Contents, also includes Yi Sung-yol, Kim Jong-wan of Nell, Gaho, Paul Kim, Jukjae, Kim Feel, Rothy and 03ohn. The artists are widely recognized for their megahit songs from

Performance Oct. 26, 2021

The international fervor for the Netflix series “My Name” took actor Ahn Bo-hyun by surprise. “After the success of ‘Squid Game,’ I can definitely feel the change in the air and growing interest in Korean contents, “ Ahn said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Monday. ”I was surprised to hear that our series ranked third place on the global Netflix chart. Though global fans are cheering me and other actors on social media, witnessing th

Film Oct. 26, 2021