Popular nonverbal show “Nanta” is scheduled to run at Myeongdong Theater, one of four “Nanta” theaters in the country, in Myeong-dong, central Seoul from Dec. 2 to 31, according to the production company, PMC Production. “Nanta,” which premiered in 1997, is one of the most popular performing arts shows in Korea for its unique storyline of comedy and drama in the kitchen. The constant striking, drumming and dancing in “Nanta” have made it a must-se

Culture Oct. 25, 2021

Netflix released two poster images for its original series, “Hellbound,” on Friday, drumming up excitement for the upcoming project. “Hellbound,” a fantasy thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is an adaptation of an animation and webtoon of the same title. The series features supernatural events in which random people receive a text message saying they will be sent to hell. Supernatural beings like grim reapers deliver final judgment on people according to their past deed

Film Oct. 22, 2021

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, says that he will return to the cinema with a heartwarming Marvel film in “Eternals.” “The film centers around the people of different races from around the world getting together to form a new family. The audience will be drawn to the touching stories of the film,” Lee said during an online press conference with a group of reporters Friday morning. “It was a surprising experience to become fr

Film Oct. 22, 2021

The chances of Korean teams facing each other in the semifinals -- or even in the finals -- of the League of Legends World Championships have increased, as the Korean teams qualified in their respective group stages. The eight teams that made the quarterfinals are: Damwon Kia, T1, Hanwha Life Esports and GenG Esports of Korea; Edward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up of China; Cloud9 from US and Mad Lions of Europe. Damwon Kia, T1, Royal Never Give Up and Gen.G Esports topped their sections in th

esports Oct. 22, 2021

Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival The 2021 Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival is scheduled to take place at the Jinju Namgang River and fortress of Jinjuseong in South Gyeongsang Province from Dec. 4-31. Originating from the floating lanterns that were used during the 1592-1598 Imjin War as a military strategy to prevent Japanese troops from wading across the Namgang River, the 21-year-old festival welcomes visitors to enjoy the parade of glittering lanterns created by local students. Various progra

Travel Oct. 22, 2021

For Han So-hee, 26, taking a role in the Netflix series “My Name” made her improve as an actor with a wide range. “I thought the audience, including my fans, wanted to see the sides of Han So-hee that are already very familiar to them with the previous dramas like ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Nevertheless’. But I wanted to find and show different sides of Han So-hee,” the actor said during an online interview with a group of reporters Wednesday

Film Oct. 21, 2021

Kim Seon-ho’s ex-girlfriend has engaged a lawyer, who vowed legal action against malicious media coverage and online comments. “All possible legal actions will be taken against articles, posts and comments with ill-intended content,” said Best Way, the law firm representing Kim‘s ex-girlfriend, in a statement released Wednesday. The statement said their client was suffering from the hateful comments made by local media and online posts as her personal information had b

Television Oct. 21, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho is to step down from the KBS variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” and a film titled “2 O’Clock Date” (unofficial translation). Though Kim and his agency, Salt Entertainment, issued official apologies Wednesday morning regarding a controversy surrounding his personal life -- allegations emerged that he pressured an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion -- producers are announcing Kim’s withdrawal from ongoing and scheduled productions. Public br

Television Oct. 20, 2021

In response to the worldwide sensation of “Squid Game,” local governments aim to promote the cities as appealing tourist attractions using the hit Netflix show. Locations that appeared or were mentioned in the series are turning into new tourist sites, and childhood games are being developed as hands-on experiences to boost Korean tourism, which has suffered greatly from the pandemic-caused slump. Incheon Tourism Organization made an online post Friday to introduce some filming loc

Travel Oct. 20, 2021

Four days after an online post put actor Kim Seon-ho’s reputation in jeopardy, the actor and his agency issued an official apology Wednesday morning. On Sunday afternoon, an online post by someone claiming to be the ex-girlfriend of “actor K” alleged that she had been pregnant with his child and had had an abortion at his urging. Reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin-ho identified “actor K” as Kim the next day, but did not provide proof. “The company sincerely ap

Television Oct. 20, 2021

The director of Netflix’s “My Name,” Kim Jin-min, was surprised to hear about the growing popularity of the mystery crime series. “While I expected some questions and comments, I was surprised that the viewers interpreted my work in very creative ways, speculating on the reasons for a character’s behavior. One way or the other, all of these are a way of showing interest in the series. For that, I would like to thank all the ‘My Name’ fans,” the di

Film Oct. 19, 2021

Advertisements starring actor Kim Seon-ho have begun to be taken down following allegation that the star had demanded his girlfriend terminate her pregnancy. The controversy erupted Sunday afternoon when an online post surfaced in which the author, claiming to be an actor‘s girlfriend, alleged that “actor K” had urged her to have an abortion. The writer further claimed that the actor’s behavior toward her changed after the abortion. On Monday, reporter-turned-YouTuber L

Television Oct. 19, 2021

The script of tvN’s hit drama “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha“ has made a surprising appearance on the bestselling lists of local online book stores Aladin and Yes24, attesting to the popularity of the 16-part series that ended its run Sunday. The final episode of the romantic comedy recorded a 12.7 percent viewership, the series’ highest rating, and a listing on Netflix’s Top 10 chart in more than 20 regions, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand and A

Books Oct. 18, 2021

A video starring soccer player Son Heung-min was released Monday, showing various tourism destinations inKorea. The Korean Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism appointed the Tottenham Hotspur striker as an honorary culture ambassador in July, with a view to promote travel to Korea in Europe, where Son has numerous fans. Under the slogan of “This is my Korea. What’s yours?,” the 80-second video presents Korea with seven different keywords -- pas

Travel Oct. 18, 2021

As South Korea prepares to “live with” COVID-19, the music industry is readying itself to bring back live in-person concerts. While large music festivals have been canceled or switched to online formats, some individual artists are already returning to physical stages. From Oct. 29-31, K-pop artist Kwon Jin-ah will hold a solo concert series titled “The Way for Us.” According to her agency Antenna Music, “The Way for Us,” named after her latest EP release

Performance Oct. 17, 2021