Korean and international comedians will converge for the 12th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of Asia's largest comedy events, which kicks off Friday. This year's BICF will begin with an opening ceremony on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Busan Cinema Center, hosted by popular Korean comedians Yoo Se-yoon and Jang Dong-min. The opening ceremony will showcase performances by the group Koyote and comedian Youn Sung-ho, also known as DJ Ven. New Jean. International comedians, including p

Culture Aug. 23, 2024

The YouTube account of Go Young-wook, a former member of the popular '90s band Roo'Ra who served 30 months in prison for raping and sexually harassing minors, was shut down Friday, 17 days after its creation. "It seems my YouTube channel was shut down overnight. I didn't upload any harmful content, yet it seems YouTube applied a rule (to shut down accounts) solely to me just because of my criminal record. I've already served my legal punishment, so why is it that some pe

Television Aug. 23, 2024

Korean YouTuber Oh Byeong-min, better known as Oking, the winner of Netflix TV competition "The Influencer," will not be eligible to claim the 300 million won ($225,000) prize after leaking information about being the final winner, according to Netflix on Thursday. "Maintaining confidentiality before a title's release is essential in order to ensure that the efforts of everyone involved in the production are rewarded and that the intended enjoyment is fully delivered to the a

Television Aug. 22, 2024

Inspired by the Korean saying "A carelessly thrown stone can kill a frog," the newest Netflix Korea series unfolds the stories of "frogs," or ordinary individuals, who are suddenly faced with terrible misfortune, the director said Wednesday. "The Frog" is an 8-part mystery thriller featuring Young-ha (Kim Yun-seok), who runs a bed and breakfast in the woods. Young-ha seeks a peaceful life in isolation, but his tranquility is disrupted by a mysterious guest, Sung-ah

Television Aug. 21, 2024

Disney+'s original "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte," starring Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game," will not be renewed for a second season, said US media outlets Wednesday. According to Deadline, a Hollywood entertainment news outlet, Lucasfilm has recently decided to cancel further production of "The Acolyte." Lucasfilm is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios and the producer of the "Star Wars" series. "The Acolyte" had the biggest debu

Television Aug. 21, 2024

Actor Kim Seon-ho described taking on the role of a cold-hearted elite agent in "The Tyrant" as a "scary" experience, but said he is eager to face more challenges that will help him become a versatile actor across genres. "The Tyrant" follows the story of individuals vying to secure the last sample vial of the Tyrant Project, which endows living organisms with immense powers. Kim portrays Director Choi, the hard-hearted head of the National Intelligence Service, w

Television Aug. 20, 2024

The line between fiction and reality is becoming increasingly blurred. The AI planning team at Naver Webtoon has rolled out an official AI chatbot service, which lets users chat with fictional characters. Character Chat is a chatbot service available on the Naver Webtoon app which leverages Naver's AI language model, HyperClova X, to facilitate conversations with characters from webtoons. Users can interact with four popular webtoon characters of their choice, including Ki Sang-ho from &quo

Culture Aug. 19, 2024

Escape the relentless heat by plunging into a weekend of expertly crafted murder mystery films that will sweep you away to chilling crime scenes and the intricate minds of master detectives. Dim the lights and get ready for a cinematic adventure where time slips away, and the only thing that matters is uncovering the truth buried beneath a web of deception. "Se7en" on Netflix Helmed by American auteur David Fincher, "Se7en" tells the tale of two detectives Somerset (played

weekender Aug. 17, 2024

Disney unveiled an exciting slate of sequels for its popular franchises -- "Avatar," "Zootopia," "Moana," "Toy Story" and "Tron: Legacy” at the eighth D23, the official Disney fan club event held Friday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where some 12,000 fans gathered for the biannual convention. Among the announcements, the third installment of the global blockbuster "Avatar" series is set to hit theaters on Dec. 19,

Film Aug. 11, 2024

Fluffy happiness In the bustling streets of the Hongdae area, there is a must-visit spot for dog lovers. At the special cafe named Winter’s Village, visitors can meet 11 Samoyeds and one Malamute spread across two floors, all enjoying their free time. While animal welfare is a common concern with pet-related businesses, this cafe is run by the owner who personally raises all the dogs. They limit the number of customers to prevent overcrowding and provide regular breaks for the dogs. To dis

Culture Aug. 9, 2024

Masterpiece K-dramas from the early 2000s are soon to make a return this time as reimagined by their original creators. Korean streaming platform Wavve is currently undertaking a "New Classic" project, which will bring popular K-dramas from the past such as "My Lovely Sam Soon" and "I'm Sorry, I Love You," in a new format. The original 70-minute, 16-episode series will be condensed into 40-50 minute episodes with 6-8 episodes per series, and will feature new so

Television Aug. 8, 2024

The legendary Japanese science fiction film "The Human Vapor" (1960) will be remade into a Netflix series helmed by Yeon Sang-ho, the producer behind hits such as "Hellbound" and "Train to Busan," according to Netflix, Thursday. "The Human Vapor" (1960) follows the aftermath of a failed scientific experiment that turns its subject into a gaseous mutant, who then uses his abilities to carry out crimes. By exploring the darker facets of society's struct

Television Aug. 8, 2024

Producers of Netflix Korea's new survival entertainment show said working on "The Influencer" helped them break their preconceptions about influencers and prompted them to rethink who their true competitors might be in the evolving content creation landscape. "The Influencer" brings together 77 of the most popular Korean content creators from various platforms, including YouTube, Afreeca TV and TikTok. The show follows the events that unfold as participants tackle variou

Television Aug. 6, 2024

Classic K-drama hits "Crash Landing on You" and "Vincenzo" are making comebacks as US remakes. Amidst the flurry of international remakes of hit Korean shows, these two series stand apart in a league of their own. Remaking a series typically involves selling the remake rights to an overseas studio, which then recreates the series without the involvement of the original creators. However, in the case of "Crash Landing on You" and "Vincenzo," Studio Dragon,

Television Aug. 6, 2024

This summer has been punctuated by the arrival of several Hollywood superstars in South Korea, adding a touch of glamour to the season. English actor Simon Pegg, known for his roles in the "Mission Impossible" series, "Star Trek" and British sitcom "Spaced," has been seen touring around Korea recently. Pegg shared a video of himself on a train that seemed like the KTX on Friday on his Instagram account while featuring a montage of scenes from the film, "Train t

Television Aug. 5, 2024