Life&Culture
Stars Up Close In series
A spotlight on Korean artists who rose to prominence in unexpected ways, and moments behind their breakthroughs
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Stars Up Close In series
A spotlight on Korean artists who rose to prominence in unexpected ways, and moments behind their breakthroughs
Would you like to subscribe?
From NCT all-rounder to kids pop: Where is Mark headed next?
For nearly a decade, Mark was one of NCT’s most versatile members. He rapped, sang, danced, wrote lyrics and moved between vastly different concepts as a member of NCT U, NCT 127 and NCT Dream. In 2019, he was also selected for SM Entertainment’s supergroup SuperM, becoming one of the rare K-pop artists simultaneously associated with several of the agency’s major acts. Now, months after leaving NCT and the SM empire, the 27-year-old is trying to define himself much more simply. His first release
Sept. 15, 2026 - 11:17:45
Meet Woni, the underdog with an edge on K-pop's biggest names
Who was the most talked-about individual K-pop idol in August? Not BTS' Jimin or Ive's Jang Wonyoung. According to the monthly individual idol brand reputation rankings published by brand analytics firm Brikorea, it was Woni of Rescene for the second consecutive month. The leader of the five-member girl group topped the August ranking with a brand reputation index of 6,951,891, ahead of Jimin at No. 2 and Jang Wonyoung at No. 3. The index combines data on consumer engagement, media exposure, onl
Sept. 1, 2026 - 11:28:09
Real-life ‘Billy Elliot’ Jeon Min-chul’s leap to ballet superstardom
His father wanted him to give up ballet. The boy refused. "Can't you see that I'm happy when I dance?" It was a familiar argument, one that would play out in countless families with children dreaming of careers their parents considered too uncertain. Tears filled the boy’s eyes. His father worried that it would be difficult for a man to build a successful career in dance in Korea. The boy was doing well in school, the father reminded him. Why not keep ballet as a hobby and pursue a more stable c
Aug. 26, 2026 - 14:24:21
Why everyone is talking about Ateez’s San
It takes only a few seconds for Ateez’s San to command attention in “Bad.” Near the end of the group’s latest music video, the 27-year-old tilts his body sideways then snaps his upper body to the song’s Brazilian funk beat. With powerful movements and a provocative gaze, the fleeting sequence has become one of the most replayed moments of the boy band's latest promotions. Clips of the performance have swept across short-form platforms since Ateez released its 14th EP, “Golden Hour: Part 5,” on J
Aug. 18, 2026 - 14:40:19
Lee Do-hyun made quiet intensity his calling card. Now he's back for more
Lee Do-hyun has picked his next fight, and it's a big one. On Monday, production house Hive Media Corp. confirmed that the 31-year-old will star in "Nambeol," a hard-boiled martial arts epic set in the early Joseon era about a group of warriors sailing to a remote island to rescue captives taken by Japanese pirates. Lee will play the expedition's frontline commander and right hand to the warrior chief played by Lee Byung-hun, with "Alchemy of Souls" star Go Youn-jung rounding out the top of the
July 22, 2026 - 15:17:46
Meet Korea's John Wick: The many lives of So Ji-sub from 'Agent Kim Reactivated'
South Korea has its own John Wick now, and his name is So Ji-sub. Channeling a lethal, grieving man determined to save his daughter and exact revenge, the 48-year-old actor has emerged as a global sensation with "Agent Kim Reactivated," winning over audiences with his mix of paternal intensity and rugged appeal. But who is the man behind Kim, the relentless former operative at the heart of the hit? The name So Ji-sub may be new to viewers who only recently started streaming Korean shows, but So
July 15, 2026 - 17:55:44
Hoyeon conquered fashion and 'Squid Game.' Now comes the big screen
By her mid-20s, Jung Ho-yeon was a fixture in New York high fashion. She had walked exclusives for Louis Vuitton in Paris, shot Chanel campaigns lensed by Karl Lagerfeld himself and sat on Models.com's ranking of the world's top 50. It was, by any measure, a modeling career firing on all cylinders. The paper version, as she tells it, was the problem. "People liked the shiny version of me, but I knew I was mostly made of other things," she said in a 2021 interview with W Korea. Worse, working ove
July 14, 2026 - 14:25:21
'Teach You a Lesson' star Kim Moo-yul could barely scrape together bus fare
There's a particular man Korean directors keep asking Kim Moo-yul to play: rough on the surface, colder underneath, the kind of tough guy who solves problems with his fists and rarely needs to raise his voice. He's been some version of that figure for the better part of 15 years, often the live wire of the work and almost always the face you remember on the way out. So it makes perfect sense that a pulpy revenge fantasy about a government unit that beats the country's worst students back into li
June 27, 2026 - 16:00:00
From Samsung to screen: The unconventional journey of 'Teach You a Lesson' star Jin Ki-joo
Few actors ever portray a profession they actually worked in before finding fame, but Jin Ki-joo breaks the standard mold. International audiences currently know her as Im Ha-rim in the viral series "Teach You a Lesson," where she plays a fearless former special operative turned government inspector tackling troubled students head-on. Yet, long before stepping in front of the camera, the 37-year-old actress had already lived several distinct professional lives. Her resume eschews the traditional
June 23, 2026 - 11:54:30
Who is Heo Nam-jun, the latest heartthrob from 'My Royal Nemesis'?
For K-drama fans, "My Royal Nemesis" is the clear watercooler show of the season. The unlikely courtship between a woman from 300 years ago and a modern-day chaebol has pulled off a rare dual triumph, topping both domestic linear broadcast ratings and Netflix's viewership charts. But the drama's most notable success story may be the emergence of its leading man, Heo Nam-jun. A relative newcomer who has morphed into one of the market's hotly sought-after talents, Heo's rapid rise may suggest a bo
June 2, 2026 - 14:29:55
Park Ji-hoon: From Wanna One heartthrob to box office king
When Park Ji-hoon walked up to collect the best new actor for film award at last week's Baeksang Arts Awards — the closest thing Korea has to the Emmys and Oscars combined — nobody in the room seemed surprised. He'd spent the first half of the year slaying at the box office as the tragic boy-king Danjong, a 15th-century Joseon ruler deposed and killed at 17, in "The King's Warden." The historical drama became the highest-grossing Korean film of all time, selling more than 16 million tickets in a
May 13, 2026 - 15:15:02
Byeon Woo-seok: From rejection and obscurity to Korea's hottest star
At 187-centimeters, with a dreamy face and even a solid singing voice, Byeon Woo-seok seems made for K-drama stardom. While his polished appearance might imply an effortless ascent, you might be surprised to hear the 34-year-old actor has weathered nearly a decade of disappointment: from being abruptly fired from projects with a single phone call to being bluntly told that he "would not make it." But Byeon is a late bloomer — a rarity in Korean entertainment. Now an A-list actor who reportedly e
April 29, 2026 - 11:53:46
Who are the Korean stars heading to Cannes?
The existential crisis back home was real last year when not a single Korean feature made it into Cannes' official selection for the first time in over a decade. Whispers abounded that the best days of Korean cinema might have run their course after "Parasite," and that a pandemic-battered domestic film industry might never get back on its feet. Which is why this year's double selection brings a welcome sigh of relief. Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller "Hope" landed in the main competition to conten
April 13, 2026 - 14:20:17
Meet Ha Ye-rin, Korea's first 'Bridgerton' sweetheart
When "Bridgerton" hit Netflix in 2020, it made waves with its inclusive casting. Now, Ha Ye-rin has emerged as the first East Asian actor to lead the series. A glossy alternative-history romance, "Bridgerton" reimagines Regency-era London as a racially inclusive society, following the eight Bridgerton siblings as they explore the marriage market of high society. With its lavish mise-en-scenes, intense romantic storytelling and color-conscious casting, the show has cultivated a fervent global fan
Feb. 9, 2026 - 15:07:18
Son Suk-ku is headed to Hollywood. Here are 5 things to know about him
Son Suk-ku is officially a Sundance darling. Last month, "Bedford Park" — a New Jersey-set romantic drama in which he stars opposite Moon Choi — won a jury award for first-time filmmakers at the festival. Sony Pictures Classics promptly scooped up the film's worldwide distribution rights, which means the 42-year-old will soon have his first proper theatrical run in the States. It's a milestone for an actor who's spent the last few years becoming one of Korea's most magnetic screen presences. Sin
Feb. 3, 2026 - 14:48:25
