[Herald Interview] Kim Seon-ho says he was scared to take on entirely different character in 'The Tyrant'

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

Aug. 20, 2024

KBS apologize for airing opera set in Japan on Liberation Day

State-broadcaster Korean Broadcasting System issued an apology after sparking controversy by airing the opera "Madama Butterfly" on National Liberation Day. Aug. 15 is celebrated as National Liberation Day in Korea, commemorating the nation's liberation from Japan in 1945. Early Thursday, KBS aired "Madama Butterfly," a Giacomo Puccini opera set in Japan, as part of its liberal arts program, "KBS Relay Seat." The opera, set in Japan's Nagasaki shortly afte

Aug. 15, 2024

Keep Olympic spirit alive with K-dramas, films

Though the 2024 Paris Olympics have drawn to a close, the excitement of the Summer Games may have left you craving more athleticism and sports drama. Not to worry, sports enthusiasts: Enter the world of Korean drama series and films, where Olympic athletes and sports themes take center stage in stories that blend competition, romance and heartfelt drama. Here’s a lineup of six -- three TV series and three films -- to keep your competitive spirit alive. 1. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (Drama) &

Aug. 13, 2024

Disney unveils sequels for hit franchises

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,

Aug. 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-drama remakes aim to cater to streaming viewers

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

Aug. 8, 2024

Actress Han Ji-min, Jannabi's Choi Jung-hoon confirm relationship

Actress Han Ji-min and Jannabi front man Choi Jung-hoon are dating, Choi's agency confirmed Thursday. The couple reportedly developed feelings for each other after Han's appearance on the KBS music show "The Seasons," hosted by Choi, in August last year. During the show, they performed Jannabi's "A Thought on an Autumn Night" together. The 41-year-old actress debuted as an advertisement model in 1998 and has since built a successful acting career. She has starr

Aug. 8, 2024

Japanese SF film 'The Human Vapor' to be remade as Netflix series

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

Aug. 8, 2024

'The Influencer' producers say influencers may be their rivals in future

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

Aug. 6, 2024

Not just K-dramas anymore

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,

Aug. 6, 2024

Hollywood superstars spotted enjoying summer in Korea

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

Aug. 5, 2024

International soccer superstars appear on 'SNL Korea'

World-class soccer players from Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich appeared as surprise guests on an episode of "SNL Korea," hours ahead of their friendly match held on Saturday evening. Tottenham Hotspur players Richarlison de Andrade and Jamie Donley, along with the club's captain, Son Heung-min, appeared in a comedy sketch of "SNL Korea" on Coupang Play Saturday, acting as new recruits for a fictional soccer club named the Sindorim Morning Soccer Club. The episode fe

Aug. 5, 2024

Top contestants of 'Magic Star' to begin national tour

SBS series "The Magic Star" kicks off its national tour Friday, featuring performances by the six contestants. "The Magic Star" is a reality competition where magicians from around the world showcase their magical prowess. The show is hosted by TV personality Jun Hyun-moo and star magician Lee Eun-gyeol, with a panel of judges that includes film director Jang Hang-jun, actor Jin Sun-kyu, Portuguese magician Luis de Matos, actor Han Hye-jin, TV personality Kim Jong-min and ann

Aug. 2, 2024

Why do sequels flop?

Korean series traditionally did not produce sequels, primarily due to Korea's production structure. Unlike other countries, a series' intellectual property rights are distributed among production staff in a complex manner, which makes creating sequels challenging. However, the landscape is changing. International streaming platforms, especially Netflix, have begun introducing seasonal formats for Korean series. Following this trend, local cable channels such as tvN have also started ad

Aug. 1, 2024

'Squid Game Season 2' to be released in December, with final season coming in 2025

The second season of "Squid Game," the South Korean Netflix original series that captivated the world upon its 2021 release, will return on Dec. 26, with its third and final season set for release in 2025, according to Netflix, Thursday. "The real game will begin," said Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of "Squid Game" who also helms the remaining two seasons, via a press release. "I am genuinely excited to bring to fruition the idea I developed by brainstorming th

Aug. 1, 2024

International EBS festival to feature selection of well-crafted documentaries

The 21st EBS International Documentary Festival, the country's oldest documentary festival, takes place Aug. 19 to Aug. 25, when it will introduce a slew of well-made documentaries from around the world. Featuring 53 documentaries from 32 countries, this year's festival is being held under its slogan: "Bridge the Times." The slogan embodies the hope that humanity can bridge diverse values and cultures to strive for coexistence, said Kim Dong-gwan, director of EIDF, at a press

July 30, 2024

'Planet B' to shed light on recruitment process for K-pop survival show

CJ ENM announced on Monday that it will launch a new Mnet program called "Planet B," which will, for the first time, show how K-pop survival program participants are recruited. The producers behind Mnet K-pop idol survival programs such as the "I-LAND" series, which led to the creation of K-pop groups Enhypen and Izna; "Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga," which resulted in Kep1er; and "Boys Planet," which created Zerobaseone, will be responsible for produci

July 29, 2024

'My Name Is Gabriel' losing viewership battle with 'Jinny's Kitchen'

"My Name Is Gabriel," one of the most highly anticipated entertainment shows of this year, going head-to-head with the second season of star producer Na Young-seok's "Jinny's Kitchen," has continued to suffer low viewership, with experts noting the show has failed to leverage Kim's strengths. "My Name Is Gabriel" stars top celebrities such as actor Park Bo-gum and TV personality Kim Jin-young, otherwise known as Dex, who adopt different identities for

July 29, 2024

Disney+'s 'Moving' wins grand prize for 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards

Disney+ series "Moving" won the grand prize at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards held on Friday, clinching its second grand prize after securing the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards just two months ago. The Blue Dragon Series Awards honors excellence in Korean series and entertainment shows distributed on streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Watcha, Wavve, Kakao TV, Coupang Play and Tving. The nominees for this year's Blue Dragon Series Awards incl

July 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Tving's 'Shaman: Whispers from the Dead' explores why Koreans still consult shamans

The producers of the popular Tving original documentary series "Shaman: Whispers from the Dead" stated that their goal was to investigate why South Koreans, regardless of their belief in shamanism, continue to discuss and engage in shamanistic practices. The 8-part series explores Korean shamanism and its impact on contemporary Korean society. It features guests who report being tormented by spirits, shamans who help alleviate these experiences, and experts in religious studies and a

July 19, 2024

Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Emmy for Park Chan-wook's 'The Sympathizer'

"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer," as the 76th Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Downey portrays four characters in the seven-part black comedy miniseries: a CIA agent, film director, congressman and professor. For his performance as multiple antagonists in the series, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said that Downey has been

July 18, 2024