[Herald Review] 'Uncle Samsik' features tightly woven plot, allusions to Korean history

Disney+ original series "Uncle Samsik," which marks "Parasite" star Song Kang-ho's debut in a drama series, features a tightly constructed plot and superb acting by veteran actors. It also deals with themes and metaphors that may prove challenging for international audiences to fully appreciate. Set in the late 1950s in a war-torn South Korea, the 16-part series tells the story of Kim San (played by Byun Yo-han), a young government official who dreams of transforming the

May 18, 2024

Netflix Korea launches ‘Grow Creative’ education program for creators

Netflix Korea announced Friday an expanded education program for creators aimed at establishing a high-quality content production ecosystem and discovering and nurturing local talents. Titled “Grow Creative,” the program will run throughout the year to teach the latest production technologies and offer insights into market trends to aspiring content creators and VFX technicians. Netflix Korea has run workshops targeting local industry insiders since 2022 but it is the first time that

May 17, 2024

Netflix's 'The 8 Show' will navigate power structures within small society

Director Han Jae-rim, who helmed numerous hit Korean flicks such as "The Face Reader" and "The King," said he aimed to depict the power dynamics that arise when people group together in his latest Netflix original series "The 8 Show" -- which re-imagines the popular Korean webtoon "Money Game" and its sequel "Pie Game." The eight-part thriller series narrates the story of eight financially struggling individuals who take part in a mysterious sh

May 10, 2024

CJ ENM aims to maintain success by maximizing synergy between tvN, streaming platforms

CJ ENM aims to uphold its top position in prime-time viewership ratings by maximizing synergy between streaming platforms and its cable channel tvN, amid the declining use of linear TVs, the company said Wednesday. Announcing the outcomes of tvN content's performance in 2024 During a media event held at the headquarters of CJ ENM located in Sangam-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday, the company said tvN is currently taking the lead in nationwide viewership ratings logged during prime time. TvN is

May 9, 2024

Disney+'s 'Uncle Samsik' explores how S. Korea was shaped: producer

Led by veteran actor Song Kang-ho, who has starred in numerous hit flicks, such as "Parasite" (2019) and "Cobweb" (2023), Disney+ original "Uncle Samsik" will aim to explore how Korea came to be what it is by exploring the fictional stories of those that lived through the 1950s and 1960s. Set in 1960s South Korea, the 16-part period drama series narrates the story of Kim San, (played by Byun Yo-han) a young government official with ambitions to put his self-devised

May 8, 2024

‘Moving,’ ‘12.12: The Day’ win top prizes at 60th Baeksang Arts Awards

“12.12: The Day,” also known as “Seoul’s Spring” in Korean, and Disney+ sci-fi fantasy series “Moving” won the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards on Tuesday. Prolific actor Hwang Jung-min, who played the head of the Defense Security Command Chun Doo-gwang in “12.12: The Day,” also snatched the best actor award in the film category. He had been likened to the “Leonardo DiCaprio of Baeksang” for a long streak of missing out

May 7, 2024

'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers

Netflix's original series "Super Rich in Korea" will allow viewers to appreciate South Korea more by showcasing the lifestyles of ultra-wealthy individuals who chose to relocate to Korea out of their love for the country, the show's producers said Tuesday. "Super Rich in Korea" is a six-part reality show that explores the extravagant lives of super-rich foreign nationals living in Korea. The show stars five cast members -- Kim Anna, a member of the Pakistani nobil

May 7, 2024

'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart

South Korean hit romance drama series "Queen of Tears," riding high on the strong reception from its international fanbase, is continuing its strong streaming performance, according to entertainment giant CJ ENM on Thursday. "Queen of Tears" claimed the second spot in Netflix's non-English-language TV list during the last week of April, rising one position from the previous week. The rankings are calculated by dividing the total hours viewed by the total runtime. It wa

May 6, 2024

Special footage of 'The Acolyte' featuring Lee Jung-jae unveiled ahead of series' release in June

Special footage mainly starring actor Lee Jung-jae from the new "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" was unveiled in celebration of Star Wars Day, which takes place every May 4 as a play on the famous phrase "May the Force be with you." In the special footage released on YouTube, Lee -- dressed in traditional Jedi Master apparel with a hairstyle reminiscent of the venerable Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn -- delivers a thrilling action performance and discusses behind-the-sc

May 6, 2024

[Herald Interview] Director of 'Goodbye Earth' aimed to ask how we would face apocalypse

Kim Jin-min, director of the Netflix original series "Goodbye Earth," under heavy criticism for its difficult plot and complicated sequencing, said he would consider the drama series a success if it could get the audience to ponder what they would do in the face of imminent demise. The 12-part science fiction series, which is based on the popular Japanese fantasy novel “Shumatsu no Furu," tells the story of South Koreans who are told that a meteorite is slated to strike and

May 5, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Goodbye Earth' fails to keep viewers engaged

Netflix's original series "Goodbye Earth," despite what was promised by star director Kim Jin-min who previously helmed hit Netflix series "My Name" (2021) and "Extracurricular" (2020), fails to keep the audience engaged throughout its 12-hour streaming time due to its chaotic, hard-to-follow sequencing. Based on the Japanese fantasy novel "Shumatsu no Furu" by Kotaro Isaka, the 12-part science fiction series tells the story of people living in Korea

May 3, 2024

[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers

In retrospect, even the most steadfast commitments and promises of everlasting love can fade into the past. "Queen of Tears," a love story about an estranged couple who once deeply cared for each other, set a new record as the most-watched tvN drama series of all time, with the show's final episode recording a local viewership rating of 24.9 percent. Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), who grew up in an ordinary household in the countryside, fell in love with Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), t

May 1, 2024

New talk show 'Verse1 with 2Jang' takes it to the streets

South Korean television personalities Jang Sung-kyu and singer Jang Min-ho will join forces to relay human stories to the audience via their new talk show, "Verse1 with 2Jang," amid KBS' attempts to tap into the growing popularity of on-site talk shows. The 16-part talk show, "Verse1 with 2Jang," features Jang Sung-kyu and Jang Min-ho engaging in spontaneous discussions with local people. The episodes also include an interactive gaming segment in which the hosts award

April 30, 2024

'Queen of Tears' finale sets record viewership ratings as tvN's most-watched series ending

The final episode of "Queen of Tears" aired Sunday, achieving tvN's highest viewership ratings for an episode to date, surpassing the ratings recorded by the cable channel's other hit series, including "Crash Landing on You" (2020) and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (2017). According to tvN, the final episode of "Queen of Tears" logged an average viewership rating of 28.4 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 24.9 percent nationwide. &

April 29, 2024

[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma

Sometimes, people with trauma due to emotional scars from childhood find it difficult to "become adults." Aired in 2020, tvN TV series "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" depicts the story of lonely characters who pretend to be average adults despite their vulnerabilities. Ko Moon-young (Seo Ye-ji) is a children’s book writer whose mother -- also a writer --treated her as nothing more than a piece of art. While Moon-young's books are for children, they contain brutally

April 27, 2024

Monthly users on local streaming platforms outpace Netflix, Disney+

The combined number of local users on South Korean streaming services surpassed that of foreign platforms such as Netflix and Disney+, a survey showed Thursday, a sign of rapidly changing trends in the streaming service landscape. According to a survey conducted in March by data and insight aggregator Mobile Index, about 57 percent of some 20.1 million streaming service users in Korea were using domestic platforms such as Coupang Play (23 percent), Tving (21 percent) and Wavve (13 percent). The

April 25, 2024

Yoo Jae-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok team up in 'Whenever Possible'

Get ready for an entertaining ride as South Korea's top comedian Yoo Jae-suk teams up with actor Yoo Yeon-seok. Exploring how Koreans spend their spare time, the duo are the lead MCs in the local broadcaster SBS's upcoming entertainment show "Whenever Possible." The eight-part program will hear from audiences and share their stories by visiting them in person. Each episode also features three other celebrity guests. "The show was designed after we noticed that a lot of

April 23, 2024

Discounted bundles introduced amid 'streamflation'

South Korean streaming platforms are launching subscription packages tied with complementary services in response to mounting criticisms that the subscription fees for streaming services are getting too high, a phenomenon nicknamed "streamflation" here. On Monday, local telecom service provider KT launched a subscription package named "Tving + Starbucks" which includes access to Tving and a monthly coupon for a tall Americano at Starbucks. Three types of subscription packages

April 16, 2024

[Music in drama] Centuries-old royal romance regains life

Some stories become more powerful because they are not told directly. Having aired in late 2021, the MBC period drama "The Red Sleeve" depicts the story of King Jeongjo of the Joseon era and his beloved concubine, Uibin Seong. That the story is based on history is intriguing, but the series is remarkable in its focus on the will of the female character even within the patriarchal narrative. It is a departure from the typical Korean period drama formula, especially for one that involves

April 15, 2024

Taking risk or targeting global fans? Netflix pushes ahead with 'Goodbye Earth' release

With Netflix set to release its original dystopian drama series “Goodbye Earth” on April 26, media and viewers are curious how frequently Yoo Ah-in, the lead actor, will be seen in the 12-part series. Some argue that it is too early to see him on-screen as the 37-year-old actor is set to appear in a fourth court hearing over charges of illegal drug use on Tuesday. In a trailer for “Goodbye Earth” released on Friday, Yoo is clearly omitted in the 2-minute video, which tell

April 14, 2024