Actors and those in the entertainment industry in South Korea on Thursday turned out in force to say goodbye to prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun who took his own life in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, 48, had been under police investigation since October over suspicions of using illicit drugs on several occasions earlier this year. Scores of actors and directors that Lee had worked with paid their respects at Lee’s funeral altar at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall in Jongno-gu, Seo

Film Dec. 28, 2023

Prolific Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead inside a car in Seoul on Wednesday, days after the third round of police questioning on Saturday over suspicions of illegal drug use. He had been claiming innocence and had requested a lie detector test. According to police on Wednesday, the 48-year-old was found unconscious inside a car parked near Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m. He was confirmed dead in an apparent suicide at the scene and was not sent to a hospi

Film Dec. 27, 2023

Award-winning filmmakers including Bong Joon-ho and prolific actors such as Choi Min-sik are returning to the silver screen next year to deliver joy and laughter. Much-awaited sequels of global blockbuster franchises are also slated for local opening. “Mickey 17,” Bong’s new film since “Parasite” (2019), will hit theaters on March 29 next year, according to Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 sci-fi novel “Mickey7,” wh

Film Dec. 26, 2023

“12.12: The Day,” director Kim Seong-su’s historical drama revisiting the military-led coup that took place in 1979, became this year’s second film to join the club of 10 million tickets sold after “The Roundup: No Way Out.” Having opened on Nov. 22, “12.12: The Day” took just 33 days to attract 10.06 million moviegoers, according to the number tallied by Korea Film Council on Sunday. The film is the first non-sequel Korean film to surpass 10 mil

Film Dec. 25, 2023

Koreans can now enjoy the taste of Singaporean celebrity chef Justin Quek’s flagship restaurant Justin Flavours of Asia at the basement food court of Lotte Department Store’s Myeong-dong branch in Sogong-dong, Seoul. Catering to a wide range of visitors from nearby Myeong-dong’s busy office workers, tourists hungry and tired from shopping at downtown Seoul's largest shopping block as well as Singaporeans craving food from home, Justin Flavours of Asia opened in Seoul on De

Food Dec. 23, 2023

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Pororo Popstar Adventure” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 13 Animation Directed by Yoon Je-wan, Kim Seong-min Pororo and friends accidentally land on the planet Parangdol and participate in a

Film Dec. 22, 2023

Netflix Korean monster series “Sweet Home” launched its second season on Dec. 1, but the story remains unfinished, with a third season set for release in summer next year. In season two, Lee Jin-uk plays liquidlike monster Jung Ui-myeong, inhabiting the body of Pyeon Sang-wook, the contract killer portrayed by Lee in the first season. “I’m personally a big fan of animation and ‘creature’ genre flicks. As an avid watcher, I really liked how I came to act as bot

Television Dec. 21, 2023

Director Min Hong-nam, who worked as an assistant director under Yeon Sang-ho on his hit zombie thriller “Train to Busan,” is set to debut with his thriller series “The Bequeathed” on Netflix on Jan. 19, 2024. Co-written by Yeon, Min and Hwang Eun-young, the six-part “The Bequeathed” revolves around Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo), who suddenly receives notification of the death of her father’s younger brother. She inherits the family gravesite as his only remaini

Television Dec. 21, 2023

Director Kim Han-min who helmed “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), South Korea’s biggest hit of all time with 17 million admissions, spent the last decade producing a trilogy on Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the most revered figures in Korean history. On Wednesday, the epic finale “Noryang: Deadly Sea” opened in theaters. “I’m just not ready to leave Adm. Yi Sun-sin. To borrow his word, it was definitely a blessing from heaven – 'cheonhaeng

Film Dec. 20, 2023

South Korean acting all-stars Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee were drawn in by the unique background and genre of “Gyeongseong Creature" in joining Netflix's upcoming creature feature series, the duo said Tuesday. Directed by Jung Dong-yoon of the hit baseball drama “Stove League” (2019) and written by Kang Eun-kyung of the “Dr. Romantic” series, “Gyeongseong Creature” revolves around a young man and woman in Gyeongseong, today's Seoul, in th

Television Dec. 19, 2023

Localization and copyright issues are the biggest hurdles standing in the way of local streaming platforms’ global expansion, said heads of local streamers Watcha, Wavve, Tving and Coupang Play, pointing to the need for government-run funds to support the industry. “The streaming business is all about global expansion. (In that context), we don’t have any issues in terms of technical difficulties against Netflix. Rather, it is the localization cost that is the issue when compet

Television Dec. 18, 2023

The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) is currently screening 14 well-received indie films that were released between December 2022 and November 2023. The 14 films will be screened at KOFA’s Cinematheque theater in Mapo-gu, Seoul. KOFA said the screening will not only wrap up this year’s indie film scene but will also give audiences a chance to revisit this year’s hit indie films. The 14 indie films to be screened include: Director Lee Ji-eun’s “The Hill of Secrets,”

Film Dec. 15, 2023

The continued success of modern historical drama flick “12.12: The Day” has led to improved November ticket sales at local theaters overall, according to the Korean Film Council. According to KOFIC data, November ticket sales at local theaters reached 70.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels at 41.1 billion won – up by 22.5 percent on-year. The average number of November ticket sales at cinemas from 2017 to 2019 stands at 58.6 billion won. The KOFIC said “12.12: The Day”

Film Dec. 15, 2023

Chewy rusk? Experimental bakery at Haebangchon Located on the way down the steep Haebangchon hill, O’pato, which has been loved for its homely European brunch and dining menu from soup to sandwiches, has newly opened a bakery offering a variety of experimental but irresistible bread. Although the bakery opened just a month ago, O’pato bakery’s chewing bread -- a chewy rusk made with a whole loaf of bread or salted butter roll -- has gone viral and can be purchased online and d

Culture Dec. 15, 2023

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af

Film Dec. 15, 2023