“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk on the global streaming platform Netflix, celebrated Korean soprano Sumi Jo and Tokyo Olympics gold medal archer Kim Je-deok were named as the winners of the Korea Image Award on Wednesday. The 18th edition of the annual awards took place at the InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. “Though we are experiencing a challenging time with the COVID-19 pandemic, I am grateful that we are able to have the chance to hold

Culture Jan. 12, 2022

Having released its first webtoon NFTs of “Solo Leveling” Wednesday, Kakao Entertainment said it is seeking to expand its NFT business with “The Soulless Duchess.” According to the company, the upcoming NFT is a joint project between Kakao Entertainment’s IP “The Soulless Duchess” and the generative art project company Treasures Club, making the country’s first ever generative webtoon NFT. Generative art is a form of digital art in which the art

Cartoon Jan. 12, 2022

Since his debut in classic Korean film “The Seashore Village” in 1965, Oh Young-soo, 77, has taken various roles in theatrical projects, drama series and films, eventually winning the award for best supporting actor at the 97th Golden Globe Awards for his role as Oh Il-nam in “Squid Game.” He is the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe. “After hearing the news, I told myself that ‘you are a good guy’ for the first time in my life,” the actor

Film Jan. 10, 2022

Oh Young-soo of “Squid Game” won the best supporting actor in television category at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, held Monday, Korean time. Referred to as Player 001, Oh played an ordinary old man Oh Il-nam, who wished to have fun before his death, in the global sensation “Squid Game.” The 79-year-old actor was nominated for the best supporting actor prize along with Brett Goldstein of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass of Apple TV

Film Jan. 10, 2022

Kakao’s first webtoon NFTs of its global intellectual property “Solo Leveling” is scheduled to go on sale at a digital art platform and marketplace Klip Drops starting on Jan. 12. Drawn by the webtoon’s illustrator Jang Sung-rak, two of the most famous scenes -- the last scene of the final episode and an iconic scene from the 172nd episode -- will be released as the company’s NFTs. The two NFTs can be bought for 600 KLAY coins, with the first and second NFTs price

Cartoon Jan. 9, 2022

The global sensation “Squid Game” is competing in the Golden Globe Awards in a year which saw the awards, mired in a number of controversies, being boycotted by several studios and actors. The awards show, which takes place at 11 a.m., Monday (Korean time) is being neither broadcast nor streamed live. The boycotts come despite the Hollywood Foreign Press Association attempts to respond to criticisms over lack of diversity. This year’s nominations include several actors and p

Film Jan. 9, 2022

Yangju Snow Festival The Yangju Snow Festival kicked off Jan. 1 and runs through Feb. 13 at Jangheung Recreational Forest in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. With an attempt to share and appreciate the beauty of snow, the festival features various programs, including ice sledding, a snow mountain, a sleigh train, an augmented reality snow experience zone, ice sculptures and more. While admission costs 12,000 won and 15,000 won on weekdays and weekends, respectively, separate fees apply for hands-on

Travel Jan. 7, 2022

Attempting to excite fans and elevate the level of play in League of Legends Champions Korea, one of the changes for this year’s upcoming season is the reopening of LOL Park for fans, audience and spectators, said the secretary general of LCK Aiden Lee in a press conference at CGV Yongsan, central Seoul, Wednesday. “A total of 10 teams -- T1, Gen.G, Damwon Kia, Liiv Sandbox, Nongshim RedForce, Hanwha Life Esports, DRX, KT Rolster, Fredit Brion and Kwangdong Freecs -- are scheduled

esports Jan. 6, 2022

Actors Lee Jung-jae, Oh Young-soo and director Hwang Dong-hyuk will not be attending the 79th Golden Globe Awards. According to Lee’s agency, Artist Company, the actor decided not to participate in the awards ceremony after careful consideration. “Though it is a great honor to be nominated for the Golden Globes, Lee will be absent from the awards ceremony after considering the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, self-quarantine regulations and Netflix’s decision to not submit

Television Jan. 6, 2022

Kakao Entertainment on Wednesday revealed four webtoons -- “Call Sign,” “Strange Neighbor” (unofficial translation), “Return of the Disastrous Hero” (working title) and “The Unwelcome Guests of House Fildette” -- as some of the most anticipated projects to be released in the first half of the year. “Call Sign,” written by the Kakao Page’s best-known author Cho Seok-ho, revolves around a rookie firefighter who has the ability to

Cartoon Jan. 5, 2022

Television director Lee Seung-young, who was behind popular crime thriller “Missing Noir M” (2015) and “Voice Season 2” (2018), said that his upcoming Wavve series “Tracer” is a family-oriented drama. “Many viewers might consider the drama to be serious, because we will be talking about government officials working on taxes. But all characters have unique charms that will exceed the viewers’ expectations,“ Lee said during an online press co

Television Jan. 5, 2022

An accomplished actor, Jung Woo-sung, 48, wishes to offer stunning Korean content to viewers as a producer. “‘The Silent Sea’ was my second experience in reproducing a short film, following ‘Remember You’ in 2014. I always find the task of an executive producer difficult, but I wish to continue this work to bring the splendid projects created by the skilled directors to more viewers,” executive producer Jung said in an online interview Tuesday. The actor and

Television Jan. 4, 2022

Ahead of the release of its final episodes later this week, Korean reality dating show “Single’s Inferno,” first released on Dec. 18, 2021, notched the 10th spot on Netflix’s global TV list as of Monday. The series became the first Korean reality show to be listed on the service’s global top 10 chart. While the streaming service had previously showcased a number of Korean reality shows -- “Busted!” (2018), travel documentary “Twogether” (20

Television Jan. 4, 2022

With the success of Korean original content on Netflix in 2021, the makers and stars of “The Silent Sea,” the streaming provider’s last Korean release of 2021, might have felt under pressure. But actors Bae Doo-na and Gong Yoo are more than satisfied with their Netflix sci-fi mystery and hope the project can lead to the development of the genre in Korea. “I am well aware of the different opinions from the critics and the viewers. And I totally respect them all,”

Film Jan. 3, 2022

The metaverse, regarded as a technology whose emergence was seen as timely in the pandemic era, has cemented its position as a key avenue to pushing cultural experiences to another level. While prepandemic cultural contents were based on face-to-face experience, the virtual world-centered metaverse emerged as a notable alternative, offering a similar experience as face-to-face encounters as the coronavirus and a multitude of its variants have changed the way people interact. With the advances

Culture Jan. 3, 2022