Riot Games made a successful debut on Netflix with the League of Legends-themed animation “Arcane,” soaring to No. 2 on the service’s official weekly chart. Riot Games released its animated series Nov. 7 after the Worlds 2021 Championship, one of the most popular global esports events. “Arcane” ended the historic 46-day reign of Netflix global sensation “Squid Game,” topping the chart within a few days of its release. The series has made the top 10

esports Nov. 19, 2021

Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival The Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival will be held at Wonju Sports Complex in Gangwon Province, from Friday to Sunday. The event, rescheduled from October, has grown into a global festival with a parade competition that typically takes place in the streets. However, the festival has downsized the scale, with programs being presented only at a special stage at Wonju Sports Complex. The annual festival is returning after two years, featuring cultural arts performances,

Travel Nov. 19, 2021

INCHEON -- Autumn is a wonderful season to go anywhere in Korea. And it’s not too late to enjoy the autumn breeze. Though the recent rains might have made an unwelcome visit, pulling some of the colorful leaves from their branches earlier than usual, colorful fall foliage still welcomed hikers on Manisan last weekend. A mountain standing a moderate 472 meters high on Incheon’s island of Ganghwado, some 60 kilometers west of Seoul, Manisan is one of the most popular places in Kore

Travel Nov. 18, 2021

BUSAN -- South Korea’s largest gaming convention, G-Star kicked off in Busan Wednesday, showcasing the latest games and technologies by major game-related firms from both home and abroad. Arguably the biggest exhibition held since the “living with COVID-19” scheme took effect earlier this month, G-Star put in its utmost effort to be an example of a successful offline event. G-Star 2021 is a hybrid online-offline event with the participation of leading gaming and tech firms

Culture Nov. 18, 2021

For director Yeon Sang-ho, 43, producing new Netflix series “Hellbound” felt like creating his own playground. “When I was creating ‘Hellbound’ as a web comic, I was expecting to reproduce the series as a video. The project shows different sides of humans in a desperate situation surrounded by extreme social chaos. I want to keep presenting my views about humanity via ‘Hellbound.’ I will continue to play around by creating unique characters and stories

Film Nov. 17, 2021

DAEGU - Come November, parents who have children taking the Suneung, or college scholastic aptitude test, flock to Palgongsan. While the mountain in Daegu attracts many hikers year-round for its splendid views -- carpeted with azaleas in the spring, vibrant green leaves in the summer, colorful fall foliage and the delicate winter snowscape -- Palgongsan draws pilgrims to its Gatbawi, a seated stone Buddha at one of the mountain peaks that is believed to have the power to make wishes and prayers

Culture Nov. 16, 2021

While made-for-television political satires have had little success in Korea, “The Blue House Family” is ready to take a jab at the genre early next year. It so happens that 2022 is a presidential election year in Korea, and Astory, the production company behind the 10-episode sitcom, is betting that content related to politics will grab viewers’ attention. 　 “Politics and comedy go well together. Many comedians and content creators view the political scenes as a treasu

Television Nov. 15, 2021

Actor Song Hye-kyo made a triumphant return to the small screen Friday with her first TV drama in two years, SBS’ “Now We Are Breaking Up.” The first episode recorded the highest viewership rating of all Friday-Saturday dramas that aired over those two days. The first showing on Friday marked an average nationwide rating of 6.4 and a peak of 8.4 percent. The ratings improved the following day, with the second episode scoring nationwide viewership ratings of 8.0 percent and

Television Nov. 14, 2021

Seoul Lantern Festival The Seoul Lantern Festival is scheduled to kick off Nov. 26 and run through Dec. 12 at various sites in Jongno, central Seoul. The representative festival of Seoul features a number of large paper lanterns and illuminated sculptures along the Cheonggye Stream. The event will be an online-offline hybrid event, where people can enjoy an augmented reality exhibition and join the festival via social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. The offline venues offer visitors

Travel Nov. 12, 2021

Sports entertainment programs have emerged as a major trend on television, with famed sports legends and celebrities presenting the sports on the small screen. Golf has become a recognizable force, dominating airtime for several months with big-name golf stars and television celebrities taking to the links. Cable channel TV Chosun’s “Golf King” sparked public interest in golf-related variety shows in May. The program caught viewers’ attention with former LPGA champion

Television Nov. 11, 2021

British rock band Coldplay will meet Korean fans in a virtual concert on Dec. 4 via video streaming service Coupang Play. Coldplay’s online concert will be hosted exclusively and broadcast live by Coupang Play, according to the local streamer. “As Coldplay is widely recognized for its explosive singing, spectacular playing of instruments and amazing stage manners in interacting with fans, we look forward to seeing what will happen at this year’s concert,” Coupang Play

Performance Nov. 11, 2021

Netflix hit series “Squid Game” will return with a second season. “Discussion about a second season is indeed in progress, but nothing has been confirmed yet,” a Netflix official told The Korea Herald on Wednesday morning. Earlier, Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director and writer “Squid Game,” had said that there would be a second season of the dystopian drama during a special screening and Q&A with reporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The creator told the rep

Film Nov. 10, 2021

For global star Song Hye-kyo, the decision to come back with another melodrama after just two years brought with it a bag of mixed emotions. “After tvN’s ‘Encounter’ (2019), many fans have been waiting for my return to the small screen with another beautiful romance story, but I am certain that there are some viewers who already feel tired of watching another melodrama by Song Hye-kyo,” said Song in an online press conference recorded in mid-August that was releas

Television Nov. 9, 2021

Television director Hyun Don hopes to bring back the heyday of cooking shows with “The War of Chefs.” “After producing multiple seasons of ‘Hansik Battle,’ I worked on other food programs. But it is when I am presenting outstanding Korean dishes that I feel most comfortable,” Hyun said in an online press conference Monday. Unlike “Hansik Battle,” which took on a tournament format, the director’s latest show has adopted a team competition fo

Television Nov. 9, 2021

When a song by an unfamiliar artist tops music charts, beating out top bands with megasized fandoms, rather than herald a new star people now often wonder if “sajaegi,” or manipulation of music charts and streaming counts, is at work. Such suspicion seems justified in light of recent developments. On Thursday, Trot singer Young Tak’s agency Milagro said in an official press statement that the company was involved in sajaegi, becoming the first agency to admit to the long-ru

Performance Nov. 8, 2021