K-pop cultural icons including Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, television director Kim Tae-ho, idol groups NCT Dream and Oh My Girl were named as the winners of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards on Thursday. The 12th edition of the annual awards, conferred by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recognized individuals’ contributions in spreading the Korean Wave. A total of 29 celebrities from diverse areas of the entertainment in

Culture Oct. 28, 2021

Aspiring to achieve the same global recognition as K-pop and K-dramas, North Chungcheong Province, the home of traditional Korean martial arts taekkyeon, plays host to various martial arts-related programs. “At the World Martial Arts Festival in 1998, North Chungcheong Province established the World Martial Arts Mastership, successfully hosting the first and second mastership in North Chungcheong Province in 2016 and 2019, respectively. We developed martial arts into a cultural business b

Culture Oct. 28, 2021

While the government on Monday unveiled a draft version of its road map for “living with COVID-19,” raising hopes of a gradual return to normal, the music industry is accusing it of bias against the sector and is calling for changes. Several music industry organizations -- the Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Korea Management Federation, Korean Singers Association, Recording Industry Association of Korea, Korea Music Content Association, Korea Music Copyright Associ

Performance Oct. 27, 2021

As Gen.G Esports triumphed over Cloud9 of the US, the last remaining hope for the West, in a clean 3-0 sweep Monday, three of four slots in the semifinals are now occupied by Korean teams: Damwon Kia, T1 and Gen.G Esports. The first game of the semifinals for the League of Legend World Championship will feature a clash of LoL giants Damwon and T1. The two teams, considered the two strongest teams in this year’s tournament, seek to cement their respective legacies by hoisting the Summone

esports Oct. 26, 2021

K-pop boy band BTS’ Jin and Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation are some of the well-known singers who will be featured in the soundtrack of “Jirisan,” tvN’s latest Saturday-Sunday drama series. The final star-studded lineup for the soundtrack announced by the drama production firms, Astory and Most Contents, also includes Yi Sung-yol, Kim Jong-wan of Nell, Gaho, Paul Kim, Jukjae, Kim Feel, Rothy and 03ohn. The artists are widely recognized for their megahit songs from

Performance Oct. 26, 2021

The international fervor for the Netflix series “My Name” took actor Ahn Bo-hyun by surprise. “After the success of ‘Squid Game,’ I can definitely feel the change in the air and growing interest in Korean contents, “ Ahn said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Monday. ”I was surprised to hear that our series ranked third place on the global Netflix chart. Though global fans are cheering me and other actors on social media, witnessing th

Film Oct. 26, 2021

Popular nonverbal show “Nanta” is scheduled to run at Myeongdong Theater, one of four “Nanta” theaters in the country, in Myeong-dong, central Seoul from Dec. 2 to 31, according to the production company, PMC Production. “Nanta,” which premiered in 1997, is one of the most popular performing arts shows in Korea for its unique storyline of comedy and drama in the kitchen. The constant striking, drumming and dancing in “Nanta” have made it a must-se

Culture Oct. 25, 2021

Netflix released two poster images for its original series, “Hellbound,” on Friday, drumming up excitement for the upcoming project. “Hellbound,” a fantasy thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is an adaptation of an animation and webtoon of the same title. The series features supernatural events in which random people receive a text message saying they will be sent to hell. Supernatural beings like grim reapers deliver final judgment on people according to their past deed

Film Oct. 22, 2021

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, says that he will return to the cinema with a heartwarming Marvel film in “Eternals.” “The film centers around the people of different races from around the world getting together to form a new family. The audience will be drawn to the touching stories of the film,” Lee said during an online press conference with a group of reporters Friday morning. “It was a surprising experience to become fr

Film Oct. 22, 2021

The chances of Korean teams facing each other in the semifinals -- or even in the finals -- of the League of Legends World Championships have increased, as the Korean teams qualified in their respective group stages. The eight teams that made the quarterfinals are: Damwon Kia, T1, Hanwha Life Esports and GenG Esports of Korea; Edward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up of China; Cloud9 from US and Mad Lions of Europe. Damwon Kia, T1, Royal Never Give Up and Gen.G Esports topped their sections in th

esports Oct. 22, 2021

Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival The 2021 Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival is scheduled to take place at the Jinju Namgang River and fortress of Jinjuseong in South Gyeongsang Province from Dec. 4-31. Originating from the floating lanterns that were used during the 1592-1598 Imjin War as a military strategy to prevent Japanese troops from wading across the Namgang River, the 21-year-old festival welcomes visitors to enjoy the parade of glittering lanterns created by local students. Various progra

Travel Oct. 22, 2021

For Han So-hee, 26, taking a role in the Netflix series “My Name” made her improve as an actor with a wide range. “I thought the audience, including my fans, wanted to see the sides of Han So-hee that are already very familiar to them with the previous dramas like ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Nevertheless’. But I wanted to find and show different sides of Han So-hee,” the actor said during an online interview with a group of reporters Wednesday

Film Oct. 21, 2021

Kim Seon-ho’s ex-girlfriend has engaged a lawyer, who vowed legal action against malicious media coverage and online comments. “All possible legal actions will be taken against articles, posts and comments with ill-intended content,” said Best Way, the law firm representing Kim‘s ex-girlfriend, in a statement released Wednesday. The statement said their client was suffering from the hateful comments made by local media and online posts as her personal information had b

Television Oct. 21, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho is to step down from the KBS variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” and a film titled “2 O’Clock Date” (unofficial translation). Though Kim and his agency, Salt Entertainment, issued official apologies Wednesday morning regarding a controversy surrounding his personal life -- allegations emerged that he pressured an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion -- producers are announcing Kim’s withdrawal from ongoing and scheduled productions. Public br

Television Oct. 20, 2021

In response to the worldwide sensation of “Squid Game,” local governments aim to promote the cities as appealing tourist attractions using the hit Netflix show. Locations that appeared or were mentioned in the series are turning into new tourist sites, and childhood games are being developed as hands-on experiences to boost Korean tourism, which has suffered greatly from the pandemic-caused slump. Incheon Tourism Organization made an online post Friday to introduce some filming loc

Travel Oct. 20, 2021