While many drama fans felt “Oldboy” star Choi Min-sik’s return to the small screen with “Big Bet” represented the big-name movie star’s acceptance of video streaming services, the 60-year-old actor revealed that he simply felt the need to tell a fascinating story to the world. “I said in a press conference that I decided to star in ‘Big Bet’ because I really missed TV dramas, but what I actually meant was (I missed) the long, epic stories of

Television March 28, 2023

Naver Webtoon, South Korean tech giant Naver’s digital comics platform, confirmed that its popular webtoon series “My ID is Gangnam Beauty!” is being adapted into a TV drama in Thailand. Thai production company GMMTV has cast sought-after Thai actors, including Baifern Pimchanok, Win Metawin, Fah Yongwaree and Great Sapol, Naver Webtoon said. The 14-part “Beauty Newbie” will center around the story of a female college freshman who is ready for a fresh start after go

Television March 27, 2023

Director Bae Jung-hun, who made a name for himself with the hit SBS investigative documentary series “Unanswered Questions,” said he's glad South Korean police are getting the praise they deserve with the rising public attention to his latest project “National Office of Investigation." “The detectives, who starred in the show, said they felt awkward with the online compliments and praises. Here, in many cases, police officers are not applauded for their action

Television March 24, 2023

Noonoo TV, a Korea-based illegal streaming site, has deleted hundreds of pirated Korean TV dramas and movies from their website. Ranging from star-studded 2022 film “Emergency Declaration” to smash hit drama series “Yumi’s Cells” (2021) and “Work Later, Drink Now,” (2021), a total of 169 TV dramas and movies were taken off Noonoo TV, as of Thursday. Pirated from local streaming platforms such as Wavve, Coupang Play, Watcha, Tving and Seezn, comedies and

Television March 24, 2023

For those who still love to handwrite their schedules on paper, or decorate their planners with colored pens and stickers, the small stationery shop All Write may be worth a visit. Located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul -- a 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exits No. 1 and No. 2, All Write is a store that doesn’t stand out in the calm, quiet neighborhood of Cheongunhyoja-dong. There is no sign or fancy entrance. Rather, the shop welcomes visitors with small potted plants. Unlike the

Culture March 24, 2023

Gapyeong Cherry Blossom Festival Welcoming spring, the Gapyeong Cherry Blossom Festival is set to start from April 8 to 16 at Eden Cherry Blossom Road in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The 1.2-kilometer cherry blossom tunnel features stage performances of classical and popular songs, a flea market of handmade things and local specialties throughout the festival. The festival makes a return after a four-year break as most of the remaining COVID-19 policies were lifted as of Monday. The event is o

Travel March 24, 2023

Korea Creative Content Agency announced that its annual, open seminar Content Insight will be held at the Content Human Resource Campus, in Hongreung, Dongdaemun-gu, central Seoul, on March 30. Content Insight invites popular creative content experts to share their thoughts on the current and future trends of the Korean content business. Director Kang Yun-sung, who helmed the hit crime films “The Outlaws” (2017), “The Roundup” (2022) and Disney+’s noir series &ldquo

Culture March 23, 2023

Public broadcaster KBS announced that Jimin of K-pop superstar group BTS is scheduled to star in its Thursday night variety show, “Beat Coin,” in an episode set to air on March 30. “Jimin said he liked to watch ‘Beat Coin’ even before starring in our show. The cast were surprised to see Jimin at the shooting site as well. Everyone always gives everything to entertain the viewers, but I think the viewers can have high expectations for our upcoming part with Jimin,&

Television March 22, 2023

Local streaming service Wavve announced Tuesday that it will join hands with Eric Beck, the German screenwriter behind Paramount’s neo-Western American drama series “Yellowstone,” to produce an original historical drama series based on true events during the Korean War of 1950-1953. The 10-part series with the working title “Combat Correspondent” will center around the story of American reporter Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966), the first woman to receive the Pulitzer

Television March 22, 2023

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC announced that its upcoming audition program “Fantasy Boys,” set to premiere on March 30, will also be available in 12 different Asian countries via video streaming platforms. While the platform Abema will stream “Fantasy Boys” in Japan, viewers in many Southeast Asian countries, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam will be able to watch the show through Chinese streamer iQiyi. In Korea, it will be strea

Television March 21, 2023

Pop legend Cho Yong-pil, who is widely known as “Gawang” -- the king of singing or pop music in Korean -- will hold a solo concert in Seoul on May 13, the concert’s organizer announced Tuesday. Titled “2023 Cho Yong-pil & the Great Birth Concert,” the concert is set to be held at the Seoul Olympic Stadium inside the Olympics sports complex in Jamsil, southern Seoul. The Great Birth is a band that has worked with Cho at his concerts since 1979. This is Cho'

Performance March 21, 2023

Content production company Studio LuluLala (SLL) confirmed that its whodunnit variety series, “Crime Scene,” will be making a return after six years. SLL, a subsidiary of cable channel JTBC formerly known as JTBC Studios, announced Monday that it is in talks with Tving -- an online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM -- to produce a fourth season, titled “Crime Scene Returns.” The show is a mystery variety program featuring celebrities and TV pers

Television March 20, 2023

Kakao Entertainment announced on Monday that it blocked over 15,000 illegally distributed webtoons and shut down major pirate webtoon platforms in Indonesia in 2022. Webtoons are digital comics that are read by scrolling down one's screen, mainly on readers’ smartphones. Kakao Entertainment’s Protecting the Contents of Kakao Entertainment, known as P.Cok for short, Kakao Entertainment's global webtoon division team, said that it reported and blocked the distribution of 15,6

Books March 20, 2023

While some actors who play villain roles ask viewers to sympathize with their characters, insisting that villains might also turn out to be likable in the end, Lim Ji-yeon requests viewers of “The Glory” to have no mercy on her character, Park Yeon-jin. “I wanted Yeon-jin to be hated by all ‘The Glory’ fans. I hoped for her not to be tolerated nor understood, not even for a moment. Even I, who played Yeon-jin in the series, could not forgive her,” Lim told The

Television March 19, 2023

It was not so long ago that girls were largely absent from school playgrounds in Korea. From soccer fields to basketball courts, while the boys played in sports games, the few girls that were spotted, most took on the roles as cheerleaders or worked as team managers. That was not the case at the Seoul National University gymnasium on a recent Thursday, where a team of women basketball players zipped across the court, practicing dribbles and crossovers, smiles never leaving their faces. Kwon Hee-

People March 18, 2023