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Baek Byung-yeul

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.

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Books

Nvidia CEO’s webtoon moment highlights global ascent of K-comics

A recent casual encounter between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin has cast a fresh spotlight on the explosive growth and global influence of Korean webtoons, showing how digital comics have become a mainstream cultural medium. During his visit to Korea from June 5 to 9, the leader of the global artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant visited Naver’s 1784 headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on June 8 to discuss massive AI infrastructure partnerships. At a welcoming event prepared by Naver Webtoon, the tech billionaire participated in a unique cultural event by filling out empty speech bubbles in a customized comic strip from the hit webtoon "The Greatest Estate Developer." Standing next to the Naver founder, the Nvidia CEO used the comic format to deliver a witty business message. "The more GPUs (graphics processing units) you have, the more you can work and the more happy you are," Huang said during his visit to the Naver office. He added that "GPU equals happy.” This created a viral moment that highlighted how a webtoon work is now naturally used as a c

Jun 15, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Nvidia CEO’s webtoon moment highlights global ascent of K-comics
Films

Netflix comedy 'Husbands in Action' promises big laughs, chemistry

The Netflix movie "Husbands in Action" is an action-comedy that follows the hijinks of a rescue operation put together by the ex-husband and current husband of a woman kidnapped by a criminal organization, according to director Park Gyu-tae as he introduced the film, Monday. "I've focused on situational comedy from clashing groups in my past works, but the biggest difference in this film is the action," Park said during a press conference in Seoul. The director, known for the 2022 comedy "6/45," added that the action sequences unfolding across various locations will be a key point for the audience to watch. The movie follows a desperate rescue mission by the elite narcotics detective and ex-husband Choong-shik (Jin Sun-kyu) who teams up with his former wife's handsome young veterinarian husband Min-seok (Gong Myung). Together they chase down a criminal group that has kidnapped Shi-nae (Kang Han-na), Min-seok's current and Choong-shik's former spouse. Throughout the movie, the two leads try to overcome their awkward relationship to navigate a series of dangerous situations while fighting

Jun 15, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Netflix comedy 'Husbands in Action' promises big laughs, chemistry
People & Events

Choi Jung-wha, pioneer of cultural diplomacy, dies at 71

Choi Jung-wha, an honorary professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and chairperson of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), passed away on Sunday, according to her family. She was 71. Choi was a pioneering figure in cultural diplomacy and interpretation who dedicated her life to enhancing Korea’s national image and strengthening the country’s ties with France. Born in Seoul in 1955, Choi graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a degree in French and later obtained her master's and doctoral degrees from the Graduate School for Translation and Interpretation at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. She became the first Korean to work as a simultaneous interpreter for international conferences. Throughout her career, she interpreted for more than 20 bilateral summits and over 2,000 international conferences. She served as the primary interpreter for French presidents, including Francois Mitterrand during his official visit to Korea and Jacques Chirac during his summits with former President Roh Moo-hyun. In 2003, Choi founded the CICI, a nonprofit o

Jun 14, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Choi Jung-wha, pioneer of cultural diplomacy, dies at 71
People & Events

FEBC-Korea holds retreat to celebrate 70th anniversary

Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)-Korea held a special retreat last week for its national steering committee members in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to mark its 70th anniversary, the Christian radio broadcaster said Thursday. The two-day event, which took place June 5 and 6 at Oak Valley Resort, drew around 1,500 steering committee members from 13 regional branches across the country. The attendance was the highest in the organization’s history. The FEBC-Korea steering committee was established in September 1980 to provide financial and prayer support for the broadcaster during a period of financial difficulty. Over the decades, it has grown into a major nationwide network supporting the station's radio-based missionary work. During the opening service, Rev. Kim Mi-yeol of Wonju Jungbu Church delivered a sermon emphasizing that the mission of spreading the gospel remains unchanged despite shifting eras. The retreat also featured a special lecture by Kim Jin-pyo, a former National Assembly speaker. In his address, Kim highlighted that the dedication and prayers of religious communities h

Jun 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
FEBC-Korea holds retreat to celebrate 70th anniversary
Films

Spielberg returns to familiar territory with ‘Disclosure Day’

Master of science fiction Steven Spielberg returns to the world of extraterrestrials with “Disclosure Day,” his fourth film centered on alien encounters. Nearly five decades after “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) and more than 20 years after “War of the Worlds” (2005), the veteran filmmaker attempts to combine the sense of wonder that defined his earlier works with the tension of a modern political thriller. The story expands on themes explored in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) and “War of the Worlds.” Unlike those films, however, “Disclosure Day” focuses less on the aliens themselves and more on humanity’s response to them. At the center of the story is Wardex, a secretive military organization that has hidden evidence of extraterrestrial life for decades while conducting controversial experiments on alien visitors. The plot begins when Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) decides to leak classified information about the coverup. A cybersecurity expert working inside Wardex, he risks everything to expose the

Jun 10, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Spielberg returns to familiar territory with ‘Disclosure Day’
Films

Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival leaps into AI-driven era for 30th anniv.

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is ready to lead changes in the movie industry this year, its 30th anniversary, by actively embracing AI and new media while staying true to its identity as a home for genre cinema. As it celebrates 30 years of showcasing unique and imaginative movies, Asia's top genre film festival aims to create a new trend where advanced technology and human creativity come together. This year’s BIFAN, running from July 2 to 12 in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, will feature an all-time high of 321 films from 50 countries. Reflecting the festival's tech-forward vision, the lineup includes 38 AI-generated films and 28 extended reality (XR) projects, alongside 170 feature films and 85 shorts. Director Yuen Woo-ping’s "The Blades of the Guardians" will open the festival. The organizers emphasized that the anniversary is not just a celebration of longevity, but a new beginning for the future of moviemaking. "This is not merely a story of the trajectory of time that has passed, but a moment to reflect on the journey of the past 30 years and to leap

Jun 9, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival leaps into AI-driven era for 30th anniv.
Films

‘Toy Story 5’ returns to face challenge of smart devices

The beloved toys are back in "Toy Story 5" to face their biggest modern challenge — smart devices. In this fifth installment, the familiar toys face a completely new reality where children put toys away and pick up digital devices. Bonnie, the main child character, gets introduced to Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), a smart device that begins taking away her playtime with traditional toys. "Yes, well, one of the biggest advancements in ‘Toy Story 5’ is that we're kind of finally catching up to the truth of childhood today, which is that kids everywhere are playing with iPads and screens and devices all the time," co-director McKenna Harris said during an online conference, Monday. "Bonnie, the main character, or the main child, has been introduced to Lilypad, a device that is really taking away a lot of playtime with the toys, so this is a bigger challenge than any of the toys in the previous films have ever had to face.” Unlike previous films where Woody (Tom Hanks) took the lead, "Toy Story 5" places Jessie (Joan Cusack) at the center of the narrative, a creative decision by dire

Jun 8, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
‘Toy Story 5’ returns to face challenge of smart devices
Films

J-horror meets K-occult in spiritual thriller ‘The Shrine’

Singer and actor Kim Jae-joong is making his long-awaited return to the big screen in a unique horror movie that bridges the chilling aesthetics of Japanese and Korean cinema. Directed by Japanese filmmaker Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, upcoming horror movie “The Shrine” marks Kim’s first movie in 14 years since his appearance in the 2012 comedy “Code Name: Jackal.” “The Shrine” follows the story of three university students who mysteriously disappear after visiting an abandoned shrine in Kobe, Japan. Shaman Myung-jin (Kim) tries to uncover the truth behind the disappearances, but faces a bizarre and terrifying evil spirit. Joining him is Yu-mi (Kong Seong-ha), Myung-jin’s university junior who seeks his help. Kim described the film as a refreshing departure from typical Korean horror movies, largely due to the cross-cultural collaboration. “Even though this is a Korean production, about 90 percent of the crew members were Japanese,” Kim said Monday after the premiere. “Because we worked with a Japanese director, it became a movie where the distinct characteristics of J-horror

Jun 8, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
J-horror meets K-occult in spiritual thriller ‘The Shrine’
People & Events

Rev. Billy Kim receives honorary doctorate from Soongsil University

Rev. Billy Kim, chairperson of the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)-Korea, received an honorary doctorate in business administration from Soongsil University, Friday, in recognition of his lifelong dedication to Christian evangelism, talent cultivation and community service. FEBC-Korea said the university recognized Kim as a leading figure in the Korean church community. The university said he has dedicated his life to domestic and international evangelism while making significant contributions to broadcasting missions, education, international exchange and social contribution. Kim served as the senior pastor of Suwon Central Baptist Church for several decades, spearheading the growth of the church and the Christian community in Korea. He currently serves as the church's pastor emeritus. As the chairperson of FEBC-Korea, Kim has also led efforts to expand broadcasting into regions with restricted access to religious freedom, including North Korea, China and Russia. Founded by American missionaries in 1956, FEBC-Korea is the nation's first international broadcasting station. Celebratin

Jun 7, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Rev. Billy Kim receives honorary doctorate from Soongsil University
Films

Kore-eda explores human nature, imagination in 'Sheep in the Box'

Renowned Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda has focused on the concept of unseen imagination as the ultimate message of his new sci-fi film "Sheep in the Box." The movie, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival last month, follows human parents (Haruka Ayase as the mother and Daigo Yamamoto as the father), who adopt a 7-year-old "humanoid" robot Kakeru (Rimu Kuwaki) to replace their deceased son. The film’s title is inspired by an episode in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel “The Little Prince,” where a pilot draws a box and tells the prince a sheep is inside to satisfy the boy's imagination. Kore-eda gave the film an ambiguous ending where the parents leave the robot boy in a forest because he believes there should be a certain emotional distance between humans and an entirely different entity, like the adopted humanoid. "The adults do not go into the forest. Instead, they return. It doesn't end with 'everyone lived happily ever after,'" Kore-eda told The Korea Times at film distributor NEW’s office in Seoul, Friday. "But I believed those who return

Jun 7, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Kore-eda explores human nature, imagination in 'Sheep in the Box'
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