The Korea Times

Naver Webtoon creators embrace digital tools to redefine creative boundaries

Naver Webtoon, an online comics affiliate of Naver, has launched a new collaboration with global tech giant Apple that shifts the focus of brand partnerships from popular intellectual properties (IP) to the creators themselves. The company said Sunday that its "Made on iPad" campaign features 10 prominent webtoon artists, including ZHENA of the global hit fantasy comic "Eleceed," and highlights how professional digital tools are integrated into the artists’ creative workflows. The collaboration is seen as a move to focus on how creators actually work, rather than just using characters from their stories. The campaign shows how the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro are used in the actual creative process, focusing on features like drawing performance, portability and work efficiency. Creators involved in the campaign said that using tablets and styluses allows them to work more freely, according to Naver Webtoon. "The campaign is strategically designed to highlight the utility and performance of the hardware within a natural creative workflow, rather than simply displaying a finished result

Dec 21, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Naver Webtoon creators embrace digital tools to redefine creative boundaries

People & Events

Jeju-based company revives island's 1st knitwear brand

In an era dominated by fast fashion and globalized supply chains, a Korean content company is breathing new life into a historic regional brand, weaving together the past, present and future of the country’s textile industry. Since 2021, Koh Sun-young, CEO of Jeju Island-based company Jaejusangwhoi, has successfully revived Hallimhandweavers, the island’s first and beloved wool knitwear brand, which closed its doors in 2005. Koh said the decision to revive the knitwear maker, which was originally launched in 1959 and once provided livelihood and pride to more than 1,300 Jeju residents, was made in order to preserve and honor the island’s unique industrial heritage. "The original founder, Rev. Patrick James McGlinchey, had a mission to create jobs so that young men and women would not have to leave the infertile island, because he held the profound belief that a business should always support its community,” the CEO told The Korea Times in a recent written interview. The brand began in the late 1950s when the Irish Catholic missionary brought sheep to Jeju to help poor residents b

Dec 20, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

People & Events

Yoido Full Gospel Church shares hope with needy neighbors

Yoido Full Gospel Church, together with its affiliated non-governmental organization Good People, offered a series of charitable events to support vulnerable communities and spread a message of hope as the year comes to an end, the church said Thursday. On Wednesday, senior pastor Lee Young-hoon visited Myeong-dong in central Seoul with church members to participate in the Salvation Army’s street fundraising campaign. During the event, the church members made a donation to help the organization's nationwide efforts for the underprivileged. Following the donation ceremony, the group moved to Donui-dong in Jongno District where many residents live in tiny one-room units. The church members delivered Hope Boxes filled with daily necessities to people facing a difficult winter. According to the church, a total of 800 Hope Boxes, valued at approximately 80 million won ($54,163), were distributed. The church has a long history of reaching out to people directly. Rather than making one-off donations, Yoido Full Gospel Church emphasizes visiting those in need to understand their hardships firs

Dec 18, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Yoido Full Gospel Church shares hope with needy neighbors

Shows & Dramas

'Culinary Class Wars’ producers focus on cooking amid judge controversy in Season 2

“Culinary Class Wars,” Netflix’s hit cooking competition, returned Tuesday, with its producers stressing that the new run remains centered on the pure intensity of cooking, despite ongoing scrutiny surrounding star judge Paik Jong-won. “We put a lot of thought into how to prepare for Season 2, especially given the immense love the first season received,” producer Kim Hak-min said during a press conference in Seoul Wednesday. “We concluded that changing for the sake of change could be poisonous. Instead, we focused on maintaining the elements people loved while refining the flaws to create a more polished program. In a way, staying true to the original essence was a harder path than total transformation.” Kim Eun-ji, another producer, said the positive response to the show’s debut season gave the team courage to invite culinary legends who once seemed out of reach. “The courage we gained from Season 1 allowed us to approach masters like Ven. Seonjae and chef Hou Deok-juk. We were worried it might be an impolite request, but their swift acceptance shocked us. When the 100

Dec 17, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

'Culinary Class Wars’ producers focus on cooking amid judge controversy in Season 2

Films

Jeon Jong-seo, Han So-hee team up for crime thriller ‘Project Y’

Jeon Jong-seo and Han So-hee will star in the upcoming crime thriller "Project Y" as characters making dangerous decisions with their lives on the line. The crime noir follows the drama that unfolds after Mi-seon (Han) and Do-gyeong (Jeon) steal money and gold bars out of desperation. Director Lee Hwan, who previously addressed the social vulnerability of young people through "Park Hwa-Young" (2018) and "Young Adult Matters" (2021), said the title of "Project Y" combines the words "young," "you" and "yearn." "I chose the title hoping that those who watch the movie will look back and think ‘What was I like when I was young?' or 'What kind of desire did I have in the past?’” the director explained. "I hoped that audiences would leave the theater after watching the movie having completed their own Y.” Lee said he cast the two actors as the leads because of their unique presence and his anticipation that they would have good chemistry. "I thought both actors were iconic and symbolized the twenty-something generation," Lee said. "I felt that Mi-seon and Do-gyeong could appeal to the au

Dec 16, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Jeon Jong-seo, Han So-hee team up for crime thriller ‘Project Y’

Films

'Great Flood' brings underwater survival thriller to Netflix

As a catastrophic flood submerges the world, a handful of survivors struggle for life inside a waterlogged apartment, setting the stage for a new kind of disaster thriller from director Kim Byung-woo. The director described his upcoming Netflix film "The Great Flood" as a hybrid of the disaster genre and sci-fi, which he believes will appeal to fans of both. "Personally, I hope that viewers will remember it as a mysterious and lovely movie," Kim said Tuesday during a press conference for the movie. Set on what might be the final day of a world devastated by catastrophic flooding, the story centers on a desperate fight for survival inside a submerged apartment building. Kim Da-mi stars as An-na, an artificial intelligence development researcher fighting to stay alive as waters rise. Opposite Kim is Park Hae-soo as Hee-jo, a member of the security team at her research institute who becomes her unlikely partner in this watery nightmare. Regarding the setting of a flood, the director explained that the dual role of water as a life-giving force and an agent of destruction gave the plot unique

Dec 16, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

'Great Flood' brings underwater survival thriller to Netflix

Shows & Dramas

‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 returns with fiercer lineup

“Culinary Class Wars,” Netflix’s hit cooking show that sparked a global sensation with its heated kitchen battle between 20 renowned “White Spoon” chefs and 80 highly skilled but lesser-known “Black Spoon” chefs, is set to launch its second season on Tuesday. The new season once again features a prominent lineup of chefs poised to defend — or overthrow — the current culinary elite. The newly released posters and promotional videos immediately boosted anticipation for the return of the high-and-low culinary class struggle, promising a competition with greater stakes. Who to watch for in Season 2 The new season boasts a formidable array of White Spoon contestants, encompassing a mix of Michelin-starred chefs, veteran masters and well-known media figures. Headlining the star power is Jun Lee, founder and executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred Soigne in southern Seoul. He is joined by Son Jong-won, who holds a Michelin star for each of his two restaurants, L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden, and is also recognized as a regular on the JTBC cooking show “Please Take Ca

Dec 15, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 returns with fiercer lineup

Films

James Cameron explores family theme in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

Director James Cameron said Friday that his highly anticipated “Avatar: Fire and Ash” deals with a deeply personal journey about family and conflict. "I've chosen to tell a story about family because I have a family. I have five children. I'm just going to put all that on Pandora. I'm going to put it in this fantastic realm, because I believe that anywhere around the world, people will be able to relate to those issues and those conflicts and those characters,” Cameron told Korean reporters during an online press conference. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is the third installment of the blockbuster franchise, following 2009's "Avatar" and 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water." The new film continues the saga of the family of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former human soldier who permanently transferred his consciousness into his Na'vi avatar, and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), a female Na'vi of the Omatikaya clan. They face new threats and challenges as the story sees the family grappling with grief after the loss of their eldest son in the previous installment and introduces new Na'vi clans. C

Dec 12, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Films

In memoriam: Kim Ji-mee, prolific icon of Korean cinema

Actor Kim Ji-mee, who passed away on Dec. 7 in the United States at the age of 85, was a towering figure who defined the blossoming golden age of Korean cinema. Confirmed by the Federation of Korean Filmmakers on Wednesday, her passing marks a profound loss for the nation's cultural landscape as she was a cinematic pioneer, a producer and a cultural icon whose career spanned over five decades and an estimated 700 films. Born in 1940, she made her debut in 1957 in director Kim Ki-young’s “The Twilight Train” and quickly established herself as the face of modern Korean womanhood on screen. Unlike other actors of her era, Kim brought both style and strong feelings to her roles, often playing characters that required her to be both delicate and tough. Her early filmography, which includes films like “The Star in My Heart” (1958), “Three O’clock P.M. in a Rainy Day” (1959) and “Lady Jang” (1961) defined the style and tone of the 1960s film scene. Kim’s choice to feature in demanding, high-quality films gave her many awards and firmly established her status as a highly res

Dec 11, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

In memoriam: Kim Ji-mee, prolific icon of Korean cinema

Shows & Dramas

Ji Chang-wook takes on grueling action, emotion in 'The Manipulated'

After cementing his reputation as an action star, Ji Chang-wook returned to the world of conspiracy thrillers with "The Manipulated," an expanded take on the 2017 film “Fabricated City.” Ji said the combination of a compelling script and a deep affection for the original work convinced him to revisit the universe. "I had a vague feeling that I had to do it when the series adaptation was first mentioned," the actor, who plays protagonist Tae-jung in the recently-ended series, told The Korea Times in an interview at a cafe in Seoul Thursday. "After reading the screenplay, it was just too fun. It made me think, 'Oh, I think I can do a really good job with this.' There was an affection for the film version, and also a curiosity about what it would be like to recreate this with new cast members and fresh episodes. The story introduced so many new dimensions and characters, and I wanted to see how differently I could portray the character about 10 years later." The Disney+ Korean original series follows Tae-jung, an ordinary person who finds his life manipulated by unseen power, forcing hi

Dec 11, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Baek Byung-yeul

Read more

Naver Webtoon creators embrace digital tools to redefine creative boundaries

Jeju-based company revives island's 1st knitwear brand

Yoido Full Gospel Church shares hope with needy neighbors

'Culinary Class Wars’ producers focus on cooking amid judge controversy in Season 2

Jeon Jong-seo, Han So-hee team up for crime thriller ‘Project Y’

'Great Flood' brings underwater survival thriller to Netflix

‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 returns with fiercer lineup

James Cameron explores family theme in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

In memoriam: Kim Ji-mee, prolific icon of Korean cinema

Ji Chang-wook takes on grueling action, emotion in 'The Manipulated'

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