The Korea Times

'The First Responders' director gives glimpse of upcoming Season 2

Posters for SBS' crime action series “The First Responders 2” / Courtesy of SBSBy Lee Gyu-leeThe director of SBS' crime action series “The First Responders” says that the series is returning with more dynamic crime in season 2. “Seasons 1 and 2 have differences in the nature of the crimes and their overall direction. The first season covered crimes in daily life but this season will have crimes involving intense incidents,” director Shin Kyung-soo told the network. “While the first season was about delivering and depicting realistic stories, the second season was directed to deliver more dramatic stories."The series, released last November, revolves around people at a police station, including the talented but unsociable detective Jin Ho-gae (Kim Rae-won), and at a fire department, passionate firefighter Bong Do-jin (Son Ho-jun), working together to respond to emergencies.The new season, set to premiere on Aug. 4, will invite additional crime scene investigators, following first responders solving major crimes such as serial arson. “For

Jul 27, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

'The First Responders' director gives glimpse of upcoming Season 2

Films

Crime action film 'Smugglers' invited to Toronto festival

A scene from the crime action movie “Smugglers” / Courtesy of NEWBy Lee Gyu-leeThe new crime action movie “Smugglers” has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), set to be held from Sept. 7 to Sept. 17 in Canada's largest city. The film's distributor, NEW, announced that director Ryoo Seung-wan's latest film will be screening in the festival's Special Presentations section.“(The movie) combines director Ryoo Seung-wan's signature action and unique humor, which draw in audiences,” Anita Lee, chief programming officer of TIFF, said in the statement. Directed by Ryoo, who is known for helming the 2015 action film “Veteran,” the movie follows a group of “haenyeo,” or female divers ― played by Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah and Go Min-si ― in a small fishing town in the 1970s. Their mundane life of collecting marine products to make ends meet turns upside down when they get involved in a high-stakes smuggling scheme. The star-studded film, which was released on Wednesday, was also invited to the 76th Loc

Jul 26, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Crime action film 'Smugglers' invited to Toronto festival

K-pop

INTERVIEW Monsta X Hyungwon, Shownu talk about versions of themselves with 'UNSEEN'

Singers Hyungwon, left, and Shownu, the members of K-pop group Monsta X, debuted as a unit with the album “THE UNSEEN,” Tuesday. Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeK-pop group Monsta X debuted a new subunit featuring its two members Shownu and Hyungwon, for the first time in the group's eight-year career. Shownu X Hyungwon, a subunit of Monsta X / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment“This time has been meaningful for us as it's the first unit from Monsta X,” Hyungwon told The Korea Times during a recent interview, held at a cafe in southern Seoul's Gangnam District. “Although it's not a group act, we were excited to showcase the unit because we felt we can show a new type of performance.”The unit, Shownu X Hyungwon, debuted its first album “THE UNSEEN,” which hit shelves on Tuesday, comprising five tracks ― “Love Me A Little,” “Love Therapy,” "Roll With Me,” “Play Me” and “Slow Dance.” The singers talked about different versions of themselves, exploring their own perspecti

Jul 25, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] Monsta X Hyungwon, Shownu talk about versions of themselves with 'UNSEEN'

Shows & Dramas

Cha Tae-hyun, Zo In-sung to reunite for 'Unexpected Business 3'

Actors Cha Tae-hyun, left, and Zo In-sung will star in the third season of the tvN's reality show “Unexpected Business.” Courtesy of Blossom Entertainment, IOK CompanyBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Cha Tae-hyun and Zo In-sung will be returning for the third season of the tvN's reality show “Unexpected Business.”The cable network confirmed its hit reality show has been renewed for Season 3 and is scheduled to roll out in the latter half of this year. The reality show, which debuted its first season in 2021, invites two long-time friends Cha and Zo to take over the operation of a supermarket for several days in a small rural neighborhood.The show created a buzz even before its premiere as the first reality show for A-lister Zo in his 23-year-long acting career. It garnered popularity, following the hijinks of the two actors running a business while interacting with the town's close-knit neighbors. Fellow A-lister actors like Park Bo-young and Kim Hye-soo made guest appearances on the show helping out the two owners with the business. The first wrapped with a 6.4 percent v

Jul 21, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Cha Tae-hyun, Zo In-sung to reunite for 'Unexpected Business 3'

Trends

Startup CEO infuses entertainment to learning Korean

KOKIRI, an app-based Korean learning platform using Korean entertainment content, created by education service startup Koylabs / Courtesy of KoylabsBy Lee Gyu-leeK-pop and entertainment have been gaining more and more attention from global audiences lately.For Jeon Ye-ji, the founder and CEO of education service startup Koylabs, this is an opportunity for people around the world to have a more interesting and fun way of picking up not only the Korean language but also its culture. “I want people to feel that it's easy and fun to learn Korean (through our platform) … I hope this can help expand the ways to access Korean culture and content,” she told The Korea Times during an interview at the company's office in central Seoul, Wednesday. “Jeon Ye-ji, founder and CEO of Koylabs / Courtesy of Koylabs“I believe knowing the language is one of the ways to have a better understanding of a culture … So through our service, I hope to provide people learning Korean with an experience to expand their cultural scope.”Koylabs runs KOKIRI, an app-based K

Jul 21, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Shows & Dramas

Kim Young-dae, Pyo Ye-jin to co-star in new romance series

Actors Kim Young-dae, left, and Pyo Ye-jin will play the lead characters in the new ENA series “Moonrise During The Day.” Courtesy of Outer Korea and Secret ENTBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Kim Young-dae and Pyo Ye-jin will lead ENA's upcoming fantasy romance series “Moonrise During The Day.” The network announced that the two have confirmed their roles, along with actors On Joo-wan and Jung Woong-in.Based on the hit webcomics of the same name, the new series will revolve around the top actor, Han Joon-oh (Kim), and a firefighter-turned-bodyguard Kang Young-hwa (Pyo). Despite his heartthrob image, Han is far from living his best life, as he suffers from insecurity. But when he gets into a car accident while shooting a commercial on the set, he gets possessed by the spirit of a nobleman from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C ― 676 A.D), which turns his personality around completely. Kang used to be a firefighter, but when she gets into an accident with Han, she faces a major change in life, becoming Han's personal bodyguard. On will play the character of Han Min-oh, who is the

Jul 21, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Kim Young-dae, Pyo Ye-jin to co-star in new romance series

People & Events

Pink Kimchi CEO sets out to bring unique flair to spicy Korean side dish

Pink Kimchi CEO Kim Kyoung-min / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Lee Gyu-leePink Kimchi's flagship product is pink turnip dongchimi (radish water kimchi). Courtesy of Pink KimchiKimchi, a side dish made with fermented vegetables, is a staple food consumed by Koreans in almost every meal. It is impossible to talk about Korean cuisine without kimchi. With its long history, many variations of kimchi have been developed using different ingredients like napa cabbages or radishes, usually made with chili flakes, like baechu (cabbage) kimchi, or without chili flakes, like dongchimi (radish water kimchi). But the kimchi brand Pink Kimchi strives to add a new flair to the Korean comfort food through its flagship product, pink dongchimi, made with locally grown turnips from Ganghwa Island off the coast of Incheon west of Seoul.“I want to establish something that reminds people of Pink Kimchi when they think of Ganghwa turnips. And within the brand, there is more than just kimchi, but variations so every generation can enjoy different tastes through five different flavors I've set to

Jul 20, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Pink Kimchi CEO sets out to bring unique flair to spicy Korean side dish

Shows & Dramas

Jung Hae-in returns for season 2 of Netflix original 'D.P.'

From left, actors Kim Ji-hyun, Ji Jin-hee, Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun and Son Seok-koo pose during the press conference for the second season of Netflix series "D.P." held at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-lee The second season of Netflix's original series “D.P.” is finally set to arrive on July 28, about two years after its first season created a buzz by spotlighting corruption and abuse in the military.The military action series revolves around two soldiers ― Ahn Joon-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Han Ho-yeol (Koo Kyo-hwan) ― serving in a special unit called Deserter Pursuit (D.P.) which specializes in tracking down military deserters and bringing them in.As the two take cases of deserted soldiers, they come across their different backstories and injustices in the organization that led them to flee from the military. “(Season 2) captures the stories of the unchanging reality and injustice the two D.P. soldiers, Joon-ho and Ho-yeol, face,” Jung said during the press conference for the series held at a hotel in

Jul 19, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Jung Hae-in returns for season 2 of Netflix original 'D.P.'

Shows & Dramas

Choi Soo-young, Jeon Hye-jin to show feel-good comedy in 'Not Others'

From left, actors Park Sung-Hoon, Choi Soo-young, Jeon Hye-jin and Ahn Jae-wook pose during the press conference for the new comedy series, "Not Others,” held at Stanford Hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of KT Studio GenieBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Jeon Hye-jin and singer-actor Choi Soo-young portray a special mother-daughter bond in the new comedy series "Not Others,” which premiered on Monday.The new ENA series, based on the webcomic of the same name, follows a single mother, Eun-mi (Jeon), and her grownup daughter, Jin-hee (Choi), exploring romance and life. Eun-mi had her daughter when she was a teen, and raised her now-29-year-old daughter by herself while working as a physiotherapist. She is bubbly and straightforward, keeping a friend-like relationship with her daughter.Jin-hee is a cool-headed police officer who leads a patrol team at a local precinct. Although she bickers over everything with her mom, she is the more responsible of the two and looks after her.Choi expressed that working with Jeon has been a dream come true. “Anyone who knows me wo

Jul 18, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Choi Soo-young, Jeon Hye-jin to show feel-good comedy in 'Not Others'

Shows & Dramas

K-dramas' glory days wane as industry tightens belt

A scene from Netflix's Korean original series “Squid Game” which found worldwide success in 2021 / Courtesy of NetflixOverheated competition among OTTs during pandemic begins to backfireBy Lee Gyu-leeWhen Netflix's Korean original series “Squid Game” became a global sensation in 2021, as well as becoming the streaming platform's biggest hit, it started a major boom in the popularity of Korean series.However, Korea's hot streak has begun to wind down, driving the K-drama industry into crisis. Many streaming services and networks are starting to tighten their belts and hit the pause button concerning the overflow in series production, leaving many series in stasis or shelved after production. Broadcasters and networks are not reserving weekday prime time slots for series anymore. The nation's three major broadcasters ― SBS, MBC and KBS ― all stopped airing Wednesday-Thursday series, with tvN following suit in April.“Networks are only opening one two-day slot (per week), like Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday for series, and have closed down the weekday on

Jul 14, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Lee Gyu-lee

Read more

'The First Responders' director gives glimpse of upcoming Season 2

Crime action film 'Smugglers' invited to Toronto festival

INTERVIEW Monsta X Hyungwon, Shownu talk about versions of themselves with 'UNSEEN'

Cha Tae-hyun, Zo In-sung to reunite for 'Unexpected Business 3'

Startup CEO infuses entertainment to learning Korean

Kim Young-dae, Pyo Ye-jin to co-star in new romance series

Pink Kimchi CEO sets out to bring unique flair to spicy Korean side dish

Jung Hae-in returns for season 2 of Netflix original 'D.P.'

Choi Soo-young, Jeon Hye-jin to show feel-good comedy in 'Not Others'

K-dramas' glory days wane as industry tightens belt

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