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Lee Gyu-lee

Korea Times Business Reporter

Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.

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Companies

INTERVIEW Social venture strives to open doors for deaf drivers

Coactus' ride-hailing service, Goyohan Mobility, hires hearing-impaired drivers. Courtesy of CoactusGoyohan Mobility seeks ride-hailing service platform for both disabled, non-disabledBy Lee Gyu-leeKorea's ride-hailing market is a tough industry to crack, especially with ardent taxi drivers who are ready to fight any threat to their jobs.Song Min-pyo, CEO of Coactus / Courtesy of CoactusHowever, the social venture, Coactus, strives to diversify the industry with its ride-hailing service, to provide job opportunities for people with hearing impairments and to create a platform that embraces both disabled and non-disabled workers. The company's service, Goyohan Mobility, which currently has about 110 hearing-impaired drivers, utilizes a proprietary software system to connect drivers and passengers by assisting their communication during the ride. “Goyohan” means “silent” in Korean.“It might be more difficult to use the service at first because of certain prejudices people might have against disabled people. But once it stirs up positive reactions from cust

Feb 24, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
[INTERVIEW] Social venture strives to open doors for deaf drivers
Shows & Dramas

Kim Hye-soo's new Netflix series 'Juvenile Justice' to touch on young offenders' issues

From left, actors Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-eun and Lee Sung-min pose during an online press conference for the new Netflix series “Juvenile Justice,” Tuesday. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeNetflix's upcoming courtroom series “Juvenile Justice” will spotlight the social issues surrounding juvenile delinquency, according to the director. “Previously, I only ever heard about issues regarding juvenile offenders from the news or media. But this series has given me a chance to look more closely into them,” the series' director and creator Hong Jong-chan said during an online press conference, Tuesday. “Young offenders are not the only ones responsible for their issues. I believe it also has to do with the fundamental problems of society.”Directed by Hong, whose previous work includes the subtle, heartfelt series "Dear My Friends" (2016), the new drama revolves around four judges at a juvenile court ― played by actors Kim Hye-soo, Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min and Lee Jung-eun ― tackling complex cases with their own beliefs and perspe

Feb 23, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Kim Hye-soo's new Netflix series 'Juvenile Justice' to touch on young offenders' issues
Shows & Dramas

INTERVIEW 'SNL Korea' reboot's political satire rides popularity in election season

“Saturday Night Live Korea” producer Kang Na-rae, left, and chief producer Oh Won-taek pose after an interview with The Korea Times at the office of the show's production company, AStory, Feb. 16. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Lee Gyu-leeSatire has been a big part of the identity of the long-running NBC comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.” And it's no different in the show's Korean adaptation, “Saturday Night Live Korea” (SNL Korea), which earned a reboot last September on the local streaming platform, Coupang Play, four years after ending nine seasons with the local network, tvN.The political satire of the revived show's cold open to its “Weekend Update” segment has become the talk of the town just in time for the election season. The interview segment with real politicians, including the presidential candidates, with the callow, plain-speaking intern reporter ― played by cast member Joo Hyun-young ― has generated huge buzz for taking a chance with its unusual approach to the serious and complicated world of politics.“Joo's

Feb 22, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
[INTERVIEW] 'SNL Korea' reboot's political satire rides popularity in election season
Shows & Dramas

Homegrown OTT services take leap forward to win in competitive market

Local streaming service Wavve will release about 30 original content items this year. Courtesy of WavveBy Lee Gyu-leeLocal over-the-top (OTT) services are making vigorous efforts to step up their game in the country's heated streaming war by securing sizable investments and providing original content.Entertainment giant CJ ENM's streaming service Tving announced Friday that it has raised about 250 billion won ($291.1 million) in investments by issuing new stocks which were acquired by local private equity fund JCGI through a third-party allotment. The 382,500 shares acquired by JCGI account for about 12.8 percent of the total shares.According to CJ ENM, the streaming service's enterprise value is estimated at 2 trillion won, which is almost six times higher than its 350 billion won estimation from last July.Tving has reached several investment deals within the past year, including a 40 billion won one from tech giant Naver in July. Last December, the platform struck a global content licensing and distribution deal with the U.S.-based production company Paramount as part of its global

Feb 20, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Homegrown OTT services take leap forward to win in competitive market
K-pop

K-pop artists postpone music releases, debuts amid Omicron surge

Eight of the nine members of boy group Cravity tested positive for COVID-19. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment By Lee Gyu-leeA number of K-pop groups are postponing their scheduled activities as the current wave of COVID-19 infections is rocking the music industry. More than 30 artists have been confirmed to be infected with the virus, and the country is struggling to contain the high transmissible spread of the Omicron variant. Korea saw yet a new daily record, with the number of COVID-19 cases surpassing 93,000 on Wednesday.The rookie group, TEMPEST, which was slated to make its debut next Monday, has pushed back the release of its debut album, “It's ME, It's WE,” to next month after all of its seven members tested positive for the virus.“One of the staff reported getting infected, so we got the members tested and heard back that the results were positive,” the group's agency Yuehua Entertainment said in the statement, adding that the members had each received tw

Feb 17, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
K-pop artists postpone music releases, debuts amid Omicron surge
Shows & Dramas

Disney+ original mystery series 'Grid' sends message about saving Earth: director

From left, actors Kim Sung-kyun and Lee Si-young, director Lee Khan, and actors Kim A-joong and Kim Mu-yeol pose during an online press conference of the Disney+ mystery series “Grid,” Wednesday. Courtesy of Disney+ By Lee Gyu-leeThe global streaming platform Disney+ debuted another Korean original series, the sci-fi mystery “Grid,” Wednesday, hoping to give a boost to its stagnating performance in Korea.Directed by filmmaker Lee Khan, who led the action film “The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” (2019), the new suspense thriller revolves around a mysterious figure called “Ghost” (Lee Si-young) who disappeared after developing the system Grid that protected humans from a deadly disaster. About 24 years after her disappearance, she resurfaces and helps a serial killer get away. When detective Jung Sae-byeok (Kim A-joong) witnesses the existence of the mysterious being, she joins forces with government official Kim Sae-ha (Seo Kang-jun) to reveal the secret of Ghost and c

Feb 16, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Disney+ original mystery series 'Grid' sends message about saving Earth: director
Shows & Dramas

TV series 'Kill Heel' to delve into dark world of TV shopping hosts

From left, actresses Lee Hye?young, Kim Ha-neul and Kim Sung-ryung pose during an online press conference for tvN series “Kill Heel,” Tuesday. Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeTvN's new female-centric series, “Kill Heel,” scheduled to premiere on Feb. 23, will offer a behind-the-scenes look into the world of home shopping hosts.“When you flip through the channels and come across a home shopping channel, sometimes you just get drawn to it and find yourself making a purchase. This series will give a backstage glimpse into the industry,” the series' lead actress Kim Sung-ryung said during an online press conference, Tuesday. Directed by Noh Do-cheol, whose previous works include the period series, “The Emperor: Owner Of The Mask,” the drama series follows the competitive power struggles of three female shopping hosts ― played by Kim Ha-neul, Kim Sung-ryung and Lee Hye?young ― at a home shopping network. Woo-hyun (Kim Ha-neul) is a decent shopping host who is ambitious to climb to the top. But after she falls into misery, she takes the hand of

Feb 15, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
TV series 'Kill Heel' to delve into dark world of TV shopping hosts
Shows & Dramas

'Unexpected Business 2' to highlight rural town customers' vibe: producer

The poster for tvN's reality show, “Unexpected Business 2,” starring actors Cha Tae-hyun, left, and Zo In-sung / Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeRyu Ho-jin, the producer of tvN's reality show, “Unexpected Business,” was confident that its upcoming season 2 will be funnier, grander and more dynamic than the previous season. Starring A-list actors Zo In-sung and Cha Tae-hyun, the reality show invites the two long-time friends to take over a small grocery store for 10 days in a rural town. It follows the two actors' mishaps of running a business while interacting with the town's close-knitted neighbors and sharing parts of their lives. The first season, which premiered in February of last year, wrapped up with a 6.4-percent viewership rating, last May. The new season will show Zo and Cha running a larger supermarket. “This season will still capture stories about (local) people's lives, while the cast members will face more difficult missions. They wind up in more colorful misadventures as they try to run a bigger market for 10 days,” Ryu said through the

Feb 15, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Unexpected Business 2' to highlight rural town customers' vibe: producer
Shows & Dramas

'Squid Game' most favorite Korean drama in 2021: survey

A poster for the Korean thriller series "Squid Game" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-lee“Squid Game,” Netflix's biggest hit Korean original series, was the most popular Korean drama among global audiences in 2021, according to a survey on hallyu trends by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, Monday.In the survey of 8,500 people in 18 countries, including Thailand, India, the United States, France and Brazil, who have consumed Korean cultural content last year, the dystopian thriller series garnered the highest percentage by far among Korean dramas with 21.2 percent. TvN's romance series “Crash Landing on You,” which ranked highest in the survey the year before with 9.5 percent, was voted the second this year with 2.2 percent, followed by the crime series “Vincenzo,” at 1.9 percent. K-pop juggernaut BTS was named as the most popular K-pop artist for the fourth consecutive year, at 26.7 percent, which is more than double the ratio of runner-up BLACKPINK at 10.4 percent. Solo artist

Feb 14, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Squid Game' most favorite Korean drama in 2021: survey
Entertainment

Director Yeon Sang-ho to create 'new universe' with gaming company Smilegate

By Lee Gyu-lee Director Yeon Sang-ho / Courtesy of Netflix Director Yeon Sang-ho has inked an intellectual property partnership agreement with local gaming company Smilegate. The director, who was at the helm of the hit film “Train to Busan” and Netflix series “Hellbound,” will join hands with the game developer to create a new “fictional universe” by next year at the earliest.The company will use it to develop not only a game but also other types of content such as movies, TV series and webcomics. Smilegate's chief visionary officer Kwon Hyuk-bin, who is also the founder of the company, revealed last month in his New Year message to employees that the company was in talks with director Yeon to sign a partnership. “(The partnership) will allow Smilegate ot go from a famous gaming company, and expand its content universe into various fields, including movies, dramas, webcomics and variety shows,” Kwon said. Founded in 2002, Smilegate is a video game developer and publi

Feb 14, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Director Yeon Sang-ho to create 'new universe' with gaming company Smilegate
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