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Park Jin-hai

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.

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Shows & Dramas

Unlikely duo become one-day managers to assist stars in SBS show 'My Grumpy Secretary'

SBS is set to launch a new variety talk show, with veteran actors Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu stepping into the unusual role of one-day managers for fellow stars. "My Grumpy Secretary," which premieres Friday, promises a blend of candid emotion, sharp humor and unscripted moments that "reveal sides of celebrities typically hidden from the public eye." Unlike conventional studio-based talk shows, the show follows stars throughout their daily schedules, capturing unscripted conversations and spontaneous encounters. Producers describe it as “a new type of variety show that crosses boundaries between observation, caregiving and private conversation,” hinting that Lee and Kim's sharp yet caring approach will bring out raw, unfiltered moments. "There is a certain talk skill only noticeable to those who often see Seo-jin, and it’s not in a standardized talk show but rather in private settings when he isn’t conscious of the camera. In such moments, when he throws a question to someone, unexpected answers come out — and this format would suit the two of them perfectly," producer Kim J

Oct 2, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Unlikely duo become one-day managers to assist stars in SBS show 'My Grumpy Secretary'
Shows & Dramas

Tving’s dating reality show 'EXchange' brings ex-couples under one roof in Season 4

Tving's popular dating reality show "EXchange" is back with its highly awaited fourth season, ready to deliver even more immersive and fast-paced romance reality experience. The beloved show once again brings together ex-couples under one roof, encouraging them to revisit old relationships, confront past heartaches and seek out new connections along the way. What truly sets "EXchange" apart in the crowded landscape of dating shows is its focus on realistic, deeply emotional stories. Season 4 promises an honest look at love, heartbreak and the complexities of moving on. “We cast participants who are outspoken and unafraid to show their feelings. This season is all about raw, genuine stories that viewers can truly relate to," said the show's producer Kim In-ha, raising expectation for the show, during a press conference at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, Wednesday. The show was released later that day. For this season, a new element, the “Time Room,” has been introduced. “While last season used the metaphor of threads to explore the theme, this time we wanted to express the contes

Oct 1, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Tving’s dating reality show 'EXchange' brings ex-couples under one roof in Season 4
Shows & Dramas

Kim Woo-bin, Suzy star in magical rom-com ‘Genie, Make a Wish’

Rom-com icons Suzy and Kim Woo-bin join forces with star screenwriter Kim Eun-sook in Netflix’s highly anticipated series "Genie, Make a Wish." Bringing together Korea’s most celebrated talents in the romantic-comedy genre, the drama is set to premiere Friday, before the Chuseok holiday season. Actor Kim transforms into Genie, a mythical being also known as Iblis, who wakes after a thousand years of silence, while Suzy takes the role of a woman with antisocial disorder and emotional absence. Kim described the drama as “a fresh take on the familiar magic lamp motif, one that asks bold new questions,” adding that “through the classic device of three wishes, the series explores human desire and nature, the meaning of love and the blurred boundary between good and evil.” Once a master of granting wishes, Genie has long abandoned his magic — until fate entangles him with Ka-young (Suzy), a woman incapable of ordinary human emotions. Though she insists she has no desire for wishes, Genie refuses to vanish, following her back to Korea with a dangerous proposition. She quickly lear

Sep 29, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Kim Woo-bin, Suzy star in magical rom-com ‘Genie, Make a Wish’
Shows & Dramas

How ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ redefines historical drama through fusion

A growing trend in historical drama production in Korea is the mixing of genres, part of an effort to avoid controversy over historical distortions and to appeal to younger viewers. Recent tvN hit “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty” is a prime example, blending elements of fantasy, romance and comedy to create a new kind of show that resonates with younger generations. In the fantasy historical drama, a modern French chef, Yeon Ji-young (Lim Yoon-a), is suddenly whisked back in time to the royal court of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), where she must work as a royal chef in the kitchen of a highly demanding king. The series invites viewers into a captivating story where a modern figure time-slips into a tumultuous royal era. It artfully combines palace intrigue, kitchen competitions and visual elements designed to enhance viewer enjoyment of a culinary arts-driven drama. A touch of romance between the king and the palace’s top chef adds another layer, making the series appealing to audiences of all ages. Inspired by the web novel “Surviving as Yeonsan-gun’s Chef,” the drama sidesteps

Sep 29, 2025By Park Jin-hai
How ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ redefines historical drama through fusion
People & Events

North Texan activist’s mission: Raising awareness of wartime sex slavery victims in US

SAN FRANCISCO — Standing beside a statue commemorating the victims of wartime sexual enslavement by the Imperial Japanese Army at St. Mary’s Square in San Francisco, Sinmin Pak finds herself swept back to 2017, when she attended its unveiling. For Pak, the founder of Unforgotten Butterflies, every visit is a poignant reminder of the painful history these women endured, and her mission to ensure it is never forgotten. She recalled distributing butterfly bracelets to an American couple who visited the park and sharing the stories of the thousands of women across Asia — many from Korea — who were forced into wartime sex slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during the 1930s and 1940s, euphemistically referred to as “comfort women.” The couple, like many visitors, had stumbled upon the statue without knowing its significance. Pak explained the symbolism of the bracelets: Like butterflies that go through many hardships before taking flight in their beautiful form, survivors of wartime sex enslavement endured immense pain, but that suffering did not diminish their beauty — in fa

Sep 26, 2025By Park Jin-hai
North Texan activist’s mission: Raising awareness of wartime sex slavery victims in US
  • One woman’s fight to remember WWII tragedies in Asia
People & Events

Korean American historian reexamines Japan’s role in WWII

SAN FRANCISCO — Quin Cho, a Korean American historian, always felt a deep connection to his ancestral homeland, despite growing up without much community exposure in Chicago. Though both of Cho's maternal grandparents, who immigrated to the U.S. after the 1950-53 Korean War, passed away before he turned 4, Cho’s decision to become a historian was “connected to Korea.” "Even when I was young, I was curious about my grandparents’ experience in Japanese occupied-Korea during [World] War [II]," he said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Presidio Officers' Club in San Francisco, California, Sept. 18. Having few direct family anecdotes to draw from, he turned to books. One pivotal moment came in fourth grade when he read Linda Sue Park’s "When My Name Was Keoko," a novel that follows a young girl navigating the harsh realities of Korea under Japanese colonization. The novel’s depictions — forced name changes, food shortages, the relentless pressures of the Japanese empire — opened his eyes. "I realized that many Koreans probably had similar experiences during the

Sep 25, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Korean American historian reexamines Japan’s role in WWII
  • One woman’s fight to remember WWII tragedies in Asia
Trends

One woman’s fight to remember WWII tragedies in Asia

SAN FRANCISCO — Jenny Chan, co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education (PAE), grew up in America caught between clashing versions of history — her school textbooks skipped over the cruelties of World War II in Hong Kong, while her grandmother's stories painted a harrowing picture of life in Hong Kong under Japanese occupation. “I thought she was just probably making this up because I never learned about this,” Chan recalled, referencing tales of her family’s descent into poverty, the threat of sexual slavery and the struggle just to survive, at a conference titled "History Remembered: Understanding Atrocities in the Pacific," organized by her nonprofit organization aiming to uncover the untold stories of World War II, at San Francisco’s Presidio Officers' Club, Thursday. But she soon learned her grandmother’s memories reflected a broader, often-silenced chapter of Asian history — one in which 35 million lives were lost but rarely acknowledged in mainstream Western accounts. Driven to uncover and share these truths, Chan co-founded PAE in 2014 and has focused on recoverin

Sep 20, 2025By Park Jin-hai
One woman’s fight to remember WWII tragedies in Asia
  • Korean American historian reexamines Japan’s role in WWII
Shows & Dramas

5 Korean political dramas that feature women in power

In the era of strong female leads, the latest Disney+ Korean original blockbuster “Tempest” was conceived out of “a desire to tell a story centered on a powerful female character.” In contrast to other Korean political dramas where men routinely dominate the screen as presidents, kingmakers and rising stars, “Tempest” hands the reins of power to women, ranging from a former U.N. ambassador stepping into politics to a female president and behind-the-scenes power players, all against the volatile backdrop of the Korean Peninsula. Experts note that the visible presence of female politicians on screen in Korea can be traced back to the 2010 drama “Big Thing,” which was seen as a cultural response to a society where women’s participation in both the workforce and politics had expanded significantly. “The fact that dramas now feature not just female politicians but even a woman president reflects a dual shift of greater female entry into public life and growing attention to women’s leadership,” culture critic Jung Duk-hyun told The Korea Times. “In many ways, these dr

Sep 14, 2025By Park Jin-hai
5 Korean political dramas that feature women in power
  • 'Tempest' puts female politicians at the center
Shows & Dramas

'Tempest' puts female politicians at the center

The most anticipated Disney+ series of the year, “Tempest,” starring A-list actors Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won, unveiled its first three episodes Wednesday. The drama begins with a striking monologue from former U.N. ambassador Seo Mun-ju (Jun), saying “I had a dream. In the dream, I was a man.” As her husband, a charismatic young presidential frontrunner, delivers an impassioned speech, Mun-ju lingers in the background before gradually emerging into focus from the sidelines. “Tempest” is more than a spy thriller. While Mun-ju’s journey and her alliance with stateless mercenary San-ho (Gang) form the show’s core, the abundance of tireless, idealistic women command attention at every turn. The series begins as Mun-ju resigns from her diplomatic post and returns to Korea to support her husband’s presidential run, only to face tragedy when an extremist from an anti-unification group assassinates him. Determined to uncover the truth behind his death and pursue the peace he dreamed of, Mun-ju decides to run for president herself. In one scene where she escapes a bomb-rigge

Sep 11, 2025By Park Jin-hai
'Tempest' puts female politicians at the center
  • 5 Korean political dramas that feature women in power
Travel & Food

Korea’s largest hanok hotel opens to public in Gangwon Province

The Hanok Heritage Hotel, the largest of its kind in Korea, opened to the public in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, offering a modern reinterpretation of hanok, Korea’s 1,000-year-old architectural tradition. Drawing inspiration from the grandeur of Jongmyo Jeongjeon, the main hall of the UNESCO-listed Jongmyo Shrine, the hotel is entirely designed in traditional hanok style using wood, evoking the tranquil ambience of classic Korean architecture. Spanning over 340,000 square meters, The Hanok Heritage was initially launched in 2023 as a private, members-only retreat featuring three villas and 10 guest rooms. As of this month, it expanded to include 14 new rooms across five accommodation types, now welcoming general guests for the first time. “At first, I devoted seven years to researching the art of properly drying wood and solving construction challenges unique to hanok. The next six years were spent painstakingly building this place. Some saw it as a hardship, but for me, it was a joy — a chance to pour all my passion into hanok,” said Cho Chung-il, CEO of fintech company KONA I

Sep 11, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Korea’s largest hanok hotel opens to public in Gangwon Province
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