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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

Kim Hye-ja returns with 'Heavenly Ever After,' reimagines afterlife

JTBC's new weekend drama "Heavenly Ever After" is expected to become another poignant drama by veteran actor Kim Hye-ja, reuniting with director and screenwriters of acclaimed collaboration "The Light in Your Eyes" (2019) after six years. In this heart-warming drama, Kim pairs with actor Son Suk-ku, who is 42 years younger than her, to portray a romance that gracefully transcends their age difference. Director Kim Suk-yoon said they "crafted a stage where Kim can pour her entire being," heightening anticipation. "This project was conceived from the outset with Kim in mind. The screenwriters even halted their other scripts to join what we affectionately called the 'Kim Hye-ja Project,' focusing on how to create a platform where she could fully immerse herself. It's essentially a bespoke creation aimed at delivering both entertainment and profound emotion," he said during an online press conference on Friday. The drama, penned by the celebrated writing team of Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Su-jin from "The Light in Your Eyes," presents actor Kim as Lee Hae-sook, an 80-year-old who finds herself in h

Apr 18, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Kim Hye-ja returns with 'Heavenly Ever After,' reimagines afterlife
Shows & Dramas

Hyper-realistic workplace comedies enjoy enduring popularity

As the clock strikes six, workers of DY Planning, a marketing agency, get ready to leave work in high spirits. Then, CEO Shin Dong-yup enters the office with actor and client Kang Ha-neul, who wants to have a meeting at this exact time. The employees' expressions turn cold. CEO Shin plays it cool, saying, "Those with prior engagements can go," but he adds, "Those who will save the company with me, let's stay and work." With forced smiles, the employees head to the meeting room, their lips smiling but not their eyes. This is a scene from the recently concluded Coupang Play comedy, "The White Collars," which gained huge popularity by delivering stories of life at a fictional small- and medium-sized enterprise in Korea. Based on a format where celebrity guest stars seek image consulting at the show's marketing company, the six-part comedy tackles aspects of office life such as the subtle battles over leaving work on time, company dinner culture, salary negotiations and corporate welfare. Examples include a subordinate who makes bold statements taking advantage of so-called "yaja time," a Ko

Apr 18, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Hyper-realistic workplace comedies enjoy enduring popularity
Shows & Dramas

Retro K-dramas find new life on streaming platform amid global Korean content boom

As Korean content cements its position as the second-most watched programming on Netflix — accounting for nearly 10 percent of total viewing hours, just behind U.S. productions — classic K-dramas from the 1990s and early 2000s that first fueled the "hallyu", or Korean wave, such as "The Sandglass," "The Wild Days," "All In," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Cruel Temptation," are finding new audiences through the streaming platform. Now over 20 years old, these hits have recently been added to Netflix's Retro TV category and are enjoying renewed popularity among both fans both old and new. Korean drama fans online welcomed the decision, leaving comments like "The rediscovery of old K-dramas has begun," and "The final scene of 'Cruel Temptation' was shocking, but it's still fun to watch again." Most of these retro series are available only in Korea for now, but international K-drama fans — many of whom first encountered them through DVDs or niche streaming platforms — are hoping Netflix will expand access to these classics worldwide. On Threads, a Korean drama fan in Canada expressed dis

Apr 17, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Retro K-dramas find new life on streaming platform amid global Korean content boom
Shows & Dramas

Park Eun-bin makes chilling transformation in genre-defying medical thriller 'Hyper Knife'

While initially marketed as a medical thriller, Disney+'s "Hyper Knife" ultimately defies easy genre categorization. This drama, which dropped its final episodes on April 9, charts the dynamic between two neurosurgeons, showcasing yet another compelling performance from Park Eun-bin, who made her name with the 2022 sensation "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." The 32-year-old actor portrays Jung Se-ok, a disgraced genius surgeon who develops a unique mentor-mentee relationship with Choi Deok-hee (Sul Kyung-gu), a teacher who mirrors her own psyche. Moving away from the quirky yet charming persona she embodied as an autistic lawyer in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," Park has morphed into a chillingly ruthless surgeon, a killer doctor for whom even murder is merely a step in service of advancing neuroscience. With a calm and emotionless face splattered with blood, Park's Se-ok nonchalantly utters, "For one to survive, the other must perish." "This was the first time I played a role that expresses so much anger, constantly," the actor told The Korea Times in an interview Tuesday at a cafe in Jongno

Apr 15, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Park Eun-bin makes chilling transformation in genre-defying medical thriller 'Hyper Knife'
Shows & Dramas

'Resident Playbook' to premiere after delays from real-life medical strikes

"Resident Playbook," the highly anticipated spinoff of hit 2020 medical drama "Hospital Playlist," will finally premiere Saturday, after a year of delay amid the backlash from the real-life controversies surrounding medical strikes across the country. The series, born out of Shin Won-ho, mastermind behind the popular "Reply" series — "Reply 1997" (2012), "Reply 1994" (2013) and "Reply 1988" (2015) — and "Hospital Playlist" (2020), following five medical school friends exploring ordinary yet special days at a general hospital. Unlike the original series, the new drama centers on medical residents aspiring to become wise doctors, navigating through struggles and growing pains, and is set primarily in the obstetrics and gynecology department — covering all aspects of life from birth to death. For this spinoff, Shin, the creative force behind the series, participates as the project's creator, rather than director, guiding the expansion of the universe he built. "This is the first time I stand in front of media not as a director. Many fans have eagerly anticipated the expansion of our u

Apr 10, 2025By Park Jin-hai
'Resident Playbook' to premiere after delays from real-life medical strikes
Shows & Dramas

How Shin Min-a brings depth to crime thriller 'Karma'

Shin Min-a brought a fresh perspective to her role in the new Netflix crime thriller "Karma." In the webtoon-based series, premiered on Friday, the actor sheds her typical girl-next-door persona, portraying a woman who has been suffering from lifelong trauma. In the six-part drama, exploring the intertwined lives of six individuals trapped in ill-fated relationships they cannot escape, the 41-year-old portrays Ju-yeon — a surgeon who survived a sexual assault when she was a high school student. With lifeless expressions and dry tone, Shin perfectly captures Ju-yeon's emotional depth and pain. When other characters are trapped in a cycle of ill-fated relationships, killing one another, Ju-yeon stands apart by refraining from direct revenge. "I worried that viewers might feel frustrated or perceive my performance as disconnected from the rest of the cast," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at the JW Marriot Dongdaemun Square Seoul in Jongno District, Wednesday. "So, I had a lot of discussions with the director how to portray Ju-yeon's distinct emotional trajectory effecti

Apr 9, 2025By Park Jin-hai
How Shin Min-a brings depth to crime thriller 'Karma'
  • 'Karma' explores twisted fates of 6 desperate souls
Arts & Theater

Korean screen stars turn to stage amid film industry downturn

This spring, Korea’s theater scene is ablaze with star-studded productions as some of the country’s most celebrated actors step back onto the stage in long-awaited returns and high-profile debuts. At the center of the buzz is "Hedda Gabler," Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, which will be staged simultaneously in May by two different companies, featuring two iconic Korean actors. Lee Young-ae, globally renowned for her role in the 2003 drama "Jewel in the Palace," will make a comeback to the stage after 32 years, starring in a production by LG Arts Center from May 7 to June 8. At the same time, veteran actor Lee Hye-young reprises her performance as Hedda Gabler after a 13-year hiatus in a separate production by the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) from May 8 to June 1. "Hedda Gabler" is a play widely regarded as a profound exploration of a woman's psyche as she yearns for freedom amid social constraints and oppression. The distinct interpretations and styles of the two contrasting renditions of the Ibsen classic stirred excitement among Korean audiences. "I had many doubts about

Apr 5, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Korean screen stars turn to stage amid film industry downturn
Entertainment

Celebrities react to court's decision to oust Yoon

The Constitutional Court's decision to remove President Yoon Suk-yeol from office has sparked reactions from celebrities on social media. "A day when both I and the country are saved," singer Lee Seung-hwan posted on social media. "Our Constitution is precise, and our democracy is strong. Long live South Korea!" Lee has been outspoken about his support for Yoon's impeachment. The singer performed at a candlelit vigil calling for impeachment in Yeouido last December and again at a similar event in downtown Seoul on March 27, singing to advocate for Yoon's removal. Actors Shin So-yul, Lee Dong-wook and Kim Ji-woo, as well as singer JK Kim Dong-wook also shared their opinions. "Congratulations to everyone," Shin So-yul said in an Instagram Story. "Let's all work hard and live upright lives together from now on. Spring is here now." Along with the message, she uploaded a photo showing her watching the live broadcast of the Constitutional Court's ruling. In December, she shared a photo from a rally calling for Yoon's impeachment, and wrote, "Singing 'Into the New World' with great energy." Th

Apr 4, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Celebrities react to court's decision to oust Yoon
Arts & Theater

'Ballet Dream' to reveal magic behind curtain to deepen appreciation for dance

In an effort to deepen audiences' appreciation for ballet, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is bringing together active ballet dancers, a choreographer and a costume designer to share their artistry both on and off the stage. "Ballet Dream," directed by Choi Tae-ji, a legendary figure in Korean ballet, will showcase highlights from famous ballet works such as "The Nutcracker," "La Bayadère" and "La Esmeralda." Choi, who served as a former artistic director of the Korea National Ballet, has significantly bridged the gap between ballet and the public by staging narrated ballet performances, which included friendly explanations to enhance audience understanding. In the upcoming "Ballet Dream," she will take this concept a step further by introducing a guest talk segement with ballerino Kim Se-yong, known as one of the first Koreans to portray Billy in the musical "Billy Elliot" in 2010; choreographer Ryu Hoi-woong, who participated in the Mnet's dance survival show "Stage Fighterl"; and ballet costume designer Chung Han-ah. In these interactive sessions, participants will share st

Apr 4, 2025By Park Jin-hai
'Ballet Dream' to reveal magic behind curtain to deepen appreciation for dance
Shows & Dramas

INTERVIEW IU learns 'life goes on' from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'

In the recently concluded Netflix sensation "When Life Gives You Tangerines," singer-actor IU delivers a captivating performance by seamlessly embodying two distinct characters — the spirited young Ae-sun and her ambitious daughter Geum-myeong — in a multigenerational story of life, love and resilience. Despite the challenge of playing dual characters, IU, also known as Lee Ji-eun, skillfully captures the intricate nuances of both their lives. Viewers have praised the 31-year-old for setting a new milestone in her acting career since her breakout role in the 2018 drama "My Mister," once again expanding her acting spectrum. Expressing her joy and disbelief upon receiving the script for "When Life Gives You Tangerines," IU revealed she read the script on the spot, feeling an immediate desire to take on the role of Ae-sun, a character very different from the darker roles she had previously portrayed. "'My Mister' and 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' share a common focus on human emotions rather than events, but their tones are vastly different. In 'My Mister,' Ji-an starts in the shado

Apr 2, 2025By Park Jin-hai
[INTERVIEW] IU learns 'life goes on' from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'
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