Kwon Mee-yoo

CJ ENM to adapt film 'Dancing Queen' to musical, sets sights on global stage

CJ ENM is set to turn its 2012 hit film “Dancing Queen” into an original musical with ambitions beyond Korea, tapping top-tier Broadway creatives to bring the story to life on stage. Leading the charge is Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, best known for Broadway hits such as “Kinky Boots,” “Hairspray,” and more recently “Boop! The Musical” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” Joining him is New York-based Korean American composer Helen Park, who made history as the first Asian woman nominated for Best Original Score at the Tony Awards with “KPOP.” Playwright Cho Min-hyung, behind Korean musicals such as “Let Me Fly” and “ChaMe,” will write the book. Originally released in 2012, the film “Dancing Queen” features Uhm Jung-hwa and Hwang Jung-min in a heartwarming comedy about a woman who reignites her dream of becoming a singer while juggling life as a politician’s wife. “This story, grounded in the belief that dreams have no expiration date, is universally resonant,” Mitchell said in a statement Tuesday. “I see great potential

After 'Squid Game,' world sees Korea differently

Last weekend, a "Squid Game" parade brought downtown Seoul to a standstill as the final episodes of the global hit's third and final season dropped. Giant floats of the menacing Young-hee doll and nostalgic "dalgona" candy, as well as legions of pink-suited guards, rolled through the streets. It felt like a scene out of fiction, but instead, it was a reminder of how a Korean drama has evolved into a full-fledged global phenomenon. When I first saw that "Squid Game" had become Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, I initially assumed it meant the most-watched among Korean titles. But no — it surpassed global hits such as "Wednesday," "Stranger Things" and "Bridgerton." A Korean series, in the Korean language, outpaced English-language juggernauts to become a household name worldwide. Even now, the scale of its success feels almost surreal. “Squid Game” didn’t just dominate entertainment headlines. It marked a turning point in the history of global content. More than a hit, it cracked open the cultural hegemony long dominated by English-speaking productions. It proved that

11 new King Sejong Institutes open in 9 countries as global demand for Korean language surges

As global enthusiasm for the Korean language continues to grow, the Korean government designated 11 new King Sejong Institutes (KSIs) in nine countries this year, following a record-high competition rate of 8.5 to 1. The additions bring the total number of institutes to 252 locations across 87 countries, signaling the Korean language’s unprecedented international appeal. This year’s expansion includes six new centers in Asia, two in Africa and three in Europe, each chosen to respond to surging local demand for Korean language and culture education. In Egypt, where the only existing KSI, located at the Korean Cultural Center in Cairo, faced a waitlist of 1,285 students, two new centers will open at Ain Shams University in Cairo and Alexandria University. The expansion comes as Korean businesses increase their presence in the African country. Uzbekistan, already home to seven KSIs, will see the addition of another at Ajou University in Tashkent. The decision reflects a rise in demand for Korean language education geared toward employment and overseas study in the country, supported by

Why K-pop’s rise in London is about more than just music

LONDON — It’s a Sunday afternoon near Covent Garden. A crowd begins to form as dancers glide through the sharp, synchronized moves of TWICE’s “I Can’t Stop Me.” The performers — members of iKloud, one of London’s grassroots K-pop cover crews — channel the song’s sleek energy with striking precision. Diverse in race, gender and background, they move as one, drawing out phones and smiles from curious onlookers. Scenes like this — whether K-pop cover shoots, TikTok challenges or random play dances — are now a regular sight at London’s landmarks. From the Southbank to King’s Cross, K-pop’s influence in London runs deeper than dance moves or catchy tunes, reshaping how young Londoners express themselves, build community and foster cultural connection. Community built from ground up London's K-pop fan community flourished in unexpected ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Bee and Katie, co-founders of BKT K-pop Events, it started online — watching music videos, discovering new groups and admiring the fashion and choreography. What began as casual fandom soon

With trophies on table, Hue Park reflects on Tony win, sets sights on new stages

Hue Park, writer of this year's Tony Award-winning musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” is living through whirlwind days just weeks after making history as the first Korean national to win Broadway’s highest honor. Park described seeing his two Tony trophies sitting on his New York kitchen table as surreal — a daily reminder of the responsibility he now carries. “I haven’t found a proper place for them, so I just put them on the table. I had breakfast looking at them. It’s still strange to me that these symbolic trophies are now in my humble home,” Park said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. “Maybe Happy Ending” is a musical about two Helperbots in near-future Seoul who discover fireflies, love and the meaning of goodbye. It was first staged in Korea in 2016 and made its Broadway debut in November 2024. Park’s visit to Korea, initially intended as a quiet family reunion, quickly turned into a media frenzy as congratulations poured in for the historic achievement. Despite the fanfare, Park revealed that he and composer Will Aronson kept expectations low during aw

Lim Yun-chan to release new ‘Tchaikovsky: The Seasons’ album in August

Pianist Lim Yun-chan will release his new album “Tchaikovsky: The Seasons” on Aug. 22 through Decca Classics, reinterpreting the Russian composer’s 12-part piano suite as a personal reflection on the final year of a human life. Pre-release track “June. Barcarolle. Andante cantabile,” the sixth piece in the set, dropped on streaming platforms Friday. Rather than a simple journey through the calendar months, Lim’s interpretation offers an emotional journey through sorrow, memory, joy and ultimately acceptance. “‘The Seasons’ contains the story of a life nearing its end,” Lim said in a statement. “It begins with someone sitting by a hearth, the fire gradually dimming, lost in a mix of sorrow, reverie and hope. Eventually, they return to the present, accepting everything and quietly organizing the day that will never come again.” The album was recorded at the Menuhin Hall in Surrey, the U.K., and features cover art by Korean artist and Lim’s longtime friend Choi Ho-yeon, mirroring the album’s introspective tone. Lim praised Choi on Instagram as an artist “whose

PHOTOS Readers flock to Seoul Int'l Book Fair amid 'text hip' trend

From Seoul to Broadway, Hue Park’s Tony win brings Korean stories center stage

When Hue Park stepped onto the stage at Radio City Music Hall, June 8, to accept the Tony Award for Best Book, he became the first Korean national to win one of Broadway’s highest honors. For the Seoul-born writer, the moment marked the culmination of a decade-long journey spanning two languages and cultures, and a creative partnership with American composer Will Aronson. Their Tony-winning musical “Maybe Happy Ending” is a charming love story of two obsolete Helperbots set in a near-future Seoul. But beyond its futuristic yet humane premise, the show stands out in the theater landscape for its originality. In an era dominated by adaptations of novels, films and the real stories, "Maybe Happy Ending" offers a story and characters built entirely from scratch. “'Maybe Happy Ending' is especially important to me because it’s the first original story Will Aronson and I created together,” Park said in a written interview with Korean media. “Building a world and characters from nothing was both an exciting and terrifying process.” Writing across cultures Growing up in Korea and

25 years apart, one fight: Queer icons on shattering Korea's closet

When TV personality Hong Seok-cheon first came out in 2000, it was technically on his own terms — but the fallout was far from what he intended. His initial disclosure, made during the taping of a public broadcast, was edited out by a producer who said it was to “protect” him. Hoping to take control of his story, he then gave a magazine interview, intended as a quiet step forward. But the news was leaked and sensationalized, turning his sexuality into headline fodder — “I am homo(sexual)” — pushing him into a years-long exile from Korea’s conservative television industry. Fast-forward more than two decades to when Bain of K-pop boy band JUST B stood before thousands at a concert in Los Angeles in April and came out in his own words — “I’m proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, as a gay person.” Draped in and waving a Pride flag and singing Lady Gaga’s queer anthem “Born This Way,” he was met with applause. It was a moment that would’ve been unthinkable in Hong’s time. And yet, both moments carried the same weight — the cost of truth and the risk

‘Sleep No More’ to open in Seoul in August

The groundbreaking immersive theater production "Sleep No More" is finally arriving in Seoul, with preview performances set to begin in July ahead of its official premiere on Aug. 21. Reimagining Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" as a noir-inspired, non-verbal experience, the production is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated theatrical events of the year. Spearheaded by Korean immersive content company Ms. Jackson, "Sleep No More" Seoul will unfold inside the newly transformed McKithan Hotel — a reimagining of the former Daehan Cinema in Chungmuro, a symbolic site at the heart of Korea’s film industry. The venue has been renovated extensively to house this large-scale production, marking the largest iteration of "Sleep No More" ever staged, following runs in New York and Shanghai. Originally created by British theater company Punchdrunk in the early 2000s, "Sleep No More" revolutionized modern theater by blurring the lines between stage and audience. Unlike traditional performances, viewers don masks and roam freely throughout a multi-story building, piecing together fragme