Actors accused of school bullying return to small screen Singer-turned-actress Kim So-hye in a scene from KBS' series "My Lovely Boxer" / Courtesy of KBSBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors, who have suspended professional activity after being accused of school bullying as teenagers, are making their return to the small screen.Kim So-hye, the former member of disbanded girl group I.O.I., is set to return to acting on TV with a lead role as a female boxer in KBS' series “My Lovely Boxer.” “My Lovely Boxer,” which will begin airing on Aug. 21, follows a young talented female boxer named Kwon-sook (Kim) who takes the boxing world by storm, but then disappears from the public eye. Three years later, a sports agent named Tae-young (Lee Sang-yeob) convinces her to return to the ring. The singer-turned-actress was embroiled in school bullying accusations in 2021, whereby an unnamed former schoolmate accused her of being verbally abusive in middle school. Although Kim denied the allegations, it was later revealed that she had been charged by the school's bullying prevention committee, responsible for assessing the degree of seriousness iJul 13, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Celebrity' tops Netflix's weekly ranking for non-English TV shows Actress Park Gyu-young, who plays the character of Seo A-ri in the Netflix original series "Celebrity." Courtesy of NetflixNetflix's Korean-language series "Celebrity" was the most-watched non-English TV show on the streamer in the previous week, its viewership chart showed Wednesday. Released on June 30, the 12-part show about the extravagant lives of social media influencers topped Netflix's non-English TV show list for the week of July 3-9 with 5.6 million viewing hours.The story revolves around Seo Ari (played by Park Gyu-young), a cosmetics salesperson who finds herself in the midst of sudden social media stardom, which soon puts her in danger as she is bombarded with hateful messages.The JTBC romantic comedy series "King the Land" slipped two notches from the previous week to third place amid an online backlash over its controversial portrayal of an Arabic prince character.In its seventh and eighth episodes, which aired on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, the prince drinks alcohol and flirts with women, drawing negative feedback from viewers in Middle Eastern nations. Some crJul 12, 2023
Disney+ unveils upcoming star-studded series plus new BTS documentary The action series “Moving” will be released on Aug. 9. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Lee Gyu-leeDisney+ shared the lineup of its upcoming Korean originals for the second half of this year, including the star-studded action series “Moving” and K-pop juggernaut BTS' music documentary, “BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star.”Disney+ new music documentary, “BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star," will premiere this year. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea“As audiences around the world continue to be drawn to stories from Korea, we believe our curated selection of originals in the second half of the year will captivate viewers at home and abroad,” Kim So-youn, managing director of The Walt Disney Company Korea, said in a press release, Monday.“We look forward to working with Korea's creative community and leading production houses to spotlight storytelling excellence from Korea on Disney+.”Based on the popular webcomics of the same name by Kang Full, “Moving,” starring Zo In-sung, Han Hyo-joo, and Ryu Seung-ryongJul 10, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Period dramas, action blockbuster series set to feature in second half of this year MBC will premiere its period romance series “My Dearest” next month. Courtesy of MBCBy Lee Gyu-leeAn array of dramas and action series from different genres are set to roll out in the latter half of this year. MBC will be releasing two period dramas ― “My Dearest” and "Flower That Blooms at Night” ― in the coming months.“My Dearest,” scheduled to premiere next month, is a romance story about a couple during wartime in the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom. Lee Jang-hyun (Namkoong Min) is a mysterious man who makes his way into the world out of nowhere. He appears to be a lighthearted person on the surface, but underneath, he keeps a deep and dark secret that he can't share with anyone else.Yoo Gil-chae (Ahn Eun-jin), a lovely woman from a noble family, gets entangled in his life, and thereby changes the world. The two find love and endure the struggles of the Qing Dynasty invasion in the 1630s.The series is led by Kim Sung-yong, who directed Namkoong's previous action series “The Veil” (2021), and is scripted by writer Hwang Jin-young, whoJul 10, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
'Single's Inferno' creator returns with new reality show on entering adulthood From left, producers Park Su-ji, Kim Jung-hyun, Kim Jae-won, singer Jeong Se-woon, actor Kim Ji-eun, singer Lee Su-hyun of AKMU and singer Kyuhyun pose during a press conference for the Netflix reality show ″Nineteen to Twenty″ at CGV in central Seoul's Yongsan District, July 6. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeProducer Kim Jae-won, who created Netflix's dating show “Single's Inferno,” is rolling out the platform's new reality show “Nineteen to Twenty.”The new show, set to release on Tuesday, invites a group of young adults who are about to enter their 20s. They come to stay together through the last week of their teens, exploring the freedom and all the “firsts” of adulthood. “I came up with this show because I wanted to do a show that is completely different from 'Single's Inferno' in every aspect,” Kim said during the press conference for the show, held at CGV in Yongsan District, Thursday. “If 'Single's Inferno' is a dating show of much-experienced adults, 'Nineteen to Twenty' is a bumpy coming-of-age-like theme soJul 7, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun to co-star in new rom-com series Actors Rowoon, left, and Cho Yi-hyun will star in KBS's new romantic comedy series. Courtesy of FNC Entertainment and Artist CompanyBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun will be playing lead roles in KBS's upcoming period series “The Battle of Marriage” (direct translation).The new romantic comedy series, scheduled to go on air in October, revolves around two matchmakers from the Joseon Dynasty era, who help single men and women struggling to find love. Rowoon will play the character of Shim Jung-woo, who became the youngest official to pass the national exam. But when his fiance, the royal princess, passes away during the wedding, he is forced to stay single. He puts all his energy into starting a matchmaking business.Cho will play the character of Jung Soon-duk, who is the second daughter-in-law to a privileged family. But unofficially, she carries out a double life as the city's best matchmaker. She uses romance tips she picked up from romance novels and her observational skills to help singles to find their match.The series is led by Hwang Seung-ki, who led the Jul 6, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Park Gyu-young shares challenges of Netflix series 'Celebrity' Actress Park Gyu-young plays the character of Seo A-ri in the Netflix original series “Celebrity.” Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Park Gyu-young shared that her latest Netflix original series “Celebrity” was a challenge that gave her a sense of motivation. Actress Park Gyu-young / Courtesy of Netflix“It's really amazing to see the poster filled with just me … I feature a lot in the series. So it was a challenge. I felt a sense of accomplishment upon finishing which also boosted my confidence,” the actress told The Korea Times, during an interview, held in Jongno District, Tuesday.“With newfound confidence and a desire to learn more, it gave me the motivation to move forward to my next project.”The new series, which was released on June 30, follows a door-to-door cosmetic saleswoman, Seo A-ri (Park), who becomes a social media star overnight with over 1 million followers. Drawn into the world of celebrity, her life undergoes a complete transformation, filled with glitz and glamour as an influencer.Yet, fame comes with a Jul 5, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
'Shadow Detective' returns for Season 2 as more intricate thriller From left, actors Kim Shin-rok, Lee Sang-min, director Han Dong-hwa, actors Kyung Soo-jin, Lee Hak-joo pose during the press conference for the Disney+ original series “Shadow Detective”, held in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Walt Disney CoBy Lee Gyu-lee Disney+ original series “Shadow Detective” is set to return with the second season as a more intense and intricate thriller.“The key point of 'Shadow Detective' Season 2 is (the story's) expanded universe. (The story) is more extensive and there is more to see. Season 1 was about constant attacks from the antagonist. But Season 2 will be about silent battles and clashes between the protagonist and antagonists. So it will be like watching a spy series, which will be interesting,” the show's director Han Dong-hwa, said at a press conference for the series, held in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. The crime series revolves around detective Kim Taek-rok (Lee Sang-min), who was looking forward to a peaceful life after his imminent retirement. But his life turns upside down when he receiveJul 5, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Survival show 'The Wedding War' looks into why young Koreans fear getting married Writer Kang Sook-kyung, left, and producer Lee Won-woong pose during the online press conference for tvN's new survival reality show, “The Wedding War,” Friday. Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeTvN's new survival reality show, “The Wedding War,” will zoom in on soon-to-be-wed couples in today's society, the show's producer said. “Nowadays, fewer young people seem to get married or are hesitant about it. In the past, marriage was a natural step like going to middle school and high school. So we got curious about the reasons behind these trends,” the show's producer Lee Won-woong said during the online press conference for the show, Friday.“We wanted to explore, in our own ways, the challenges faced by the younger generation when it comes to getting married and the underlying reasons behind their fears and difficulties."The survival show, which kicked off on Sunday, invites 10 engaged couples with different stories and backgrounds. Couples compete against each other through a series of missions that test their love and commitment to one another forJul 3, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Tiffany to join Song Kang-ho's small screen debut series Singer and actor Tiffany Young will star in the new series “Uncle Samsik.” Courtesy of Sublime Artist AgencyBy Lee Gyu-leeSinger and actor Tiffany Young, who is better known as a member of the K-pop girl group Girls' Generation, will be starring in the upcoming series “Uncle Samsik” (direct translation), taking on her second acting project since the hit series “Reborn Rich.”“Tiffany has confirmed her role in 'Uncle Samsik,'” the actor's agency Sublime Artist Agency said. “(She) is happy to present herself as an actor through this work and will be doing her best in her part.”The new series created a buzz for being the small screen debut of veteran actor Song Kang-ho, whose acting career began 32 years ago.The 10-part series will follow the love, life, and bromance story of two men, Sam-sik (Song) and Kim San (Byun Yo-han), who lived through the turbulent times of the 1960s. Actors Jin Ki-joo, Lee Kyu-hyung, Seo Hyeon-woo have also confirmed their roles in the series. The series will be led by filmmaker Shin Yeon-shick, who prJun 30, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
