INTERVIEW Song Seung-heon satisfied his thirst for new characters with 'Black Knight' Actor Song Seung-heon plays the role of an antagonist in the Netflix new series “Black Knight.” Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeEven after quite a long filmography spanning a 27-year career, actor Song Seung-heon is still on a quest to challenge himself and widen his repertoire.Actor Song Seung-heon / Courtesy of NetflixWith his latest villainous role as Ryu Seok in the Netflix action series, “Black Knight,” Song expressed satisfaction in taking on a type of character that he has never played.“This role is an unfamiliar character to me. In terms of good and evil, he is the type of person who's closer to evil. But when I portrayed him, I wasn't worried how other people will see it,” he said. “I've been wanting to play such a character … I've had a desire for new characters and still do. Thankfully, a lot of people responded positively. It was an interesting project for me as well.”The six-part sci-fi blockbuster series, which debuted on May 12, is set in a dystopian future of Korea, devastated by a comet strike and heavy air pollMay 19, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Kim Woo-bin on message of love and happiness in 'Black Knight' Actor Kim Woo-bin plays the role of a deliveryman, 5-8, in Netflix's new series “Black Knight.” Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-lee“With this series, I hope people remind themselves they are precious, deserve to be happy and loved,” actor Kim Woo-bin said when ask about the message he wanted to deliver through his latest series, “Black Knight.”Actor Kim Woo-bin / Courtesy of NetflixNetflix's new original blockbuster series, which hit the platform on May 12, follows a dystopian Korea, swept by heavy air pollution, where people suffer from a lack of oxygen. A former refugee-turned-legendary courier, 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin) delivers oxygen and necessities to the residents, fighting off the “hunters” who are after goods to steal. Aside from his regular job, he leads a group of vigilantes with fellow deliverymen, called black knights, to help other refugees. Along with the refugee, Sa-wol (Kang Yoo-seok), 5-8 challenges the brutal social hierarchy, set by the de-facto ruler, Cheonmyeong Group and its ruthless heir, Ryu Seok (Song Seung-heon), to savMay 19, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
K-pop stars get tipsy on YouTube, but some voice concerns Talk show content involving drinking has become a new trend among web-based variety shows. Screen captured from YouTubeBy Lee Gyu-leeOffering a glimpse into the private lives of celebrities is a surefire formula for attracting viewers. Adding some liquor to the equation could spice things up even more.That's exactly the formula rapper Lee Young-ji used for her show, “Not Much Prepared,” which debuted on YouTube, inviting big-name celebrities to shoot the breeze over a tipple. The program soon created a huge buzz among viewers and on social media.“Not Much Prepared,” which opened on the video-sharing platform in June last year, has garnered over 2.84 million subscribers so far. For each episode, a guest is invited to Lee's house to talk about his or her life and career, sharing intimate, personal stories while knocking down some shots and enjoying some food together. The show has featured a number of famous K-pop stars like Jisoo of girl group BLACKPINK, Jin of BTS, Key of SHINee, Nayeon, and Chaeyoung of TWICE, as well as Danish pop singer Christopher Lund NisMay 18, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Adoptee Peter Thurnwald plays Korean adoptee in 'XO, Kitty' Actor Peter Thurnwald / Courtesy of Ben CopePeter Thurnwald to appear on Netflix's “XO, Kitty” as Australia-raised Korean adopteeBy Dong Sun-hwaAmong the cast members of Netflix's upcoming rom-com series, “XO, Kitty,” Peter Thurnwald probably plays a character most resembling its actor. Thurnwald, who was born in Korea and adopted by his Australian parents when he was six-month-old, assumes the role of Alex Finnerty, an Australia-raised Korean adoptee. Alex is a teacher at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) ― a fictional institution ― who searches for his biological roots. For Thurnwald, portraying a character whose circumstances are so similar to his own was both challenging and enjoyable. The poster for the upcoming Netflix series, “XO, Kitty” / Courtesy of Netflix“I am an adopted Korean, so playing an adopted character brought its challenges in the sense that it was very close to home,” the 25-year-old told The Korea Times in a recent email interview. “As an actor, I enjoy delving into characters that are a little biMay 18, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
Shin Ye-eun finds period drama charm in 'The Secret Romantic Guesthouse' Actress Shin Ye-eun played the role of Yoon Dan-oh in the SBS series “The Secret Romantic Guesthouse.” Courtesy of SBSBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Shin Ye-eun shared her experience taking part in the first period series of her acting career, as she bid farewell to SBS' romantic comedy series “The Secret Romantic Guesthouse.”The period series set in the Joseon Dynasty, revolves around a high-spirited woman, Yoon Dan-oh (Shin), who runs a guesthouse called Ihwawon Inn. Since her parents died, she took over the family business to offer rooms to people traveling to the capital city to take the national exam for government official positions.While running the inn, she comes across three completely different men who come to stay ― charismatic Kang San (Ryeoun), friendly Kim Shi-yeol (Kang Hoon), and shrewd Jung Yoo-ha (Jung Gun-joo) ― and is caught in complicated romantic relationships.The 18-part series, based on the web novel of the same name, wrapped Tuesday with a happy ending where Kang and Yoon finally get married. “Because Dan-oh was the type of person I wanteMay 17, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Korean sci-fi series 'Black Knight' tops Netflix's non-English TV show chart This image provided by Netflix is a scene from its new Korean-language sci-fi series "Black Knight." YonhapNetflix's Korean-language sci-fi series "Black Knight" ranked No. 1 on the streamer's weekly viewership chart for non-English TV shows released Wednesday. Premiered Friday, the new drama was the most-watched non-English TV show on Netflix's top 10 list for the week of May 8-14 with 31.22 million viewing hours. The six-episode series, starring actor Kim Woo-bin and Song Seung-heon, is set in a dystopian future devastated by air pollution where humanity's survival relies on "Black Knights," deliverymen who provide vital supplies. It follows a deliveryman and a refugee who challenge a powerful conglomerate that unfairly distributes resources based on social class. (Yonhap)May 17, 2023
Donghae, Song Ha-yoon recreate famous cartoon characters in 'Oh! Young-shim' Actors Lee Dong-hae, left, and Song Ha-yoon pose during a press conference for ENA's new romantic comedy series “Oh! Young-shim,” Monday. Courtesy of KT Studio GenieBy Lee Gyu-lee“Young-Shim,” a story following the life of a 14-year-old girl, became one of the most popular animations of the 1990s. Almost 30 years later, the animations' characters are brought back to life by actors Lee Dong-hae, also known as Donghae of Super Junior, and Song Ha-yoon, in ENA's new romantic comedy series “Oh! Young-shim.”Based on the animation, the series, which premiered on Monday, follows the two lead characters, Oh Young-shim (Ha) and her childhood friend Wang Kyung-tae (Lee), 20 years after middle school. Oh became a variety show producer and reunites with her childhood friend, Wang, a start-up CEO, and a romance begins between the two. “This series shows how Young-shim has turned out after 20 years. She is a reality show producer of eight years and still a rowdy character,” Ha said during the online press conference for the series, Monday. “I wMay 16, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Celebrity producer's 'Earth Arcade' returns with stronger second season A teaser image of tvN's variety show “Earth Arcade 2” / Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeThe second season of star producer Na Young-seok's variety show “Earth Arcade,” took off successfully on Friday, after a much-anticipated wait since its first season last year.A poster for tvN's variety show “Earth Arcade 2” / Courtesy of tvNTvN's variety show takes Mimi of Oh My Girl, An Yu-jin of IVE, rapper Lee Young-ji and comedian Lee Eun-ji, to a fictional universe where they pretend to be warriors from Earth. The warriors are given a mission to catch the "moon rabbit," which has run away. The celebrity team attempts to catch it through a series of games. The first season, which aired last June, took the four “warriors” around Thailand to play different games for the mission while experiencing the country's vacation spots. For the new season, the cast members will be visiting two places, Finland, and Bali, Indonesia. Friday's episode, which kicked off with a 3.5 percent viewership rating, showed the members meeting in Korea. It started with a gameMay 14, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Ok Taec-yeon's new series 'My Heart is Beating' to premiere in June Actors Ok Taec-yeon, left, and Won Ji-an pose during the table reading for KBS' new fantasy series “My Heart is Beating.” Courtesy of KBSBy Lee Gyu-leeKBS' new fantasy series “My Heart is Beating,” starring singer and actor Ok Taec-yeon, will premiere in June, the network announced Thursday. The romantic comedy series revolves around Seon Woo-hyeol (Ok), a half-vampire, half-human who had failed to become a human over a day out of his 100 years. When he happens to live under the same roof with a heartless, high school nurse, Joo In-hae (Won Ji-an), the two fall for each other, bringing warmth into their lives. “'My Heart is Beating' got me to think about the personal values that make my heart pound and that I can be passionate about,” Ok said through the network. Won added: “There are fantasy elements like vampires in the series. And I hope it offers the viewers an exciting time.”Actress Yoon So-hee will play the character of Na Hae-won, who is a wealthy real estate investor. She gets involved with Seon when he mistakes her for his firsMay 11, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Strong women take center stage in 'Siren: Survive the Island' series Netflix's new survival show “Siren: Survive the Island” will be released on May 30. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeThe creators of Netflix's new survival show “Siren: Survive the Island” said it will center around women with strong physiques.“The three keywords that I personally like about sports comics are 'friendship, effort and victory.' It always resonates with me to see (characters) being true to what they do, taking a leap of faith and achieving their desire,” producer Lee Eun-kyung said in a written interview through the streaming platform. “But I've realized that there are not many sports comics with female protagonists. So I wanted to create a strong female saga that had 'friendship, effort, and victory.'”The 10-part competition show, set to premiere on May 30, invites 24 female participants, divided into six teams based on their profession ― police officers, firefighters, bodyguards, soldiers, athletes and stuntwomen. They are taken to a remote island to compete against one another for survival until only the strongest team May 11, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
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