Entertainment - The Korea Times

'The Glory' part 2 debuts at No.3 on Netflix's global chart

A scene from Netflix's series "The Glory" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooNetflix's revenge thriller series “The Glory” part 2 has landed at No. 3 on its global chart for TV series, just two days after its release.According to data released by streaming analytics company FlixPatrol, the drama ranked third on its daily global chart for TV programs on Netflix.It was the most popular TV show in 26 countries, including Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Bolivia, Mexico, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. It ranked second in 13 countries including France, Bangladesh, Brazil, Kuwait, Pakistan and Turkey. Written by Kim Eun-sook of “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016-2017), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016) and “Mr. Sunshine” (2018), “The Glory” tells the story of a woman named Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) who suffered severe bullying in high school and seeks revenge against her former bullies 20 years later. An Gil-ho, whose other works include “Stranger” (2017) and “Memories of the Alhambra” (2018), took

Mar 12, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

'The Glory' part 2 debuts at No.3 on Netflix's global chart

'In the Name of God' documentary roils entertainment industry

Kyungyoon, a member of K-pop boy group DKZ / Captured from InstagramJMS followers are everywhere in society By Dong Sun-hwa“In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” a Netflix documentary about heinous crimes committed by Korean cult leaders, is rocking the country's entertainment industry. The eight-episode docuseries directed by Jo Seong-hyeon lays bare the criminal wrongdoings of four pseudo-religious groups ― Jesus Morning Star (JMS), Five Oceans, The Baby Garden and God of Manmin ― and their leaders. Among them, Jung Myung-seok of JMS, who served a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting several female followers, currently faces another trial over the same charges. Jung allegedly committed sexual violence against two followers 17 times after being released from jail in 2018. The documentary's shocking revelations have drawn public anger, prompting some online users to track down people tied to the controversial cult churches by sharing a list of businesses affiliated with them. They soon discovered on the list the name of a cafe in North Gyeo

Mar 12, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa

'In the Name of God' documentary roils entertainment industry

From Hyeri to Chaewon: New reality show captures K-pop stars' unique chemistry

From left, Hyeri, Miyeon, Leejung, Yena, Chaewon, and Patricia Yiombi pose during a press conference for ENA's new reality show, “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa,” held at Stanford Hotel Seoul in Mapo District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of ENABy Lee Gyu-leeLocal network ENA's new reality show, “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa,” will bring together K-pop stars and TV personalities in a unique high-energy way. The reality show, set to go on air this Sunday, will star four K-pop singers, Hyeri of Girl's Day, Miyeon of (G)I-DLE, Yena of IZ*ONE, and Chaewon of Le Sserafim, along with two TV personalities, Patricia Yiombi, and choreographer Leejung.A poster for “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa" / Courtesy of ENAThe six celebrities are invited for a series of overnight stays at an empty, unfurnished house in a remote area. They must complete games and missions to earn cash so as to buy the necessities and furniture they will use during their stay.The series is co-led by producer Lee Tae-kyung, whose previous work includes the talk show “Life Bar” and music variety show “Amazing Saturday,

Mar 10, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

From Hyeri to Chaewon: New reality show captures K-pop stars' unique chemistry

Creator of 'Physical 100' reveals footage to refute rigging allegations

A scene from Netflix's survival show "Physical: 100" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn response to weeks of rumors that the final challenge of Netflix's survival show "Physical: 100" was rigged, the show's producers said the claims are “untrue.” The production team held a press conference on Thursday, where raw footage of the final match was revealed.This comes after Jung Hae-min, the runner-up of “Physical: 100” accused the production team of intervening in the final match, resulting in an unfair win for his opponent, Woo Jin-yong.In the final match, cyclist Jung and cross-fitter Woo faced off in a rope-pulling challenge, where they had to pull on a heavy rope from an enormous spool until one of them reached its end.Jung claimed the rope-pulling challenge was repeated three times. According to him, the first interruption came after Woo raised his hand to stop the game. Minutes after the game resumed, however, the production team paused the game again.Producer Jang Ho-gi of “Physical: 100” refuted Jang's claims, saying that Woo never raised h

Mar 9, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Creator of 'Physical 100' reveals footage to refute rigging allegations

Lee Ji-ah to show hardcore action in 'Pandora: Beneath the Paradise'

Actors Lee Sang-Yoon, left, and Lee Ji-ah pose during an online press conference for tvN's new thriller series, “Pandora: Beneath the Paradise," Tuesday. Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Lee Ji-ah will be playing the character of an assassin, showcasing hardcore action in tvN's new thriller series, “Pandora: Beneath the Paradise.”Created by star writer Kim Soon-ok, who scripted the hit series, "The Penthouse: War in Life" (2021), the upcoming series follows the revenge plot of a woman named Hong Tae-ra (Lee Ji-ah). Despite having no memories of her past, she has settled into a perfect life with a successful husband, Pyo Jae-hyun (Lee Sang-Yoon), who runs an IT company, and their lovely daughter.But her life turns upside down when her memories start to come back, leading her to protect her family by fighting those who are behind her tragedy. The series, set to premiere on Saturday, is directed by Choi Hyeong-hun, who previously led the 2021 comedy series, "One the Woman,” and is scripted by writer Hyun Ji-min. “(The story) is about this character aven

Mar 9, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Lee Ji-ah to show hardcore action in 'Pandora: Beneath the Paradise'

INTERVIEW Jeon Do-yeon wants to share loveliness of her character in 'Crash Course in Love'

Actress Jeon Do-yeon plays the character of a single mom in the tvN's rom-com series “Crash Course in Romance." Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeKnown for her versatile acting career, Jeon Do-yeon has taken on roles in heavy, dark genre series, like a devastated widow in the emotional drama film “Secret Sunshine” which won her best actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.Actress Jeon Do-yeon / Courtesy of Management SoopFor the first time in 18 years, the actress picked up a lighthearted, romantic comedy series, playing a lovely, over-enthusiastic single mom in tvN's recent series “Crash Course in Romance."The series centers on a small food shop owner, Nam Haeng-sun (Jeon). After giving up her career as a national handball player to raise her daughter, she has been making ends meet by selling side dishes to support her high school daughter and autistic brother.One day, her daughter asks Nam to get her into a private math prep class run by a celebrity math instructor, Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho). Nam steps into the cutthroat world of private education for high s

Mar 8, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] Jeon Do-yeon wants to share loveliness of her character in 'Crash Course in Love'

Ahn Jae-hyun returns to small screen with 'The Real Has Come'

Actor Ahn Jae-hyun, right, will co-star with Baek Jin-hee in the KBS' new series “The Real Has Come.” Courtesy of KBSBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Ahn Jae-hyun is making a small screen comeback with KBS' new series, “The Real Has Come,” about three years after the rom-com series, “Love with Flaws.” The family, rom-com series revolves around a rookie Korean instructor Oh Yeon-du (Baek Jin-hee), who is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child. While faced with the decision to keep the child or not, she crosses paths with an obstetrician at a fertility clinic, Gong Tae-kyung (Ahn), and pretend to be in a relationship to help each other out. “When I first read the script, it didn't take long for me to clearly picture the story in my head,” Ahn shared his reason for taking the role, in a written interview released by the network. “What made 'The Real Has Come' attractive is that I didn't want to let go of the script (while reading).”The actor plays the role of a skilled doctor, who comes from a wealthy background. He considers having his own

Mar 7, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

Ahn Jae-hyun returns to small screen with 'The Real Has Come'

INTERVIEW Jung Kyung-ho portrays fragile character with depth in 'Crash Course in Romance'

Actor Jung Kyung-ho played the role of a celebrity math instructor in tvN's rom-com series “Crash Course in Romance.” Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Jung Kyung-ho has amassed quite a wide-ranging repertoire throughout his 19-year acting career, taking on projects spanning the genres of thrillers and crime to comedy and romance. Actor Jung Kyung-ho / Courtesy of Management AllumBut among those, he has made a strong impression by playing delicate, sensitive roles like a terminally-ill man in “Beating Again” (2015) or a detective who constantly faces attacks or accidents in “Life on Mars” (2018). His most recent portrayal of such a character was as an anorexic, overly sensitive celebrity math lecturer, Choi Chi-yeol, in tvN's rom-com series “Crash Course in Romance.”“Looking back, I've been playing agitated and sensitive characters for the past eight years. I used to think I needed to break away from that box. But one day, I was monitoring my acting as Choi Chi-yeol and I felt I was doing something different than my previous role

Mar 6, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] Jung Kyung-ho portrays fragile character with depth in 'Crash Course in Romance'

Apple TV+ series 'Pachinko' wins best ensemble cast from Indie Spirit Awards

The poster of Apple TV+'s original series "Pachinko" is seen in this photo provided by Apple's streaming platform. YonhapApple TV+'s Korean language drama "Pachinko" has received the award for best ensemble cast in a new scripted series from the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards. "Pachinko"'s team received the award during the annual ceremony held in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday (U.S. time). Based on the 2017 bestselling novel by Korean American author Lee Min-jin, the eight-episode series is a sprawling, multilingual epic that examines four generations of a Korean family during the Japanese occupation of Korea and the subsequent racism that followed. It revolves around a native Korean girl named Sunja, as well as generations of her family, taking place in multiple locations, including Korea, Japan and the United States. The series stars rookie actress Kim Min-ha as young Sunja, Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung as older Sunja, and Korean heartthrob Lee Min-ho as Sunja's love interest, Hansu.In a prerecorded acceptance speech, actor Lee said he and other cast members hav

Mar 6, 2023

Apple TV+ series 'Pachinko' wins best ensemble cast from Indie Spirit Awards

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk's 'Miss Granny' drama remake to star Jung Ji-so

Actress Jung Ji-so / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Lee Gyu-leeStar director Hwang Dong-hyuk's heartfelt comedy flick, “Miss Granny,” has been picked up for a series adaptation, starring actress Jung Ji-so as the lead.A local production studio, VPlus, announced the film's remake, confirming Jung would play the lead role previously played by Shim Eun-kyung in the original movie.The 2014 film revolves around Oh Mal-soon (Na Moon-hee), an elderly woman in her 70s who finds herself in the body of a 20-year-old (Shim) after having her photo taken at a mysterious studio. As she begins to live her youthful time anew, she takes on a new identity as Oh Doo-ri and embarks on a quest for happiness. The movie was a big hit upon release, garnering about 8.65 million ticket sales. It has also been remade in several countries, including Vietnam, China, India and Indonesia.The series adaptation will be led by Park Yong-soon, who previously directed the 2018 thriller series “Secret Mother” and the 2016 thriller series “Wanted,” and will be scripted by Heo Sung-min, whose pre