Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait' From left, actors Heo Sung-tae, Lee Elijah and Jang Keun-suk pose during a press conference for Coupang Play's new original series “The Bait,” in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Jang Keun-suk said that his small screen return after five years to play the lead role of Ku Do-han in Coupang Play's new original series, “The Bait,” was a new challenge in his career to break him out of his comfort zone.“Since this series is my comeback after a long time, I thought about what I can bring to the role. So I felt deviating from the established image of me by playing Koo Do-han could be a new challenge,” he said during a press conference for the series, held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. “So I grew my beard and reined in my emotions to create a tough character.” The crime thriller series revolves around Koo (Jang), a detective who used to be a lawyer. He takes a serial murder case linked to a major fraud case from years earlier. As he deepens his investigation into the murder, he finds cluesJan 27, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
From period to action: different genre series set for February From left, posters for the period romance “Our Blooming Youth,” the fantasy rom-com “The Heavenly Idol,” and the rom-com “Love to Hate You” / Courtesy of tvN, Netflix By Lee Gyu-leeFebruary is expected to be filled with series of various genres, ranging from period and romantic comedy to action.TvN is debuting two new series next month, the period romance “Our Blooming Youth” and fantasy rom-com “The Heavenly Idol.”The period mystery romance series, set to premiere on Feb. 6, revolves around Lee Hwan (Park Hyung-sik), a cursed crown prince, and Min Jae-yi (Jeon So-nee), a woman from a prominent family.Hwan becomes the crown prince after his older brother dies. On the night of his coronation, he gets a mysterious curse. On the other hand, Jae-yi is an obedient, devoted daughter engaged to a member of a higher-ranking family to save her own family's honor. But when her family is murdered four days before the wedding, she is accused of killing them. Desperate to exonerJan 25, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW AOA's Chanmi finds her voice with virtual show 'GIRL'S RE:VERSE' Singer Im Chan-mi played the avatar named Dohwa in the virtual music survival show "GIRL'S RE:VERSE.” Courtesy of Kakao EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-lee Singer Im Chan-mi, better known as Chanmi of the K-pop girl group AOA, said that competing on Kakao Entertainment's music survival show “GIRL'S RE:VERSE” allowed her to explore her voice. Singer Im Chan-mi / Courtesy of Kakao EntertainmentThe survival show, which kicked off on Jan. 2, invites 30 singers from different K-pop girl groups to play virtual reality (VR) characters and compete with each other in a metaverse named W. The contestants hide their real-life identities and perform wearing VR headsets and controllers in separate spaces to show off their performance skills and talents through their virtual avatars. Among those, only the top finalists make their debut as a new K-pop group in the virtual world. Im played the avatar named Dohwa. During the preliminary round, in which the contestants had a one-on-one competition, the singer failed to make it to the next round. “When I was doing group activities with Jan 24, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
New breed of female characters takes center stage in Korean dramas A scene from the Netflix series "The Glory," starring Song Hye-kyo, is seen in this photo provided by the company. Courtesy of NetflixThe classic plot of a rich man falling in love with a poor girl was a popular theme in Korean dramas a decade ago, but is now considered the same old story. Instead, strong, inspiring female characters have started to have a growing presence across genres in recent years, and the trend is likely to continue this year.Top actresses have dazzled their fans with a wide range of roles in new TV dramas and streaming services' series, and more A-listed names are set to return to the small screen later this year.Song Hye-kyo, well known as the "Melodrama Queen," has recently received acclaim for her dark role in the Netflix series "The Glory," a grim revenge drama about school bullying. A scene from the JTBC drama "The Agency," starring Lee Bo-young, is seen in this screen grab provided by the cable channel. Courtesy of JTBCThe 41-year-old plays a woman who suffered from school violence and then takes elaborate revenge on her former bullies by taking advantagJan 23, 2023
Reality show 'Family World Tour' follows celebrity families' chaotic trips Singer Kyuhyun, from left, comedian Park Na-rae and actress Lee Yu-ri pose during the online press conference for KBS' new reality show “Family World Tour," Thursday. Courtesy of KBSBy Lee Gyu-leeTraveling with loved ones is a delightful experience, yet it can also get stressful especially if it's in a foreign country, filled with the possibility of running into mishaps in unfamiliar surroundings. KBS' new reality travel show “Family World Tour” explores the fun but chaotic experiences of traveling overseas through celebrity families.“When families put a hold on their daily lives and go on a trip, they tend to have certain positive expectations but they often face some sort of bizarre struggles. This is a travel show but it also takes a close look at families,” producer Kim Sung-min said during an online press conference, Thursday. “This is a reality show that humorously explores the dissonance between family members as they face different struggles during their overseas vacations.”The new show, set to start on Sunday, will follow four celebrJan 20, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Four actors head for epic backpacking trip with 'Bros on Foot' From left, actors Joo Ji-hoon, Yeo Jin-goo, Choi Min-ho and Ha Jung-woo pose during an online press conference for Tving's reality show “Bros on Foot,” Thursday. Courtesy of TvingBy Lee Gyu-leeA-list stars ― Ha Jung-woo, Joo Ji-hoon, Choi Min-ho, and Yeo Jin-goo ― have left behind their celebrity lives for a rough backpacking road trip around New Zealand with Tving's new original reality show “Bros on Foot.” The new travel show, set to be released on Friday, follows the four actors traveling around parts of New Zealand on foot. On their trip, the four come together to complete a series of missions to win chances for young adults to go on their dream trips.“When I first got the proposal (for the show), I vaguely thought it would be fun and I wanted to travel somewhere at the time,” Ha explained his reason for joining the show, during an online press conference for the show, Thursday. “And in the proposal, it had Joo's name as a possible cast member, and I felt we could have something fun from spending time together. It was that simple.”TJan 20, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Kang So-ra returns to small screen with 'Strangers Again' Actors Kang So-ra, right, and Jang Seung-jo pose during a press conference for ENA's new romance legal series “Strangers Again,” held in Mapo District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of ENA By Lee Gyu-leeActress Kang So-ra has picked up her first series in six years with ENA's new romantic comedy series “Strangers Again,” since her last small screen piece “Revolutionary Love” in 2017. “I felt more nervous than when I made my debut. Since I've taken time off (from my career), I was afraid if I could get back on track when I started working again,” the actress said during a press conference for the series, held in Mapo District, Seoul, Jan. 18.The new series, which premiered on the day of the conference, revolves around a successful, celebrity lawyer, Oh Ha-ra (Kang), who specializes in divorce cases. She has gone through a divorce herself with another lawyer, Ku Eun-beom (Jang Seung-jo). Since the split, she is eager to find a new romance, but luck isn't on her side whenJan 19, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Netflix plans biggest-ever lineup of Korean content in 2023 Netflix's 2023 slate of Korean content is seen in this photo provided by the streaming service. YonhapNetflix is set to release its biggest-ever lineup of 34 Korean films, series and reality shows this year to entertain global fans of Korean content. Looking ahead, the global streaming service recently unveiled titles of the new and returning series in various genres, ranging from thriller and sci-fi to romance and action."Over the last year, Korean series and films have regularly featured in our Global Top 10 list in more than 90 countries, and three of Netflix's most-watched shows ever are from Korea," Don Kang, vice president of content for Netflix Korea, said in a statement. "This year, we're pushing the envelope even further with the stories we tell and how we tell them. With this lineup of Korean titles, Netflix will continue to be the ultimate destination for compelling, diverse and must-watch Korean storytelling," he added. Survival is a recurring theme in some of the top series in the thriller, period and sci-fi genres. "Gyeongseong Creature" follows battling monsters duringJan 19, 2023
Korean-language works win Critics Choice Awards for 4 consecutive years The cast and staff of “Pachinko” pose with the trophy for the Best Foreign Language Series at the 28th Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California, Sunday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap'Pachinko' named Best Foreign Language SeriesBy Lee Gyu-lee Apple TV+'s original series “Pachinko” has become the Best Foreign Language Series at this year's Critics Choice Awards, making it the fourth time for a film or a series in the Korean language to win a prize at one of the acclaimed U.S. awards. The series beat eight other nominees, including another Korean-language series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time).A poster for the series “Pachinko” / Courtesy of Apple TV+Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, the epic saga tells the story of a Korean immigrant family across four generations from the perspective of Sunja (Kim Min-ha), the family's matriarch. It starts early in the life of Sunja, who is born to a hard-working family in the southeastern port city of Busan during tJan 16, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
'Pachinko' named best foreign language series at Critics Choice Awards The poster of Apple TV+ original series "Pachinko" / Courtesy of Apple TV+Apple TV+'s Korean language drama "Pachinko" has won the best foreign language series at this year's Critics Choice Awards. At the ceremony held by the Critics Choice Association in Los Angeles on Sunday (U.S. time), "Pachinko" won the trophy in the TV category to beat eight other contestants.Based on the 2017 bestselling novel by Korean-American author Lee Min-jin, the drama 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. Korean American author Lee Min-jin poses for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul, Aug. 8, 2022. YonhapLast year, Netflix sensation "Squid Game" won the best non-English language TV series to become the first Korean show to receive the prize given by a group of 500 film and TV broadcast critics in North America. (Yonhap)Jan 16, 2023
