JTBC drama 'Agency' shows office politics set at advertising agency Cast members of JTBC drama "Agency" pose for a photo during an online press conference in this photo provided by the Korean cable channel, Jan. 5. YonhapJTBC's new weekend drama "Agency" will portray fierce office politics and intricate relationships surrounding a tough female executive and her rivals at an advertising agency, its director said Thursday. Set at Korea's leading advertising agency, VC Group, the drama revolves around the company's first-ever female executive, Go Ah-in (Lee Bo-young), who has achieved fast promotions with stellar performances despite her underprivileged background.Jo Sung-ha plays the role of Choi Chang-su, a senior executive who strives to become CEO by leveraging his inner circle connection, and idol-turned-actress Son Na-eun stars as the VC Group chair's daughter who turns from a star influencer into the company's social media department director. Director Lee Chang-min said the drama tells an interesting story of company employees who navigate office politics to win tough competitions and move up the career ladder. "The drama deals with relations beJan 5, 2023
Series with stars returning to small screen to air in January From left, posters for SBS series "Payback,” MBC series “Kokdu: Season of Deity,” and ENA series “Can We Be Strangers” / Courtesy of SBS, MBC, ENABy Lee Gyu-leeA number of actors, including Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Sun-kyun, Moon Chae-won, Kang So-ra, and Kim Jung-hyun, are making small-screen comebacks with a list of upcoming series set for this month. SBS will drop its first series of the year, "Payback,” starring Lee and Moon. This will be the first TV series in four years for Lee and three years for Moon.The legal action series, which will premiere on Friday, revolves around investment manager Eun Yong (Lee) who owns and runs a private equity firm, and military judicial officer Park Joon-kyung (Moon), who is a former prosecutor.After her mother takes her own life, Joon-kyung moves to find the truth and take revenge on the people who drove her mother to suicide. Joining hands, Joon-kyung and Yong go against a dark, powerful financial cartel and shed light on its corrupt practices.The series is led by filmmaker Lee Won-tae, whose work includes the thrilJan 5, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
'The Glory' ranks No. 3 on Netflix's non-English TV show chart Korean original series "The Glory" is ranked No. 3 on Netflix's non-English TV show chart in this image provided by Netflix, Jan. 4. YonhapNetflix's Korean original "The Glory" starring Song Hye-kyo has placed third on the streamer's weekly viewership chart for non-English TV shows released Wednesday. Released on Dec. 30, "The Glory" was the third-most watched non-English TV show on Netflix's Top 10 list for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1 with 25.41 million viewing hours.It tells the story of a woman who suffered from school violence and elaborately takes revenge on her former bullies. "The Glory" debuted at No. 5 on streaming analytics website FlixPatrol's daily chart for top TV shows on Netflix on Sunday (U.S. time). The first part of the 16-episode was streamed on Dec. 30, with the second half scheduled to be released in March. (Yonhap)Jan 4, 2023
Jung Yong-hwa, Cha Tae-hyun team up for comedy detective series 'Brain Works' Actors Jung Yong-hwa, left, and Cha Tae-hyun pose during an online press conference for KBS' new series, “Brain Works,” Monday. Courtesy of KBS By Lee Gyu-leeActors Jung Yong-hwa and Cha Tae-hyun have teamed up to play a comedy duo in KBS' new detective series, “Brain Works.”“I've been wanting to work with Cha,” Jung said during an online press conference for the series, Monday. “He's the type of person who doesn't overtly take care of you but rather makes it subtle and you can realize that later on. I've gotten a lot of help with acting from him.”The 16-part series revolves around neuroscientist Shin Ha-ru (Jung), who has a special brain, and selfless detective Geum Myung-se (Cha), joining together to investigate brain disease-related criminal cases. Ha-ru comes from an elite background ― three generations of doctors and a wealthy family. He is smart and assertive, yet his overconfidence often offends people. Myung-se is a neuroscience squad detective who is kindheJan 3, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Song Kang-ho, Jung Woo-sung join top actors appearing on small screen Actors Jung Woo-sung, left, and Song Kang-ho / Courtesy of Artist Company, Sublime Artist By Kwak Yeon-sooSome iconic movie stars will cross over to the small screen amid the changing landscape of the entertainment industry where content streaming services are now at the forefront of big-budget TV series.Song Kang-ho, who won the Best Actor prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the film, “Broker,” will star in a TV series titled, “Uncle Sam Shik” (working title), whose detailed cast and production schedule have not yet been revealed.Set in the early 1960s, the 10-episode series follows two men ― Sam Shik and Kim San (Byun Yo-han) ― through their bromance and the obstacles they face during a turbulent time in the country's history. It is Song's first TV project since his debut in 1990. Song is one of the most iconic movie stars in Korea, with a number of box office hits under his belt, including “Memories of Murder” (2003), “Snowpiercer” (2013Jan 2, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Bae Doona's new film 'Next Sohee' to hit theaters in February A scene from the film “Next Sohee" / Courtesy of Twinplus Partners By Lee Gyu-leeThe thriller drama film “Next Sohee,” starring Bae Doona, will hit local theaters next month. Production company Twinplus Partners on Monday announced the movie's local premiere, following its debut as the closing film at last year's Critics' Week in April.Critics' Week is a sidebar event of the Cannes Film Festival, and is dedicated to the first or second features of filmmakers from all around the world. The movie follows the story of high school student So-hee (Kim Si-eun) and detective Oh Yu-jin (Bae) who is investigating So-hee's murder. So-hee starts job training at a call center but struggles with the pressure from the stressful workplace environment, which leads to her death. The detective, who has something in common with her, starts to follow traces to reveal the truth behind the mysterious incident that leads to So-hee's death. The movie is directed and written by July Jung, wJan 2, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
'The Glory' debuts at No. 5 on global Netflix chart This image is a scene from Netflix's new Korean original series, 'The Glory." Courtesy of NetflixNetflix's new Korean original, "The Glory," has landed at No. 5 on a global popularity chart for TV series available on the streaming service.According to data released by FlixPatrol, a streaming analytics company, Sunday (U.S. time), the drama starring Song Hye-kyo placed fifth on its daily global chart for TV programs on Netflix, two days after its release.It was the most popular TV show in 10 countries, including Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.It ranked second in Hong Kong, Japan, the Maldives, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and fourth in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Kuwait and Sri Lanka.This image captured from FlixPatrol's homepage shows its Top TV Shows on Netflix chart for Jan. 1, 2023. YonhapWritten by Kim Eun-sook of "Mr. Sunshine," "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" and "Descendants of the Sun," "The Glory" tells the story of a woman who suffered from school violence and elaborately takes revenge on her former bullies. An Gil-ho tookJan 2, 2023
'K-pop Generation' documentary to be released in January A teaser image of Tving's new music documentary "K-Pop Generation" / Courtesy of Tving By Lee Gyu-leeStreaming platform Tving will release its new docu-series “K-Pop Generation” in January, the platform said, Friday. The show will cover a variety of K-pop-related stories, from the female groups of the industry to self-produced artists.“(The show) will go beyond the domestic perspectives of previous K-pop documentaries, and offer a vast number of interviews with fans and experts across Tokyo, Osaka, Los Angeles, New York and San Diego to highlight K-pop's current influence and controversies surrounding it,” Tving said in a release.The series will also invite top K-pop artists across different generations, like Kangta of H.O.T, Leeteuk of Super Junior, Suho of EXO and Hwasa of Mamamoo, as well as the members of 2PM, TXT, ENHYPEN, IVE and Le Sserafim. The artists will talk about different topics. K-pop-inspired global groups, including SB19 from the Philippines, JO1 anDec 31, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Jay Park to host KBS' new music talk show By Lee Gyu-leeSinger and producer Jay Park / Courtesy of More VisionSinger and producer Jay Park, who is also known as Park Jae-beom, will become the host of KBS' new music talk show, “The Seasons.” The network announced that it will be launching a new music show this coming February, saying the singer will lead the first season of the program.“KBS will present a new nighttime music talk show to the viewers, under the name 'The Seasons ― Park Jae-beom's Drive.' It is scheduled to tape the first episode on Jan. 11 and is currently receiving applications for attendance from the potential audience (for filming),” the network said in the press release, Thursday. The show will have four seasons throughout the year with a different host for each season. Park will be the host of the show's first season, named after one of his singles, “Drive,” released in 2016. The singer will invite musicians from various genres to talk candidly and perform on the set. This is the network's first music talk show since wrapping up its long-running nighttime music show, &lDec 30, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Minho portrays young adults' love and work lives in 'The Fabulous' Actor and singer Choi Min-ho plays the lead in Netflix's new original series “The Fabulous.” Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeYoung adult romances and a coming-of-age story is what intrigued actor and singer Choi Min-ho, who is better known as Minho of K-pop group SHINee, to take part in Netflix's new original series “The Fabulous,” he said.Actor Choi Min-ho / Courtesy of NetflixDebuted last week, the romantic comedy series follows a bubbly fashion brand PR agent, Pyo Ji-eun (Chae Soo-bin), and her three best friends in the fashion industry. While pursuing their dreams in the fast-paced, competitive environment, they juggle demanding jobs, romantic dilemmas and wild nights on the town.Choi plays the character of Ji Woo-min, who is a photographer and a retoucher, working with designer brands and magazines. He used to date Ji-eun, but they became friends after breaking up. Despite their friendship, the two continue to have feelings for each other. The actor, who previously starred in action films like “The Battle of Jangsari” and “Illang: The WDec 29, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
