'GIRL'S RE:VERSE' features virtual K-pop idol survival show A poster of the K-pop idol survival show "GIRL'S RE:VERSE" is seen in this photo provided by Kakao Entertainment. Yonhap"GIRL'S RE:VERSE" will present an experimental K-pop idol survival show where current idol members will play virtual reality (VR) characters to compete in a virtual world, Kakao Entertainment said Tuesday. Set in a metaverse named W, the 30 contestants in the survival show will play their corresponding avatars to get an opportunity to debut as members of a new virtual girl group, Kakao's entertainment unit said. Full-body motion capture technology will be used to track the performances of the contestants, who will wear a VR headset and use controllers when they sing and dance in separate spaces.Cho Wook-hyun, its chief producer, said the virtual format will help show more intimate and natural sides of the participating idol group members in real life. "As contestants are competing in a virtual world, their characters enjoy more freedom than in real life," Cho said in a press conference. "As the contestants will hide their identities, their characters will show more Dec 27, 2022
Viu Philippines executive seeks to create original stories with distinctive cultural touch Corinna Vistan, head of Originals at streaming service Viu's Philippines office / Courtesy of ViuViu Philippines' Korean drama-inspired original, 'K-Love,' makes a hitBy Lee Gyu-leeThe emerging era of streaming services and digital media has prompted entertainment content to become increasingly transnational every day, going beyond borders to reach audiences worldwide. With content from all over the world now joining the competition at the global level, originality has become more important than ever. Corinna Vistan, the head of Originals at streaming platform Viu's Philippines office, shared that the cultural touch in the stories is the key to bringing original content to the global market.Based in Hong Kong, Viu is Southeast Asia's largest streaming platform, which services 16 countries including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. It offers a variety of Korean dramas, including hit series like “Mr. Queen,” “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” and “Taxi Driver.”Corinna Vistan used to serve as a Dec 27, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Reborn Rich' ends with its highest-rated episode A scene from JTBC's series "Reborn Rich" / Courtesy of JTBCThe local cable channel JTBC series "Reborn Rich" came to an end Sunday, breaking its own viewership record and scoring the second highest rating for any drama from the channel.The final episode of the 16-part corporate drama starring Song Joong-ki saw its ratings peak at 26.9 percent, according to Nielsen Ratings Korea.The figure marked the best rating for the Friday-to-Sunday show and the second highest for any JTBC drama, following "The World of Married" (2020) with 28.4 percent. "Born Rich" began with a 6.1 percent rating on Nov. 18 and continued its upward march to score 21.1 percent on Dec. 11, becoming the first Korean drama to surpass the 20 percent mark this year.Based on the web-based novel by San Kyung and a webtoon of the same Korean title, which translates as "The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family," the fantasy corporate drama follows Yoon Hyun-woo (played by Song), who was loyal to a wealthy family before being murdered and then seeks a different life when he's reborn as the youngest son of the family.Lee Sung-miDec 26, 2022
INTERVIEW Lee Jun-young drawn to realistic, heartfelt story of 'May I Help You' Actor Lee Jun-young played the lead in the MBC series, “May I Help You.” Courtesy of MBC By Lee Gyu-leeActor Lee Jun-young shared his lingering feelings toward his recent MBC series, “May I Help You,” which wrapped up on Thursday, saying he was moved by its realistic, heartfelt story. Actor Lee Jun-young / Courtesy of JFlex Entertainment “I like series with scripts that reflect realistic elements from the real world. So when I read the script for this series, I decided to take the role right away. It was interesting and I liked how the lives of the characters were very down-to-earth and genuine,” the actor said during a recent interview with The Korea Times in a cafe in Mapo District, Seoul.The 16-part, emotional romance series revolves around a funeral director, Baek Dong-ju (Lee Hye-ri), who has the supernatural power to see dead people. One day, Dec 25, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Hani to talk about sex in series 'Fanta G Spot' Ahn Hee-yeon, also known as Hani of K-pop group EXID, plays the role of Hee-jae in Coupang Play's new original series “Fanta G spot.” Courtesy of Coupang PlayBy Lee Gyu-leeSex has often been considered uncharted territory in Korea for discussion in TV dramas. Coupang Play's new original series, “Fanta G spot,” starring Ahn Hee-yeon, better known as Hani of EXID, intends to bring the taboo subject to the surface with a story of two friends' raunchy adventures to discovering sexual pleasure.“(When I read the script,) two things came to my mind. First, it was so intriguing. Everything that I would discuss with my friends or with (EXID) group members was there. So it was really interesting,” the singer and actor said during a press conference of the series at Josun Palace in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Thursday. “And then, to be honest, I did think a lot about if I should really star in this. I was like, 'Can I do it?' and 'Would it really be okay?'”The series, which will hit the platform Friday, revolves around two women, Hee-jea (AhDec 23, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Tving series 'Island' tells fantasy exorcism story set on Jeju Island Actor Cha Eun-woo poses for a photo during a press conference for Tving's new series "Island" at a Seoul hotel, Dec. 22. YonhapTving's new series "Island" will tell a fantasy story of characters who fight evil forces trying to destroy the world, based on a popular webtoon under the same name. The original cartoon, co-written by Youn In-wan and Yang Kyung-il, was published in 1997, and was remastered as a webtoon series that ran on Naver Webtoon from 2016 to 2018. "Island" revolves around a grim journey of the three main protagonists who uncover a dark secret hidden on Jeju Island and confront those who try to destroy the world. Kim Nam-gil plays an immortal monster hunter who has been protecting the world from evil demons for thousands of years. Cha Eun-woo is an exorcist who was adopted overseas soon after his birth and later dispatched to Jeju Island. Lee Da-hee appears as a rich heiress who possesses a powerful strength of which she is unaware. Director Bae Jong, who produced the 2005 film "Welcome To Dongmakgol," said he faced difficulty in adapting the famous webtoon for his draDec 22, 2022
'The Interest of Love' to touch on realistic workplace romance Actors Yoo Yeon-seok, left, and Moon Ga-young pose during an online press conference for the series “The Interest of Love,” Wednesday. Courtesy of JTBCBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Yoo Yeon-seok, known for his heartthrob roles in romance series, is leading “The Interest of Love,” which follows the realistic romantic relationship of a workplace couple. “In my previous works, the romances were devoted or one-way love. But this time, it's more realistic. This series involves different struggles and conflicts that everyone in real life might come across,” the actor said during an online press conference for the series, Wednesday.The new series from JTBC revolves around four men and women working at the same bank and their complicated, entangled romances, which drive them to choose how far they are willing to go for love.The premiere, which aired Wednesday, showed Ha Sang-su (Yoo) and Ahn Su-yeong (Moon Ga-young) showing feelings for each other, hoping to become more than just colleagues. Sang-su has had a crush on Su-yeong since he started working for the bank. Dec 22, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
MBC TV counseling show accused of neglecting child abuse A scene from MBC's reality TV show, “Oh Eun-young's Report: Marriage Hell" / Screenshot from the showBy Lee Gyu-leeMBC's “Oh Eun-young's Report: Marriage Hell,” a couple's counseling reality TV show, is facing a backlash after one of its episodes aired an alleged child molestation case. The show, hosted by the renowned psychiatrist Oh Eun-young, invites different married couples every week to discuss their issues and offers professional advice. They do this by going through recorded video footage of the couple's life together. Oh then tackles the reasons behind the couple's troubles and offers her advice. The issue was raised following its latest episode aired on Monday. In the episode, the footage of the couple showed the husband hugging his young stepdaughter, attempting to cuddle her. Then he started poking her on the rear. Despite his stepdaughter saying “No,” he was seen continuing to grab her and trying to tickle her. The husband later said that it was the way he plays with his stepdaughter and shows his affection. Dr. Oh explained to him that suchDec 21, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Chinese TV, streaming platforms open further to Korean dramas A scene from "Wise Doctor Life" / Courtesy of tvNA major Chinese TV network is expected to air Korean dramas next year, set to join other streaming platforms that have opened their doors to Korean entertainment content after a yearslong cultural freeze. Anhui Satellite TV said Tuesday on its official Weibo account that "Thai and Korean dramas will return after several years," asking its followers to leave posts about their most-wanted lists. The nationwide satellite TV based in China's Hefei and Anhui province was one of main broadcasters that had aired popular Korean dramas before Beijing placed a tacit ban on them in 2016 amid a diplomatic row over Seoul's deployment of American missile system. The network added to a list of Chinese broadcasters and streaming services that have released Korean dramas and films following the first summit between Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-November. During the summit that took place in Indonesia, Yoon stressed the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries' peoples, to wDec 21, 2022
'The Glory' features female revenge drama with Song Hye-gyo Actress Song Hye-kyo attends a press conference for Netflix series "The Glory" at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, Dec. 20. YonhapActress Song Hye-gyo, widely known as the "Melodrama Queen," is returning with a new Netflix series, "The Glory," a grim revenge drama involving bullying at school.Set to stream on Netflix on Dec. 30, "The Glory" tells the story of a woman who suffered school violence and elaborately takes revenge on her former bullies. Ahn Gil-ho took the helm of the two-part series, with the second part scheduled for March.Song reunited with star writer Kim Eun-sook for the first time in six years since their mega-hit drama series "Descendants of the Sun" to venture into the new genre.The 41-year-old said she tried to portray the lead protagonist, Moon Do-eun, as a strong woman determined to punish her former bullies who made her high school life hell.The poster for "The Glory" / Courtesy of Netflix"As I mostly appeared in melodramas in the past, viewers may find my new role unfamiliar," Song said during a press conference Tuesday. "Acting (for the character) wasDec 20, 2022
