Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ faces criticism over treatment of Yerin HaConcerns about representation in global television franchises have gained renewed attention after fans questioned the visibility of Korean Australian actor Yerin Ha in promotional material for the fourth season of Netflix’s "Bridgerton." The criticism emerged after Netflix Spain shared photographs from a promotional event held on Feb. 18, featuring Luke Thompson, Hannah Dodd and Ha. Some viewers argued the framing appeared to foreground Dodd, who plays Francesca Bridgerton, rather than the season’s central romantic pairing of Thompson and Ha. Attention also focused on a promotional video in which Ha was seated at the edge. She was not visible in vertically cropped versions designed for social platforms, leaving only Thompson and Dodd in frame. Spanish newspaper ABC further fuelled discussion after misspelling her name as “Yern Ha.” Fans are increasingly worried that Ha is facing racism from Netflix. Ha is a Korean Australian actor who has appeared in works including the series "Halo." She is also the granddaughter of veteran Korean actor Sohn Sook. In an earlier interview with theFeb 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
InterviewShin Hye-sun takes on her most ambiguous role in 'Art of Sarah'Actor Shin Hye-sun said that her role in the new Netflix series “The Art of Sarah” was the most ambiguous character she has ever portrayed in her career. "I usually start a project only after I have a clear plan for the character, but this time was different," Shin told The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Friday. "The story was so interesting that I really wanted to find out how it ends as soon as I read the script.” The eight episode series tells the story of Sarah Kim, played by Shin, who lives a life of lies to act like she comes from a background of luxury. Her carefully crafted world begins to collapse as she is pursued by detective Mu-gyeong (Lee Jun-hyuk), who is determined to uncover the truth behind her fake identity. Shin portrayed multiple personas in the series, including Mok Ga-hee, Kim Eun-jae and finally, Sarah Kim. She explained that playing such an elusive figure required her to be flexible rather than following a fixed acting style. "The script was not very kind in terms of explanations and I actually felt more confused as I read it," she said. "I decided to focusFeb 20, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Kim Tae-ri leads rural drama club in heartfelt new reality showIn tvN’s upcoming variety show “Curtain Up, Class!,” actor Kim Tae-ri, best known for her roles in “The Handmaiden” (2016) and “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” (2024), takes on a new challenge as she leads a drama club at an elementary school on the brink of closure. Reflecting on her first fixed role in a variety program, Kim admitted with a laugh, “It was tougher than filming any drama I’ve done,” during an online press conference for the program on Friday. “What drew me in were the keywords: theater, elementary school and a small rural village. They just spoke to me,” she recalled. “At first, I felt this small flutter of excitement, wondering what kind of joys and discoveries I might find there. But midway through filming, the Korean title was suddenly changed from ‘After-school Theater Club’ to ‘Teacher Tae-ri’, and I trembled as I protested, ‘No, you can’t!’” she said, laughing. “Of course there was personal pressure, but honestly, I couldn’t have endured without the other teachers. So while having my name in the title felt overwhelming,Feb 20, 2026By Park Jin-hai
Yoo Jae-suk's travel show returns with 'no apps' experiment in EuropeWhat happens when Korea’s most seasoned variety star is stripped of Google Maps, booking apps and online searches for traveling? In “Punghyanggo” Season 2, Yoo Jae-suk and his cast are allowed to use only their phones’ call and camera functions — everything else is disabled. That single rule turns the travel series into an unexpectedly fresh experiment in analog adventure in an increasingly digital era. True to its title, which loosely means “going wherever the wind takes you” in Korean, the show embraces spontaneity over strategy. After heading to Vietnam in 2024 for its first season, the team now travels to Austria and Hungary, once again without reservations or pre-planned itineraries. Instead of relying on search engines, they carry printed booklets and navigate by instinct. Their unplanned, reservation-free journey brings viewers a rare sense of spontaneity and rediscovery in travel as “Punghyanggo” offers something in contrast to today’s hyper-organized trips — the messy, uncertain joy of getting lost and finding your way again. The four members — Yoo, LeeFeb 20, 2026By Park Jin-hai
'Agents of Mystery' returns for Season 2 on massive new scale"Agents of Mystery" is returning as a massive open-world adventure that expands its mystery-solving scale to outdoor locations. The second season of the Netflix's puzzle-driven series follows the success of the first season in 2024, which tracked a team of investigators solving strange cases that science cannot explain. "We received some complaints during the first season because it felt too short," producer Jung Jong-yeon said during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, explaining that the new season expands from six episodes to nine and utilizes outdoor filming to enable more active, dynamic storytelling. The show is the latest project from Jung, who is widely regarded as a master of the mystery and escape show genre, with previous hits such as "The Great Escape," "The Devil's Plan" and "High School Mystery Club." While the first season mostly focused on indoor undercover investigations, the new season aims to captivate global audiences through a significantly larger production scale and improved team chemistry. Returning cast members include comedian Lee Yong-jin, singer John Park, sFeb 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Why ‘Single’s Inferno’ keeps turning to Miss Korea contestantsA recurring keyword in the hit Netflix dating show “Single’s Inferno” is Miss Korea. From former cast members Yu Si-eun, Choi Seo-eun, and Jo Min-ji to Season 5’s Choi Mina Sue, Kim Go-eun, and Park Hee-sun, former Miss Korea contestants have been widely credited with bringing glamour and narrative drive to the series. On Feb. 13, show producers Kim Jae-won, Kim Jung-hyun and Park Su-ji met with the Hankook Ilbo at a cafe in Jongno District of Seoul and shared behind-the-scenes stories. The landmark dating reality program, the first Korean variety show on Netflix to reach a fifth season, follows singles stranded on a remote island dubbed “Inferno,” where they can only leave if they form a couple. Season 1 became the first Korean variety show to enter Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list, while Season 2 stayed on the chart for four consecutive weeks. Season 3, which marked the peak of the show’s popularity, sat in the upper rankings for five weeks and reached the Top 10 in 31 countries. Season 4 recorded the highest viewing hours in its premiere week, and SeasonFeb 18, 2026By Hankookilbo
How Korea’s dating reality show ‘Single’s Inferno’ became a lasting dating hit through five seasonsThe latest season worked again. Even as new dating shows with novel formats flood the market, “Single’s Inferno” has secured its place as a long-running reality hit by preserving its signature tone without drastic changes. As its storytelling deepened, dopamine-driven tension intensified, and the steady build-up of shifting emotions and relationships kept viewers immersed. On Feb. 10, the final selections of “Single’s Inferno 5” were revealed. The 15 contestants wrestled with tangled feelings until the last moment, and several unexpected pairings heightened suspense. After a push-and-pull battle for love, five couples — Kim Min-ji and Song Seung-il, Park Hee-sun and Lim Su-bin, Choi Mina Sue and Lee Sung-hoon, Kim Go-eun and Woo Sung-min, and Lee Ju-young and Kim Jae-jin — left Inferno Island together. Premiering Jan. 20, “Single’s Inferno 5” drew strong reactions throughout its release window. It ranked No. 2 in Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English shows for three consecutive weeks and reached No. 1 in markets including Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. ItFeb 16, 2026By Hankookilbo
How Korea’s dating reality show ‘Single’s Inferno’ became a lasting dating hit through five seasonsThe latest season worked again. Even as new dating shows with novel formats flood the market, “Single’s Inferno” has secured its place as a long-running reality hit by preserving its signature tone without drastic changes. As its storytelling deepened, dopamine-driven tension intensified, and the steady build-up of shifting emotions and relationships kept viewers immersed. On Feb. 10, the final selections of “Single’s Inferno 5” were revealed. The 15 contestants wrestled with tangled feelings until the last moment, and several unexpected pairings heightened suspense. After a push-and-pull battle for love, five couples — Kim Min-ji and Song Seung-il, Park Hee-sun and Lim Su-bin, Choi Mina Sue and Lee Sung-hoon, Kim Go-eun and Woo Sung-min, and Lee Ju-young and Kim Jae-jin — left Inferno Island together. Premiering Jan. 20, “Single’s Inferno 5” drew strong reactions throughout its release window. It ranked No. 2 in Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English shows for three consecutive weeks and reached No. 1 in markets including Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. ItFeb 15, 2026By Hankookilbo
Park Bo-gum and Kim Tae-ri bring ‘kind variety’ shows to local communities in KoreaActors known for their work in films and dramas are stepping into a new genre — so-called “kind variety” programs that blend into local communities and share their talents with residents. Just before midnight, actor Park Bo-gum is seen hurrying down a dark country road to a barbershop with its lights off. Sitting a staff member in front of a mirror, he begins a final haircut check before the shop’s opening. The snipping of scissors fills the empty space for hours, followed by roll-drying and even hair coloring practice. The rehearsal continues for more than three hours. “I hope visiting this barbershop becomes a truly magical time for our guests,” Park said. The tvN program “Bogum Magical,” which premiered on Jan. 30, follows the process of running a barbershop for residents in a remote rural village with not even a convenience store. Park, who obtained a national barber’s license during his military service, takes full charge of hair services. Actor Lee Sang-yi works as a nail artist, carefully tending to customers’ hands, while Kwak Dong-yeon assists by preparing wFeb 15, 2026By Hankookilbo
'Singles' Inferno' producer explains record-breaking Netflix renewalThe producer behind Netflix's dating reality show, "Single's Inferno," said actively incorporating viewer feedback has been key to the program's success and its renewal for multiple seasons. "We really try not to miss a single opinion that's shared and make a great effort to capture what the majority's viewpoints are," Kim Jae-won, one of the three producers of the hit show, said at an interview with local reporters Friday. "For example, one of the things that came up for Season 4 was the screen time was too concentrated on just a few people," he said, explaining why the fifth season featured 15 participants — the show's largest cast to date. "We thought by increasing the number, various love lines would naturally form and the focus would be distributed among more people," he said. "Fortunately, the new season presented diverse relationships and characters, just as we predicted." Earlier this week, Netflix announced production of a sixth season, making "Single's Inferno" the first Korean series to be renewed six times. The show follows attractive young singles seeking romance on a secluFeb 13, 2026By Yonhap
