Entertainment - The Korea Times

BTS leader RM to emcee new educational TV show

RM of K-pop supergroup BTS / Courtesy of HYBE RM of K-pop supergroup BTS will emcee a new educational-entertainment TV show on cable channel tvN, the channel has said.Director Jang Hang-jun will co-host "The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge," set to be broadcast in the second half of this year, the broadcaster said Tuesday. Director Jang Hang-jun and RM of K-pop supergroup BTS / Courtesy of tvN A sequel to the channel's popular shows "The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge" (2017-18) and "The Dictionary of Useless Crime Knowledge" (2021-22), the upcoming show will explore various figures all over the world from various perspectives in such fields as literature, physics, forensic medicine and astronomy.The rapper shared the news on Instagram with the poster of the new season. "So this ended up happening," he said briefly.Jang is best known for the

Oct 26, 2022

BTS leader RM to emcee new educational TV show

Lee Sung-min to play veteran detective in Disney+ series 'Shadow Detective'

From left, director Han Dong-hwa, actors Jin Goo, Kyung Soo-jin, Lee Sung-min and Lee Hak-joo pose during a press conference for Disney+'s original series, “Shadow Detective,” at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, southern Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Lee Gyu-leeDisney+ is set to roll out a new Korean original series, “Shadow Detective,” starring actor Lee Sung-min as a veteran detective. The new crime suspense series, which is scheduled to premiere its first two episodes Wednesday, revolves around detective Kim Taek-rok (Lee), who is on the brink of retirement from law enforcement, planning a peaceful life ahead.One day, he receives a phone call from a mysterious man, which turns his life upside down, and becomes the prime suspect in his co-worker's murder case. Teaming up with the newly-appointed chief of his team, Gook Jin-han (Jin Goo), and fellow detectives Lee Seong-ah (Kyung Soo-jin) and Song Kyeong-cheon (Lee Hak-joo), he chases after the man, who keeps making threats to him, while digging into his own past, which is linked to the mystery.“When I f

Oct 25, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Lee Sung-min to play veteran detective in Disney+ series 'Shadow Detective'

Director says '20th Century Girl' tells story of first love with female narrative, '90s vibe

A scene from Netflix film "20th Century Girl" / Courtesy of NetflixThe director of Netflix's teen romance film "20th Century Girl" said Monday she wanted to capture an ordinary girl's extraordinary moments from 1999 to make audiences relate to their own memories of first love and travel back to the end of the century.Bang Woo-ri's feature debut film follows a 17-year-old girl named Na Bora, who navigates her first love and the intricacy of female friendship, pairing Kim Yoo-jung and Byeon Woo-seok as lead characters. Released Friday, "20th Century Girl" is the most-watched movie on Netflix Korea and ranked sixth on its global streaming chart.Bang was surprised and glad to receive instant feedback from viewers at home and abroad with her debut work based on her personal experience of exchanging her diary with her friend in school, which was mostly about a boy her friend liked.The 39-year-old said she wanted to tell a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a teenage girl living in 1999 to differentiate it from other Korean teen movies with male narratives and teen romance films fr

Oct 24, 2022

Director says '20th Century Girl' tells story of first love with female narrative, '90s vibe

JTBC's 'Over The Top' to air arm-wrestling championship

JTBC's new survival show “Over the Top” will premiere on Oct. 25. Courtesy of JTBC By Lee Gyu-leeJTBC's new competition show, “Over the Top,” is opening up a place for those battling to become the arm-wrestling champion of Korea. “I'm sure everyone has tried arm wrestling at least once. In a way, it is the easiest, most popular game and challenge. Then, we wondered, 'Who would be the best arm-wrestler in Korea?' and that was the start of this show,” the production team of the show said in a written interview released by the network, Monday. The survival show, set to kick off Tuesday, invites participants from different professions, from celebrities and athletes to students and soldiers, to have one-on-one arm-wrestling matches for the final winning price of 100 million won ($69,600). Along with the host Jun Hyun-moo, comedians Moon Se-yoon, Lee Jin-ho and Kim Min-kyung and former basketball player Ha Seung-jin will take part as panelists for the competition. Yoon Hy

Oct 24, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

JTBC's 'Over The Top' to air arm-wrestling championship

Travel reality shows are back in the saddle

A teaser image of SBS' “Besties in Wonderland ― If I Go Only Once” / Courtesy of SBSBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs the world opens back up, broadcasters are on board to shoot travel reality shows overseas. Countries worldwide, including Korea, have been lifting border control regulations related to the pandemic recently. This month, two shows that feature the cast traveling abroad were unveiled. KBS' travel show “Battle Trip,” which ended its four-year run in April 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, has returned with season 2. The first two episodes of “Battle Trip 2,” which aired on Oct. 15 and 22, showed Aiki and Gabee's trip to Vietnam and Yerin and Kim Hee-jung's trip to Thailand, respectively. “The cast have travel tips that are as good as travel experts. Our show will provide a perfect guide to how to travel in an endemic world with insider tips and destination information,” the show's production team said. SBS will launch “Besties in Wonderland ― If I Go Only Once,” starring EXO's Suho, actors Lee Kyu-hyung, Lee Sang-yi, Lim Ji-

Oct 23, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Travel reality shows are back in the saddle

Rom-com series 'May I Help You' kicks off funny, yet heartwarming story

Actress Lee Hye-ri in a scene from MBC fantasy rom-com series "May I Help You," which premiered Wednesday / Courtesy of MBCBy Lee Gyu-leeMBC's new fantasy romantic-comedy series, "May I Help You," starring singer-actors Lee Hye-ri and Lee Jun-young, has kicked off this week, telling an emotional story topped with comedy. Led by Sim So-yeon, who directed the rom-com series, "Welcome 2 Life" (2019), the series revolves around a funeral director, Baek Dong-ju (Lee Hye-ri), who has a special ability to see dead people.Using her ability, she communicates with her deceased clients to help grant their last wishes as she prepares for their funerals. The series' first two episodes, aired on Wednesday and Thursday, followed Dong-ju helping her deceased clients with their requests, from exposing an affair between the deceased's husband and friend to finding a long-lost son. They also showed a rough encounter between Kim Jib-sa (Lee Jun-young), who works at an errand service, and Dong-ju, getting off on the wrong foot when Jib-sa delivers her boyfriend's message to break up.The two keep running

Oct 22, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Rom-com series 'May I Help You' kicks off funny, yet heartwarming story

Netflix series 'Glitch' inspired by UFO experience of writer's wife

Gin Han-sai, the writer of Netflix series "Glitch," is seen in this photo provided by Netflix. YonhapNetflix's new sci-fi mystery series "Glitch" began as a story about unidentified flying objects (UFO) and added elements of conspiracy theory and religion to deal with a broad range of contemporary social issues, its writer said. Gin Han-sai wrote "Glitch," directed by Roh Deok, which centers on a young woman who joins forces with a UFO enthusiast to investigate her boyfriend's sudden disappearance and stumbles into a wild conspiracy. The 10-episode series was the second-most streamed drama series on Netflix Korea in the first week of its release on Oct. 7, and is now ranked fourth.Following his sensational debut work "Extracurricular" (2020) on teenage crimes, Gin once again captured viewers' attention with an unusual plot about UFO and extraterrestrials that blended crime thriller, pseudo-religion and women's comradeship. The 37-year-old said he doesn't believe in UFOs but was struck by the personal experience of his wife, who claimed she saw a UFO in her early childhood. "I had lon

Oct 20, 2022

Netflix series 'Glitch' inspired by UFO experience of writer's wife

Netflix's teen romance film '20th Century Girl' evokes nostalgic feel for '90s

From left to right, Park Jung-woo, Roh Yoon-seo, Kim Yoo-jung, and Byeon Woo-seok attend a press conference for the upcoming Netflix original movie "20th Century Girl" at CGV Yongsan, Oct 19. NewsisThe upcoming Netflix original movie "20th Century Girl" is a sweet teen romance set in 1999 that will make the audience feel nostalgic for the '90s with retro items, fashion and music, its director said Wednesday. The story centers on a 17-year-old girl who keeps close tabs on a boy in school on behalf of her best friend and she ends up in a love story of her own.Against the backdrop of the '90s, Bora (Kim Yoo-jung) secretly records Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo) on a camcorder and strikes up a friendship with his friend Poong Un-ah (Byun Woo-seok) to learn more information about Baek.Director Bang Yoo-ri said she wrote the script based on her own experience of exchanging diaries with her friend, thinking the story could resonate with a broader audience. "It began with a diary I exchanged with my friend," the 39-year-old said in a press conference. "About 80 percent of the diary was about a

Oct 19, 2022

Netflix's teen romance film '20th Century Girl' evokes nostalgic feel for '90s

INTERVIEW 'Little Women' writer creates well-woven story of sisters

TvN's thriller drama series, “Little Women,” follows the story of three sisters. Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeTvN's thriller drama series, “Little Women,” recently wrapped up in success, offering a refreshing, modern take on Louisa May Alcott's coming-of-age novel of the same name. Screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung of the series, “Little Women” / Courtesy of tvNThe 12-part series, which ended with its highest viewership rating of 11.1 percent on Oct. 9, followed the story of three sisters: bookkeeper In-ju (Kim Go-eun), journalist In-kyeong (Nam Ji-hyun) and high school student In-hye (Park Ji-hu). Though debt-ridden due to irresponsible parents, In-ju comes across a large sum of money that was left by her deceased co-worker. As In-ju digs into her co-worker's death, the three sisters cross paths with the country's richest and most influential family and go against the family to reveal their dark conspiracy. “The reason I came up with this series was I had a question: 'What if three sisters, who are living in poverty, get a huge sum of money?' The

Oct 18, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] 'Little Women' writer creates well-woven story of sisters

Jun Jong-seo, Jin Seon-kyu fascinated by one-take scenes in 'Bargain'

From left, actors Jin Seon-kyu, Jun Jong-seo, director Jun Woo-sung, and actor Chang Ryul pose during an online press conference for Tving's new original series “Bargain,” Monday. Courtesy of TvingTving's disaster thriller set for release on Oct. 28By Lee Gyu-leeTving's new original series, “Bargain,” starring actors Jun Jong-seo of the crime series, “Money Heist: Korea,” and Jin Seon-kyu of the hit comedy film, “Extreme Job,” is set to release on Oct. 28.The crime-thriller series is an adaptation of director Lee Chung-hyun's award-winning short film of the same name in 2015, about a school girl and a man bargaining for prostitution. Director Jeon Woo-sung, who was part of the production team of the original short film, picked up the story and developed it into a six-part series. “It did worry me and put a sense of pressure to expand the story from the short film,” the director said during an online press conference for the series, Monday. “I felt that the series can make use of the one-take cinematography technique th