Netflix music show 'Take 1' to offer blockbuster performances by top musicians From left, Lee Chan-hyuk of AKMU, producer Kim Hak-min, and Lee Su-hyun of AKMU pose during a press conference for Netflix's new music show, “Take 1,” in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeNetflix is set to debut its first Korean music show, “Take 1,” which will offer dynamic, big-budget performances from Korea's renowned musicians across genres. “We came up with the idea of this wild project where we ask singers, 'If you are to sing one last song of yours before you die, what would it be?' And then we prepare that stage and tear it down after the performance,” Kim Hak-min, the show's creator and producer, said during a press conference for the show in Seoul, Thursday. The seven-part music show invites well-known artists ― soprano Sumi Jo, solo artists Yim Jae-beom, Park Jung-hyun, Rain and You Hee-yul, K-pop duo AKMU and girl group Mamamoo ― for each episode to choose a song and create the greatest performance of their lifetime.The producer, whose previous shows include JTBC's music shows, “Sing Again” and “SugarmaOct 14, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Director of Netflix's 'Glitch' calls series her turning point Netflix's new series “Glitch” revolves around two friends hunting for clues in an alien mystery. Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeDirector Roh Deok, who helmed Netflix's new genre-bending Korean original series “Glitch,” said that working on the series has led her to reach a turning point in her career. Director Roh Deok of Netflix's original series “Glitch” / Courtesy of Netflix“This project took up about two to three times the turnaround time of a film. And a lot has happened during the process, personally. I think the way I approach the actors and production staff has changed a lot,” the director said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, Wednesday. “In the past, my priority was focused on making a good project. But with this one, I also learned to be there for the staff and those working together and put faith in them, which I felt actually helped them. This series has become a turning point.”Released last Friday, the series debut for the director, whose previous work incluOct 13, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Song Hye-kyo donates guidebooks to Utoro museum to mark Hangeul Day Actress Song Hye-kyo / Captured from InstagramBy Dong Sun-hwaActress Song Hye-kyo and Professor Seo Kyung-duk ― an active promoter of Korea ― have donated 10,000 Korean/English guidebooks to Utoro Peace Memorial Museum, Japan, in celebration of Oct. 9 Hangeul (Korean alphabet) Day. Utoro is a neighborhood near Kyoto where some 1,300 Koreans were forced into labor for Japans' military during World War II. Seo, a professor of general education at Sungshin Women's University, delivered the news about their donation on his Facebook account, Sunday. “The guidebooks will be placed on the first floor of the museum, which opened in April,” he said. “We produced these books for the convenience of visitors and they are available in English as well. We believe people of all genders and ages will be able to understand the history of Utoro with the help of our books.” The professor added that he and Song made the contribution to preserve Utoro's history. “Two years ago, we donated a bulletin board that is currently at the entrance of Utoro village and this time, we mOct 9, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Joo Won to lead tvN's new comedy action seriesBy Lee Gyu-lee Joo Won / Courtesy of tvN Actor Joo Won is making a small screen comeback with tvN's upcoming comedy action series. The network announced, Friday, that the actor will be taking the lead role in the series, “Stealer” (literal translation), set to go on air in the first half of next year. His last small screen appearance was SBS' action romance series “Alice” in 2020.Directed by Choi Joon-bae, whose previous work includes the mystery, suspense series “Mouse,” the caper-genre series will revolve around a group of government officials who form an unofficial team named “Karma” to retrieve missing cultural assets. Joo will play the role of Dae-myung who is an official at the Cultural Heritage Administration. He is easygoing with little interest in his work. One day, he gets accused of having a connection with a mysterious thief, dubbed Skunk, and joins Karma to hunt down the thief. “Although it is fictional, it tells a meaningful story. I was drawn to how theOct 8, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Director Lee Joon-ik says Tving sci-fi drama 'Beyond the Memory' coming after failed attempt Lee Joon-ik, left, Korean director of Tving's new drama series "Yonder," and Shin Ha-kyun, its lead character, attend the 27th Busan International Film Festival's "Open Talk" session held at an outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, Oct. 7. YonhapKorean director Lee Joon-ik said Friday he is finally introducing Tving's upcoming series "Beyond the Memory" next week following one failed attempt a decade ago as he thought the time is ripe for the near future sci-fi drama. Part of the six-episode series was premiered at the 27th Busan International Film Festival on Thursday in the "On Screen" section for highly anticipated drama series from streaming platforms. Set in 2032, the drama presents the story of a widower (Shin Ha-kyun) who receives a mysterious message from his dead wife (Han Ji-min) inviting him to a place named Yonder where the dead can live on by uploading their memories. It is based on Kim Jang-hwan's 2011 sci-fi novel "Good-bye Yonder." The 62-year-old master of Korean period dramas, best known for "The King and the Clown" (2005), began working on the novel's script Oct 7, 2022
Festive Korea held to promote Korean culture in HK Poster for Festive Korea 2022 / Courtesy of Korean Cultural CenterBy Park Ji-wonHONG KONG ― Festive Korea, the largest cultural event held by the Korean Cultural Center and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong, is being held in Hong Kong, hosting up to 35 cultural events between October and November.Themed “Fun of Korea,” the annual event, which began 12 years ago, will focus on presenting more offline venues than last year, which include soprano Jo Su-mi's performance at “Music on the Harbourfront” on Nov. 18. It is also co-hosted by Hong Kong Generation Next Arts, a local organization promoting young Hong Kong artists by hosting events and concerts.K-Pop Community Festival will be held on Nov. 5 where selected local K-pop dance crews will perform while K-pop girl group OH MY GIRL will join online. Korea Square, an open market, will be held from Oct. 22 to 23, where Korean food, culture and lifestyle products will be sold and displayed. On the sideline of the event, Taekwondo and dance performances will be presented.During Fine Art AsiaOct 7, 2022By Park Ji-won
Japanese director Miike says upcoming Disney+ series 'Connect' thought-provoking thriller Director Takashi Miike, first from right, and main cast members of Disney+'s new Korean-language series "Connect," from left Ko Kyoung-pyo, Kim Hye-jun, Jung Hae-in, pose for photographers during an "Open Talk" event to promote the series at the 27th Busan International Film Festival in the southeastern port city of Busan, Oct. 6. YonhapIconic Japanese director Takashi Miike said Friday his Korean-language drama series "Connect" to be streamed on Disney+ in December is a crime thriller with blood and plenty of action scenes that will provoke questions about many themes. The first three episodes of the six-part series based on a Korean webtoon by Shin Dae-sung premiered at the Busan International Film Festival on Thursday in the "On Screen" section for highly anticipated drama series from streaming platforms. Miike was pleased to finally pull off his first Korean language project on a major streaming platform after overcoming language barriers and travel restrictions amid the pandemic and even screen it at the film festival, which he called a "miracle."He is the second Japanese filmmaOct 7, 2022
INTERVIEW Kwon Sang-woo, Lim Se-mi portray comical yet relatable reality in 'X in Crisis' Kwon Sang-woo plays the character of a middle-aged man in Wavve original series “X in Crisis.” Courtesy of WavveSeries follows ordinary middle-aged man struggling after layoffBy Lee Gyu-leeLocal streaming platform Wavve's recent comedy series “X in Crisis” garnered popularity by touching on the relatable lives of people living through tough economic struggles these days with sitcom-style humor.Actors Kwon Sang-woo, left and Lim Se-mi from the comedy series “X in Crisis” / Courtesy of Wavve“'X in Crisis' didn't have the plot structure that we have normally seen in most series,” actor Kwon Sang-woo, who plays the lead, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.“It has the comedy aspect but also gives a sense of comfort through the character's narration. The story is so full of events, so I thought the viewers will find it interesting to follow along.”Led by filmmaker Kim Jeong-hoon, who directed the comedy flick "The Accidental Detective" (2015), the six-part series, which was releOct 7, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'GIRL'S RE:VERSE': Kakao to launch new program to debut virtual idol group The posters for Kakao Entertainment's upcoming competition show, “GIRL'S RE:VERSE” / Courtesy of Kakao Entertainment By Dong Sun-hwaMembers of K-pop girl groups will vie against one another to join a virtual idol group on “GIRL'S RE:VERSE,” an upcoming competition show made by Kakao Entertainment. The company announced Thursday that the first episode of “GIRL'S RE:VERSE” will be released on Kakao Page and YouTube on Nov. 28. The program is helmed by big-name producers including Jo Wook-hyung, who was behind the success of Mnet's “Queendom” (2019), a hit competition show that featured high-profile female acts like MAMAMOO and (G)I-DLE.Kakao said in a statement that 30 singers will hide their identities and take part in a competition, which will take place in the virtual world named “W.” They will show off their vocal and performing skills through their virtual avatars, while their names and identities will not be revealed until they are eliminated, the company said.“Oct 6, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
INTERVIEW Singaporean producers help create stunning visual scenes for 'Little Women' A scene from tvN's thriller series “Little Women,” which revolves around three sisters entangled in a murder mystery. Some parts of the series were filmed in Singapore. Courtesy of tvNCreative director says she learned a lot from working with Korean productionBy Lee Gyu-leeKorean dramas have been increasingly spotlighted by international audiences and the entertainment industry, with many of the programs becoming hugely successful, such as Netflix's biggest hit, “Squid Game,” last year. More and more Korean series are expanding their reach to overseas audiences, and their production is increasingly utilizing global locations as their stage to meet the growing expectations of international audiences.One recent case is tvN's thriller series, “Little Women,” which debuted at seventh place on Netflix's top 10 non-English series chart in September and surged to the No. 5 spot last week.The new interpretation of the classic novel of the same name, led by director Kim Hee-won, follows three close-knit sisters entangled in the dark secret and mystery of a Oct 5, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
