Kang Daniel to host 'Street Man Fighter' Singer Kang Daniel / Courtesy of CJ ENM By Kim RahnK-pop star Kang Daniel will emcee “Street Man Fighter,” the male version of the dance competition show “Street Woman Fighter,” to be aired next month. CJ ENM said, Friday, that Kang will host the survival dance program on cable channel Mnet, which already gained a lot of public attention and brought a dance boom to Korea with its two previous shows last year, “Street Woman Fighter” and “Street Dance Girls Fighter.” On both shows, Kang was also the emcee.With the programs, the former B-boy has been dubbed a “dance-specialist host,” helping viewers better understand dance moves and rules of dance battles with easy explanations. He also danced with the contestants to draw cheers and reactions from the audience.“It is an honor to be an emcee of a dance program again with 'Street Man Fighter.' The upcoming show will be more exciting and more dynamic (than the previous ones), and I'll be the link between the dancers and tJul 15, 2022By Kim Rahn
Ji Chang-wook to lead KBS' new series 'If You Wish Upon Me' Posters for KBS' new drama “If You Wish Upon Me” / Courtesy of KBS By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Ji Chang-wook will play the lead role in the upcoming KBS series “If You Wish Upon Me,” directed by Kim Yong-wan, who helmed tvN's 2020 series “The Cursed.” The new drama revolves around Yoon Gyeo-rae (Ji) who works in a hospice center and fulfills the last wishes of terminally ill patients.Yoon is barely hanging onto life with no motivation to live. Growing up, he moved from an orphanage to a correctional facility and then to prison, which made him believe that rebuilding his life would be almost impossible. However, he opens up to people gradually in the hospice center and regains the will to live.Actors Sung Dong-il and Choi Soo-young will also star in the series. Sung will play the volunteer group leader while Choi will be a hospice nurse.The 16-part series will premiere on KBS2 on Aug. 10 at 9:50 p.m. and air every Wednesday and Thursday. Ji made his small screen debut in tJul 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korean drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' tops Netflix's weekly viewership chart A scene from the Korean drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" / Courtesy of ENAThe Korean drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has topped Netflix's latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows, the global video streaming service said Wednesday.The TV series, which has aired every Wednesday and Thursday on the cable channel ENA from June 29, marked 23.9 million hours of viewing for the week of July 4-10 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs available on the service, according to the company.It became the second Korean-made TV series that is simultaneously streamed on a local TV channel and on Netflix to rank No. 1 on the official viewership chart, following the romantic comedy "Business Proposal" (2022).And it is the eighth Korean-language show that has topped the weekly chart for the category that includes Netflix originals, like the global sensation "Squid Game" (2021) and "All of Us Are Dead" (2022).The series made the top 10 on the most-watched non-English TV show table in 12 countries over the one-week period and topped the list in three nations,Jul 13, 2022
'Squid Game' wins 14 nominations including best drama series at Emmys This image released by Netflix shows a scene from the popular Korean series "Squid Game" which was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, including one for best drama series. AP-YonhapThe survival drama "Squid Game" earned 14 nominations including best drama series at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first Korean TV show to compete at America's biggest honor for the broadcasting industry.The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on Tuesday (U.S. time) unveiled the final list of nominations for the 2022 Emmys awarded to best primetime TV programs from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022."Squid Game," a Korean-language Netflix original series, was up for 14 prizes, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Lee Jung-jae), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Jung Ho-yeon), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Oh Yeong-su and Park Hae-soo), Outstanding Directing and Writing For a Drama Series (Hwang Dong-hyuk) and Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series (Lee You-mi)."Squid Game" is the first Korean-made content to be includJul 13, 2022
After investing big in dramas, Netflix targets unscripted shows Yoo Ki-hwan, the manager of content (non-fiction) at Netflix Korea / Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooAs a move to expand its entertainment offerings, Netflix Korea is aggressively investing in various forms of unscripted series. The streaming giant unveiled four new forthcoming unscripted shows, including a dating show, a travelogue and a competition show.Netflix has released only six reality shows over the past four years: “Busted!” “Twogether,” “Paik's Spirit,” “The Hungry and the Hairy,” “New World” and “Single's Inferno.” Four of them have been released since October 2021. Yoo Ki-hwan, the manager of content (non-fiction) at Netflix Korea, explained that the streaming service is just in the beginning stages of expanding its slate of unscripted content.“We admit that, until recently, many viewers accidentally watched Korean unscripted TV shows after scrolling down for dramas and films. We've been slow in launching new reality shows. Beginning in the second haJul 12, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim Hyang-gi, Kim Min-jae to star in 'Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-poong' The poster for tvN's upcoming series, “Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-poong” / Courtesy of tvN By Kwak Yeon-sooMental health is a hot topic on Korean TV shows and a new drama series seems to confirm this trend.The upcoming period drama, “Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-poong” (working title), tells the story of a physician during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) who gets expelled from the royal court after getting caught up in a conspiracy. He then meets with Seo Eun-woo (Kim Hyang-gi), who has a good understanding of patients' minds, and Gye Ji-han (Kim Sang-kyung), who practices traditional medicine in the strange village of Gyesu, and becomes a genuine doctor who supports people's mental health concerns. Kim Hyang-gi described the upcoming series as “humane,” adding that it depicts the stories of people with wounded hearts. “This emotional human drama has both funny and touching moments. This project together has been so harmonious, and I can't wait to see it when it comes Jul 12, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix's 'Umbrella Academy' featuring Rising Sun design causes stir A scene from the third season of the Netflix original series, “Umbrella Academy,” featuring Japan's Rising Sun flag design / Korea Times file By Kwak Yeon-sooThe third season of “Umbrella Academy” on Netflix has caused a stir for featuring the Imperial Japanese Army's flag design in episodes 6 and 10, prompting a Korean civic organization to request the streaming giant to edit out the controversial scenes. The latest season of Netflix's original series, which was released on June 22, displays the Rising Sun design, which was used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and is regarded as a symbol of its wartime aggression, in multiple scenes. Many Koreans view it as a symbol of Japan's past imperialism and militarism.The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) criticized Netflix for its ignorance and started a global petition to make Netflix remove controversial scenes from the series. VANK was established in 1999 with the mission to promote Korean culturJul 11, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
DMZ's most secluded village focus of upcoming action comedy drama From left, actors Kwon Hae-sung, Lee Hwang-eui, Jeong He-in and Kim Ah-ra and director Lim Chang-jae pose during a press conference for the comedy drama series “DMZ Daeseong-dong,” held in Seoul's Dongjak District, Wednesday. Courtesy of D'LiveBy Park Han-solA poster for the upcoming four-part drama series, “DMZ Daesung-dong” / Courtesy of D'LiveDaeseong-dong, also referred to in Korean as “Freedom Village,” is the only civilian settlement tucked inside the southern part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that has divided the two warring Koreas since the signing of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement.The village has remained the most secluded community across the Korean Peninsula for nearly seven decades, fortified by heavily armed soldiers and barbed-wire fences, due to its proximity to its northern neighbor.This year, the DMZ's most isolated village, which has become a window to reflect on the ideological tensions between the two Koreas, will come to the fore in the upcoming drama series, “DMZ Daeseong-dong” (direct translation).The fourJul 10, 2022By Park Han-sol
'In the Soop: Friendcation,' starring BTS' V, coming July 22 A poster for “In the Soop: Friendcation” / Courtesy of Disney+ By Kwak Yeon-soo“In the Soop: Friendcation,” a reality show featuring BTS' V hanging out with his celebrity friends, will premiere in July. This new show comes a month after BTS announced its hiatus for members to focus on solo projects.The four-episode series will star V, rapper Peakboy, singer-actor Park Hyung-sik from the Disney+ series “Soundtrack #1,” Choi Woo-shik from Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and Park Seo-joon, who has been confirmed to appear in “The Marvels.” The five men are collectively known as the “Wooga Squad.” The show, which is a spin-off of Hybe's reality show “In the Soop” focused on BTS, will follow the group of friends as they take a break in a remote woodland area, enjoying a getaway from the pressures of stardom. BTS' V has been featured before on the “In the Soop” series, appearing in two seasons with his bandmates in 2020 and 2021, during which they cooked dinner, played videJul 8, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise A scene from “Money Heist: Korea ― Joint Economic Area,” a Spanish series' Korean remake created and scripted by Ryu Yong-jae / Courtesy of NetflixRemake of Spanish series follows group of robbers trying to take over mint of unified KoreaBy Lee Gyu-leeBefore Netflix's non-English series, “Squid Game,” became a huge international hit, there was the Spanish original, “Money Heist,” which became a global sensation through the platform. Writer Ryu Yong-jae / Courtesy of NetflixRyu Yong-jae, the creator and writer for the Spanish series' Korean remake, “Money Heist: Korea ― Joint Economic Area,” said he feels excited to kick-start the Spanish series franchise and help introduce it to Asian countries. The new series, which was released on June 24, topped Netflix's official non-English Top 10 chart during the week of its release.“The original 'Money Heist' was already popular worldwide, but compared to the popularity, there were still a lot of people who didn't see it … It was not that popular in Asian countries (compared to EuropJul 6, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
