Kim Ji-seok, Kim Shin-Young take viewers traveling in new show Actor Kim Ji-seok, left, and comedian Kim Shin-Young host Channel S' new travel show, “Map to Go Again” (direct translation). Courtesy of Channel S By Lee Gyu-leeActor Kim Ji-seok and comedian Kim Shin-Young are hosting local network Channel S' new travel show, “Map to Go Again” (direct translation), which takes the viewers on a virtual trip around the world. The new show, led by the production team of KBS' popular traveling show, "Battle Trip,” will feature various YouTubers, including those living abroad and those who specialize in traveling to different countries, sharing videos of their recent travels and their experiences. “This show will allow you to travel around the world from your bedroom. This is a new type of a show that is perfect for the coronavirus era,” the show's producer, Kim Soo-hyun, said during the press conference for the show, Thursday. “The 'Battle Trip' production team has established know-how through the four years of its production. So we hMar 25, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Popular rom-coms bring back viewers to local TV broadcasters A scene from the series, “Business Proposal” / Screencapture from SBS's “Business Proposal” Local TV networks have been enjoying a rise in viewership with their current romantic comedies, backed by a newfound boom in the genre here.Starring Kim Tae-ri, "Twenty Five Twenty One," tvN's weekend primetime series that started Feb. 12, posted 10.9 percent and 10.7 percent for its 11th and 12th episode last weekend, respectively, marking the highest numbers among high-profile weekend TV series on air.The ratings are also higher than the cable channel's previous weekend shows, the fantasy "Immortality" (2021), which logged 6.3 percent in viewership, and the blockbuster thriller "Jirisan" (2021) with 10.7 percent.The viewership rating of "Military Prosecutor Doberman," a Monday-Tuesday legal drama on the same channel, reached 8.8 percent this week, becoming the most-watched show on tvN's same time slot in three years.SBS's "Business Proposal," about an unexpected romance betMar 24, 2022
'Join My Table' producers spotlight expats' 'home away from home' through food Clockwise from top left are Team AWAW's producers Lee Myeong-ju, Choi Min-gyu, Lim Kyong-ah, Lee Hee-sun, Cho Yu-chae, Ha Hun-tak and Gong Min-jeong, who led Watcha's original show “Join My Table.” Courtesy of WatchaBy Lee Gyu-leeSince the coronavirus pandemic began, traveling overseas has become much harder, if not impossible, with entry restrictions in place across the world.A poster for the show “Join My Table” / Courtesy of WatchaAs many await their chance to get a dose of culture by traveling again, the streaming platform Watcha's original show, “Join My Table,” took a rather different approach to explore different countries through food that offers a sense of “home away from home” to foreigners who live in Korea.“If we just take a look around, there are plenty of good places to eat ethnic cuisines in Korea. Thanks to those immigrants who came here and took on a role in our society, we are able to enjoy these privileges (for different food),” Lim Kyong-ah, the head of the show's producer team Team AWAW, said in an interMar 24, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Humanity runs through 'Pachinko': cast, director The cast members of Apple TV+ original “Pachinko,” pose during the premiere event of the series in Los Angeles, March 16 (local time). From left are Jin Ha, Youn Yuh-jung, Kaho Minami, Jimmi Simpson, Anna Sawai, Kim Min-ha, Lee Min-ho, Jung Eun-chae, Noh Sang-hyun, Jeong In-ji and Soji Arai. Courtesy of Apple TV+ New Apples TV+ series cast members share behind the scene of making epic sagaBy Lee Gyu-leeApple TV+'s new original multilingual project “Pachinko” is no doubt one of the most anticipated series of this year with its big-name cast members, starring Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung and actor Lee Min-ho. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, the eight-part series tells the story of a Korean immigrant family across four generations from the perspective of Sunja (Kim Min-ha), the family's matriarch. The story starts from the early life of Sunja, born to a hard-working family in the southern port city of Busan during the Japanese ocMar 21, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Pachinko' tells universal story of immigrants through Korean family: director The cast of "Pachinko" is seen in this photo provided by Apple TV+. Yonhap A co-director of the upcoming period drama "Pachinko" said Friday the show is specifically about a Korean family moving to Japan in the 20th century, but it also tells a timelessly universal story of immigrants throughout the world.Based on the namesake novel written by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, the latest Apple TV+ original series depicts the life of Sunja, born to a poor family in Busan in the early 1900s. The 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule forces her to move to Japan, and she and her family have to go through a tough life there even after the Second World War.The series is one of the most anticipated projects for its multinational production in Canada, South Korea and Japan; the all-star cast, including Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung; and in being another story about Koreans from the past made by Korean American creators following the 2020 immigrant film "Minari.""I think this stoMar 18, 2022
KBS drama special 'Siren' wins grand prize at Stockholm Film & Television Festival A poster for “Siren,” an episode of KBS Drama Special / Courtesy of KBS By Lee Gyu-lee“Siren,” an episode of the KBS anthology series, KBS Drama Special, has notched a global accolade at this year's Stockholm Film & Television Festival.The broadcaster announced Wednesday that the 80-minute cinematic episode won Best Feature Film at the international festival, held online Saturday (local time). Stockholm Film & Television Festival is an annual online festival that was founded in 2020 to promote creative filmmaking and storytelling by filmmakers around the world.“I've mostly directed TV series until now, so I'm extremely happy to win an award with the first feature film I made. I would like to share this honor with our production staff and cast members who have done their best even amid the tough situation with the pandemic and the low budget,” the film's director Ahn Jun-yong said in the broadcaster's release. “The series' directors at KBS have made efforts to make wMar 17, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Han So-hee says 'Soundtrack #1' reminds her of own love Actress Han So-hee plays the role of a song lyricist in Disney+'s new original series, “Soundtrack #1.” Courtesy of Disney+ By Lee Gyu-leeFor actress Han So-hee, her role in the upcoming Disney+ original series, “Soundtrack #1,” has brought back memories of her own experiences of love.“This work has made me look back on the times I fell into unrequited love when I was young and brought back the memories and feelings that I had at the time,” the actress said in a written interview released by Disney+, Wednesday. The romance music series, slated to hit the streaming platform on March 23, follows two childhood friends of 20 years, aspiring photographer Han Sun-woo (Park Hyung-sik) and song lyricist Lee Eun-soo (Han) who happen to live together for two weeks. Living under the same roof, the relationship between the two takes a turn, as they develop feelings for each other, blurring the lines between friendship and romance. It is led by director Kim Hee-won, who oversaw Mar 16, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Juvenile Justice' tops Netflix viewership chart for 2nd week A scene from the series, "Juvenile Justice" / Courtesy of NetflixThe Korean legal drama "Juvenile Justice" topped Netflix's weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows for the second consecutive week, the global video streaming service said Wednesday.The 10-part Korean-language series marked 25.9 million hours of viewing for the week of March 7 to 13 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs, according to the company.The series debuted at No. 3 on the chart in its first week of release Feb. 25, and rose to top place the following week.It made the top 10 of the non-English TV category in 19 countries over the one-week period and ranked No. 1 in four countries, including Korea.The Netflix Korean original depicts five crimes committed by youngsters aged under 14, who are excluded from criminal responsibility.The Korean zombie apocalypse drama "All of Us Are Dead" finished fourth, extending its stay on the most-watched non-English TV show list for seven weeks, while the Korean romantic comedies "Twenty Five Twenty One," "Business Proposal" and "Forecasting LoMar 16, 2022
Tving series 'The King of Pigs' talks about violence: writer From left, actors Kim Dong-wook, Chae Jung-an and Kim Sung-kyu pose during an online press conference for Tving's new original series “The King of Pigs,” Tuesday. Courtesy of TvingBy Lee Gyu-leeTak Jae-young, the writer of Tving's new original series “The King of Pigs,” said that the series will send a message on the root of violence in society. “Pigs are a symbolic representation of those who suffer the tragic fate of being controlled and dominated for the term of their life,” the writer said during an online press conference for the series, Tuesday. “I hope this series can stir up questions and thoughts for viewers. The purpose of the series is to touch on why the world has the strong who commit violence against the weak, and where such violence came from.”Based on the animation of the same name by star filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, the thriller series revolves around Hwang Kyung-min (Kim Dong-wook), who still suffers from school bullying he experienced 20 years ago. Hiding his trauma, he tries to appear to have a happy life with his wife. Mar 16, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Webcomic 'Money Game' made into reality web series in US Webcomic “Money Game” has been made into a reality web show by U.S. YouTube Channel “Jubilee.” Courtesy of Naver WebtoonBy Lee Gyu-leeNaver's webcomic “Money Game” is getting another remake as a reality online show in the United States, following a live adaptation last year by a Korean YouTube channel. This is the first Korean webtoon to get a remake produced overseas. “Since this Korean web reality show has garnered a huge amount of popularity, we have decided to make our webcomic's intellectual property (IP) into reality-based content in the U.S., which is the home of reality shows,” Kim Bum-hyu, director of the global IP business at Naver Webtoon, said in a statement, Tuesday. “We intend to continue presenting Naver Webtoon's high-quality IP in various content formats to create synergy.”The U.S. YouTube channel Jubilee, which has over 7 million subscribers, released the first episode of the webcomic's live adaptation on Monday. The five-part show invites eight participants of different ethnicities, occupations and religioMar 15, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
