Entertainment - The Korea Times

Veteran actors take stab at forming choir in JTBC's new show, 'Hot Singers'

Clockwise from first row left are producer Shin Young-gwang and cast members Jun Hyun-moo, Choi Dae-chul, Lee Seo-hwan, Kim Kwang-kyu, Lee Jong-hyeok, Lee Byung-joon, Choi Jung-hoon, Park Joon-myeon, Seo Yi-sook, Woo Mi-hwa, Na Moon-hee, Kim Young-ok, Yun Yu-seon, Woo Hyun, and Kim Moon-jeong, during an online press conference of JTBC's new music show, “Hot Singers,” Monday. Courtesy of JTBCBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Kim Young-ok, Na Moon-hee, Jang Hyun-sung and Yun Yu-seon have had their fair share of on-screen experience, making names as veteran actors. These seasoned actors have recently stepped out of their comfort zone to take a shot at singing on JTBC's new show, “Hot Singers," which premiered Monday.The new music show follows the journey of a group of celebrities ― 13 actors, including Kim and Na, singer Kwon In-ha and TV personality Jun Hyun-moo ― coming together to form a choir. The top musical director, Kim Moon-jeong, whose previous work includes musicals “Man of La Mancha” and “Mamma Mia,” and singer-songwriter Choi Jung-hoon take part

Mar 15, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Veteran actors take stab at forming choir in JTBC's new show, 'Hot Singers'

Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun to star in period action series 'Song of the Bandits'

Actors Kim Nam-gil, left, and Seohyun / Courtesy of GILSTORYENT, Namoo Actors By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Kim Nam-gil and Seohyun of Girls' Generation will unite for Netflix's original series “Song of the Bandits.” Set in the 1920s, the period action drama revolves around the Koreans who gathered in Gando, today part of northeastern China, for their own reasons and band together to protect their homes during 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.Kim will play Lee Yoon, a former Japanese soldier who leaves to become a righteous outlaw protecting the Koreans against the Japanese military in Gando. Seohyun will play Nam Hee-shin, an employee at Chosun Railway Bureau. The cast also includes Yoo Jae-myung who will play the role of Korean landowner in Gando who once led an independence army unit engaged in resistance activities; Lee Hyun-wook, who will be seen as a Japanese military officer; and Lee Ho-jung, who will portray a gunman in pursuit of Kim's character.“Song of the Bandits”

Mar 14, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun to star in period action series 'Song of the Bandits'

'Squid Game' wins best foreign language series, best actor at Critics Choice

Korean actor Lee Jeong-jae arrives to attend the 27th Critics Choice Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, March 13. EPA-Yonhap The Korean sensation "Squid Game" won best non-English language TV series and best actor honors at this year's Critics Choice Awards.At the ceremony held by the Critics Choice Association in Los Angeles, Sunday (local time), "Squid Game" was named Best Foreign Language Series and its lead Lee Jung-jae won Best Actor in a Drama Series.For the best foreign language award, the all-Korean Netflix original competed with the Mexican comedy "Acapulco," the French comedy drama "Call My Agent!" the French thriller "Lupin," the Spanish crime action series "Money Heist" and the American-Mexican crime drama "Narcos: Mexico."This is the first time that a Korea-made TV show has won a prize at the Critics Choice, given by a group of 500 film and TV broadcast critics in North America.On the film side, in 2020, the Oscar-winning satire

Mar 14, 2022

'Squid Game' wins best foreign language series, best actor at Critics Choice

Bae Suzy in talks to join new Netflix series

Singer-actress Bae Suzy / Courtesy of Kakao MBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger-actress Bae Suzy is in talks to star in Netflix's upcoming series “The Girl Downstairs” (working title).Responding to local reports, Bae's agency Management Soop confirmed she “is currently reviewing the offer to star in the Netflix series, 'The Girl Downstairs.'”Based on the webtoon of the same title, the romantic comedy follows the story of ex-celebrity Duna who comes to live in shared house with a college freshman named Joon. It will be directed by Lee Jung-hyo of “Romance Is a Bonus Book” (2019) and “Crash Landing on You” (2019-2020).Bae is also set to play a lead role in local streaming platform Coupang Play's new original series “Anna,” which will be unveiled in the first half of this year. In February, she released a new digital single “Satellite” after a four-year musical hiatus.Bae debuted as a member of four-pieced K-pop girl group Miss A with the song “Bad Girl Good Girl” in 2010. The group instantly rose to stardom as JYP

Mar 13, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Bae Suzy in talks to join new Netflix series

Homegrown OTT service providers eye global expansion

gettyimagesbank By Kwak Yeon-sooHomegrown over-the-top (OTT) service providers are making strong inroads internationally to achieve subscriber growth and bring more original content to audiences around the globe.CJ ENM has partnered with Viacom CBS to expand the global reach of its streaming platform, Tving. The two will co-produce original series and films as well as cultivate partnerships on content licensing and distribution across streaming services. It also acquired a controlling stake in U.S. production company Endeavor Content and secured a $7 million investment from Paramount in Tving as part of a global strategic partnership with the company.Tving plans to launch direct services in Japan and Taiwan this year and in the U.S. next year to meet the rising demand for Korean content across the world. The company's service will be available in about 10 countries in North America and Europe in the near future.“This investment is an acknowledgement of Tvin's high g

Mar 13, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Homegrown OTT service providers eye global expansion

Jin Goo returns to small screen with thriller series 'A Superior Day'

From left, actor Jin Goo, director Jo Nam-hyun, actors Lim Hwa-young and Lee Won-geun pose during an online press conference for the new thriller series “A Superior Day,” Friday. Courtesy of OCNBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Jin Goo is set to return to the small screen with OCN's new thriller series, “A Superior Day,” about three years after he played the lead in the courtroom series “Legal High.”“I've played tough characters that go through all kinds of struggles in my previous works. But when I read the script for this series, my role seemed to be by far the toughest one,” the actor said during an online press conference for the series, Friday. “So I wanted to put myself up for the challenge before I get older.”Based on the popular webcomics of the same name, the thriller action series follows the 24 hours of firefighter Lee Ho-cheol's life (Jin) as he fights to save his kidnapped daughter. Ho-cheol is an ordinary man with a loving wife and a daughter. One day, he receives a message from a contract killer named Bae Tae-jin (Ha Do-kwo

Mar 12, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Jin Goo returns to small screen with thriller series 'A Superior Day'

Kim Jae-wook, Jung Soo-jung hope to offer hilarious rom-com with 'Crazy Love'

Actors Kim Jae-wook, left, and Jung Soo-jung pose during an online press conference of romantic comedy series “Crazy Love,” Monday. Courtesy of KBSBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Kim Jae-wook and Jung Soo-jung, the leads of KBS' new romantic comedy series, “Crazy Love,” expressed their hope of offering a strong comedy to viewers with their new series.“What I hope to hear as feedback to 'Crazy Love' is that they had a good laugh watching the series through this spring,” Kim said during an online press conference for the series, Monday.“For the past two years, it has been a tough situation with the pandemic globally. And as I've been looking for a project that will help people get their minds off reality and just laugh, I came across 'Crazy Love.'”Directed by Kim Jung-hyun, who led the 2017 rom-com series, "Jugglers," the drama, which premiered Monday, revolves around a narcissistic math lecturer and CEO Noh Go-jin (Kim) and his assistant Lee Shin-ah (Jung). Noh runs the top educational institution and is good at his job, but he is far from being li

Mar 9, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Kim Jae-wook, Jung Soo-jung hope to offer hilarious rom-com with 'Crazy Love'

Jung Eun-ji to star in OCN's new mystery thriller

By Lee Gyu-leeSinger and actress Jung Eun-ji / Courtesy of IST EntertainmentSinger and actress Jung Eun-ji, who is also known as Eunji of K-pop girl group Apink, will be joining OCN's upcoming mystery series, “Blind.” The actress' agency IST Entertainment announced, Tuesday, that Jung has confirmed her role as a social worker in the series.The mystery thriller series will follow the story of those who have fallen victim to different crimes, their offenders, and those who try to catch the offenders. Jung will play the character, Cho Eun-ji, who has her fair share of struggles in her life and is uncompromising in helping children in need of social welfare support. Actors Ok Taec-yeon and Ha Seok-jin have already confirmed their lead roles in the series. Ok will be playing detective Ryu Sung-joon, who confronts evil with justice, and Ha will be playing judge Ryu Sung-hoon, who is a coolheaded perfectionist. The series is directed by Shin Yong-hwi, whose previous work includes the 2017 thriller series, “Tunnel,” and the mystery crime series, “Voice 4”

Mar 9, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Jung Eun-ji to star in OCN's new mystery thriller

Actor Kim Mu-yeol thanks audience for empathizing with messages of 'Juvenile Justice'

Actor Kim Mu-yeol / Courtesy of CJ ENM Actor Kim Mu-yeol of "Juvenile Justice" expressed his gratitude to fans at home and abroad, Tuesday, for watching the legal series and empathizing with its grave messages to bring public attention to youth crimes"Juvenile Justice," a Netflix Korean original released Feb. 25, depicts five crimes committed by youngsters aged under 14, who are excluded from criminal responsibility. Based in part on true incidents that made the headlines in Korea in the past, the 10-episode series won rave reviews for its unflattering narrative to cast social questions on the validity of the age of accountability."I know this drama series deals with difficult and grave issues. Some say they feel frustrated," Kim said during a media interview. "I'm so grateful that so many people are sympathetic to our messages, although they can bring about emotional stress."The series has been atop a local chart released by streaming analytics company FlixPatrol s

Mar 8, 2022

Actor Kim Mu-yeol thanks audience for empathizing with messages of 'Juvenile Justice'

MBN's new reality show on teenage parents addresses taboo topic

Kim Ji-woo, a high school senior who has an 11-month-old daughter, appeared on MBN's new reality show, “High School Mom and Dad.” Screenshot from MBNBy Dong Sun-hwaNews that cable channel MBN would launch a new reality show featuring teenage parents stirred debate from the onset, with numerous people expressing concern over the program, as it touches on a taboo subject in Korea.But MBN still chose to take the bull by the horns, airing the first episode of “High School Mom and Dad” (direct translation), Sunday. The show scored a 1.6-percent viewership nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.Defying most people's expectations, the program did not attempt to grab viewers' attention with provocative stories, but focused more on revealing the tough realities of young parents and where they can turn when they need a helping hand. It also delved deeper into the reasons that teenagers chose to give birth to babies, addressing the elephant in the room ― teenage pregnancy.Scenes from MBN's “High School Mom and Dad” / Screenshots from MBNOn Sunday's episode, t

Mar 7, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa

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