INTERVIEW Director depicts school as microcosm of society in 'All of Us Are Dead' Netflix series “All of Us Are Dead” premiered on Jan. 28. Courtesy of Netflix 'Potential season 2 can be about survival of zombies'By Lee Gyu-leeNetflix's new Korean original series “All of Us Are Dead” has been going strong since making a successful debut on the platform on Jan. 28 and is on track to follow in the footsteps of “Squid Game,” which was a global sensation last year. “All of Us Are Dead” director Lee Jae-kyoo / Courtesy of Netflix The gory, zombie-apocalypse series landed on the platform's official top 10 weekly chart for non-English series in its opening week, with about 124.8 million hours viewed. It has topped the daily charts in various countries, including the U.K., Japan, Brazil, Thailand and France. The series' director and creator Lee Jae-kyoo, who is also known as Lee JQ, shared his excitement for the series' success, adding thFeb 8, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Spin-off shows for hit reality shows and drama series on rise A still from the reality show, “We Don't Bite: Street Woman Fighter” / Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeNetworks are making use of their hit shows and drama series to adopt the cast members or the show's concept to release spin-off series, hoping to ride on the coattails of the formers' fame.MBC's period romance series, “The Red Sleeve,” and CJ ENM streaming platform Tving's comedy series, “Work Later, Drink Now,” were picked up for variety shows, featuring the actors of the series. MBC released a talk show, “Holding on to the Red Sleeve” (direct translation), as a spin-off special show for its hit TV series last week. “The Red Sleeve,” which ended earlier last month, saw a 17.4-percent viewership rating with its last episode, becoming the first series to score a two-digit rating in two years. The talk show invited the cast members of the series, including the lead actors, Lee Jun-ho and Lee Se-young, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the production, interact with the series' fans and play different games. CJ ENM's network, tvNFeb 6, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
Park Hyung-sik, Han So-hee's music drama to be released on Disney+ in March A scene from the upcoming romance series, “Soundtrack #1” / Courtesy of Disney+By Dong Sun-hwaThe new romance series, “Soundtrack #1,” starring actors Park Hyung-sik and Han So-hee, will be released on Disney+ in March, the streaming platform said Friday. “Soundtrack #1” is a four-episode drama featuring a photographer and a lyricist who go from being friends to lovers after living together in the same house for two weeks. Park will take the role of photographer Han Sun-woo, with Han playing lyricist Lee Eun-soo. “The two actors will show off their great on-screen chemistry,” Disney+ said in a statement. “Soundtrack #1” is the first part of a new project by music streaming service NHN Bugs and its partners that aims to produce music dramas featuring different musical elements. For its soundtrack, Kyuhyun of K-pop act Super Junior released the song, “Love Beyond Words,” in December, and soloist Park Bo-ram put out “Want to be Happy” in January. Many other high-profile singers, including NCT's Doyoung aFeb 5, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Kim Hye-soo transforms into stern judge in 'Juvenile Justice' By Kwak Yeon-sooA teaser poster for Netflix's “Juvenile Justice” / Courtesy of NetflixKim Hye-soo will take the bench in Netflix's upcoming series “Juvenile Justice,” which shines a light on juvenile offenders and criminal justice.“Juvenile Justice” revolves around a newly appointed judge for a juvenile court who despises juvenile offenders. As she handles various criminal cases, however, her perspective starts to change. “Upon reading the script, I was surprised that such a gripping story could be written. I think viewers will be able to ponder what attitudes society holds toward juvenile offenders,” actress Kim said. The stories told in the upcoming drama are unfailingly relevant, according to director Hong Jong-chan, whose works include tvN's “Dear My Friends” (2016) and JTBC's “Life” (2018).Screenwriter Kim Min-seok revealed he interviewed about 50 to 60 related officials who work in district courts, family courts, juvenile detention centers and correctional facilities to write the script. The cast also incluFeb 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim Da-mi on reuniting with Choi Woo-shik for 'Our Beloved Summer' Actress Kim Da-mi played the character of Kook Yeon-su in the romance series, “Our Beloved Summer.” Courtesy of AndmarqBy Lee Gyu-leeActors Kim Da-mi and Choi Woo-shik showed off their chemistry as protagonist and antagonist characters in the 2018 action film, “The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion.” About three years after her breakout role as a high school girl with a superpower, Kim has found new on-screen chemistry with Choi as a long-term couple in the SBS romantic comedy series, “Our Beloved Summer.”“Because we already knew each other well, we were able to work together smoothly. I can't imagine how I could've created my character without having Choi as his character, Choi Ung. We had so much fun and had each other's backs throughout the series,” Kim said in a video interview with The Korea Times, last week. The romance series, based on the webcomic by Han Kyoung-chal, follows the story of a couple consisting of a free-spirited illustrator, Choi Ung (Choi), and a workaholic PR specialist, Kook Yeon-su (Kim). The two became high schooFeb 3, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Big Ocean ENM has more to offer than just 'Our Beloved Summer' Big Ocean ENM's Chairman Hwang Dong-seob, center and co-CEOs Shin In-soo, left, and Tommy Lee, right, sit together at the company headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Jan. 26. Courtesy of Big Ocean ENMBy Dong Sun-hwaAmid a boom in sensational TV series, SBS' latest hit, “Our Beloved Summer,” starring actors Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi, has demonstrated the power of heartwarming content by mesmerizing people around the world on global streaming platform Netflix. Premiering last December, the 16-episode romantic comedy grabbed the No. 4 spot on the American platform's official weekly top 10 chart for non-English TV shows in January, garnering positive reviews from viewers who found the series relatable. The success of “Our Beloved Summer,” which revolves around a young couple after a breakup, has brought production companies Big Ocean ENM and Studio N, a subsidiary of Naver Webtoon, into the limelight. One day after the drama wrapped up on Jan. 25, Big Ocean's Chairman Hwang Dong-seob and its co-CEOs ― Shin In-soo and Tommy Lee ― sat down with The KFeb 3, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
'All of Us Are Dead' makes strong debut on global charts Clockwise from top left, actors Lim Jae-hyeok, Lee Yoo-mi, Park Ji-hu, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, and Yoo In-soo, director Lee Jae-kyoo and actor Yoon Chan-young pose during an online press conference for Netflix's new series “All of Us Are Dead,” Wednesday. Courtesy of NetflixNetflix's latest Korean drama, "All of Us Are Dead," has made a successful global debut while being hailed as a new "Squid Game."Released on Friday, the coming-of-age zombie horror topped the streamer's non-English language TV Top 10 list for the week of Jan. 24-30 with 124.79 million hours viewed, according to Netflix on Thursday.Netflix said "All of Us Are Dead" made the top 10 in the category in 91 countries over the one-week period and topped the list in 29 nations, including Korea, France and Germany.It became the fourth Korean-language series that has topped the Netflix' weekly official chart for non-English TV series following "Squid Game," "Hellbound" and "The Silent Sea."It also marked the most first week viewing hour for any Korean titles since Netflix began releasing its weekly viewership data lFeb 3, 2022
INTERVIEW 'Our Beloved Summer' creator on depicting nostalgic young romance Screenwriter Lee Na-eun, who recently wrote “Our Beloved Summer” / Courtesy of SBS By Kwak Yeon-sooScreenwriter Lee Na-eun is relatively young and inexperienced compared to other established writers, including Noh Hee-kyung of “It's Okay, That's Love,” Kim Eun-hee of “Kingdom” and Kim Eun-sook of “Descendants of the Sun.” However, she is unrivaled when it comes to depicting sweetly nostalgic young romance as she lives in the same time as her characters. Calling SBS's rom-com “Our Beloved Summer” a semi-autobiographical series inspired by her personal stories, the 29-year-old writer spoke on why she keeps writing about young adult romance. “I don't consider myself a technical or a talented writer. However, I can say with confidence that I have a true depth of understanding toward the characters that frequently appear in my works because I'm going through my twenties, just like they are. Viewers can empathize with the series because the story of Ung and Yeon-su in somFeb 2, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Park Bo-gum passes barber license exam during military service Actor Park Bo-gum / Captured from MBC Actor Park Bo-gum, currently serving in the Republic of Korea Navy, has passed the state exam to become a licensed barber, military officials said Wednesday.Park, who has been fulfilling his mandatory military service since 2020, took the exam last month, the officials said. He is currently stationed in the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul.Park is set to complete his military service in April.All able-bodied Korean men must carry out compulsory service for about two years in a country that faces constant security threats from North Korea. Making his silver screen debut in the thriller "Blind" (2011), Park gained huge popularity after taking a lead role in the hit TV series "Reply 1988" (2015) and "Love in the Moonlight" (2016). (Yonhap)Feb 2, 2022
INTERVIEW Choi Woo-shik shares pressure of returning to TV with 'Our Beloved Summer' Actor Choi Woo-shik played the role of Choi Ung in the SBS drama series "Our Beloved Summer." Courtesy of Management Soop By Lee Gyu-leeAfter being catapulted to global fame with the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” in 2019, actor Choi Woo-shik has been busy playing lead roles in movies like the dystopian thriller “Time to Hunt” (2020) and even took a stab at a reality show by appearing in “Youn's Stay” last year. Also last year, the actor returned to the small screen playing the lead role in the romantic comedy series “Our Beloved Summer.” The last time he appeared in a TV drama was about four years ago when he played a supporting role in the TV series “The Package.”“There was enormous pressure (in leading). As the premiere day came closer, the burden felt heavier every day. The feedback for the series is completely different than the feedback I would get from starring in a film,” Choi told The Korea Times, Jan. 25. “You are getting responses for each episode and therJan 29, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
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