Cha Eun-woo cast in 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' spinoffK-pop boy group ASTRO member and actor Cha Eun-woo is joining a spinoff of the popular series "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty." Lim Yoon-a and Lee Chae-min, who starred in the original series, will not return for the spinoff, which is set in the same universe. According to sources contacted by The Hankook Ilbo Tuesday, Cha has been cast as the male lead. He replaces Lee, who starred in the original series and gained popularity in Korea and overseas. Despite being set in the same universe as the original series, the new drama will feature a different title and story, with talks ongoing to show it on tvN. "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty," which aired in 2025, follows a chef at the peak of her culinary career who travels back in time and encounters a tyrant king with an extraordinary palate. Lee and Lim starred, and the drama was a hit with a nationwide viewership rating of 17.1 percent according to Nielsen Korea. The series was also released globally on Netflix, entering the Global Top 10 chart during its first week of release. It subsequently ranked second for two consecutive weeks before climbinAug 11, 2026By Hankookilbo
Actor Ha Young apologizes over great-grandfather's pro-Japanese activitiesActor Ha Young issued a public apology following mounting controversy over her great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese activities during colonial rule, which lasted from 1910-45. On Tuesday, her agency Bistus Entertainment released a statement on behalf of the actor, whose real name is Ahn Ha-young, expressing deep regret for her initial denial and previous on-air remarks about her family. "Regarding our earlier statement claiming the allegations were 'groundless,' secondary verification confirmed that the name of her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang-ho, does indeed appear on the 1916 counselor roster of the Daejeong Friendship Association," the agency said. "Ha Young has a heavy heart from unintentionally causing controversy, and we sincerely apologize for causing confusion by dismissing the claims without a thorough investigation." The controversy erupted after Ha appeared on a KBS talk show on Aug. 7, where she spoke proudly of her family's background in the medical field. During the show, she said her great-grandfather studied Western medicine in Japan, opened the nation’s first private WestAug 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Netflix drops US 'Squid Game' spinoff 'Heckler'Netflix reportedly halted production on the American version of its hit drama series "Squid Game," which originated in Korea and became a global phenomenon. U.S. entertainment outlets, including The Playlist, said Netflix scrapped plans to produce "Heckler" (working title), an American spinoff project of "Squid Game" that it had pursued for years. Hollywood director David Fincher, who helmed films such as "Se7en," "Fight Club," "Zodiac" and "Gone Girl," was attached to direct the project, with Dennis Kelly, creator and writer of the British series "Utopia," set to write the script. Although planned as an American adaptation, Netflix scheduled production and filming in the U.K. during a period of strong Hollywood interest in U.S. versions of major Korean titles. However, corporate priorities shifted following executive leadership changes within Netflix and years of slow development. Momentum slowed as Fincher turned his attention to producing other works, including the feature film "The Adventures of Cliff Booth." Netflix now appears more interested in developing versions tailored to intAug 10, 2026By Hankookilbo
Why K-dramas turn classic hit films into seriesA romance with a woman who sees ghosts, a Joseon-era libertine’s dangerous romantic wager and a criminal who vanishes by turning into gas. Television and streaming platforms are increasingly reviving the premises of classic films and reworking them for contemporary audiences. Driven by a streaming boom, the Korean entertainment industry is expanding its focus beyond webtoons and web novels to revisit past cinematic hits for their built-in audiences. The tvN weekend series "Spooky in Love," a television remake of the 2011 film "Spellbound," premiered July 18. The original film, starring Son Ye-jin as the ghost-seeing Yeo-ri and Lee Min-ki as horror magician Jo-goo, became a rare box-office hit for a romantic comedy. The new series retains the central premise of the female protagonist being able to see ghosts but reimagines the story by changing the characters' occupations, focusing on a romance between Cheon Yeo-ri (Park Eun-bin), an heiress to a family-run conglomerate, and a prosecutor who fears ghosts (Yang Se-jong). Speaking at a press event for the series, Park highlighted the exAug 7, 2026By Hankookilbo
Love with deadlines, digital hearts: Korea's dating reality boom tests ethics of romance TVKorea’s dating reality boom has entered a new, uneasy chapter — one where terminal illness and artificial intelligence (AI) join ex-lovers, divorced couples, shamans and LGBTQ+ participants on television, raising fresh questions about how far romance entertainment should go. SBS’s “Love Against Time,” which premiered Monday, follows young adults in their 20s and 30s who have received terminal diagnoses or survived life-threatening illness as they search for “the remaining love” in their lives. In its first episode, eight contestants exchanged small talk and shy smiles, then carefully unfolded their “treatment diaries” — recounting stage 4 cancer, total gastrectomy and nights when they felt death approaching. The show’s matching device, a “room of time,” gamifies scarcity. Each evening, participants receive 100 minutes, divided into 10 segments lasting 10 minutes each, to allocate to potential dates. If two people send at least a combined 100 minutes to each other, they can earn a date lasting between 100 and 200 minutes. Time — once a private reminder of limitAug 7, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Another heartwarming story emerges about Byeon Woo-seok's generosityA story highlighting actor Byeon Woo-seok's history of charitable giving came to light after a comment from a participant in the Netflix reality show "Jae-seok's B&B Rules!" The actor uploaded several captionless promotional photos to his Instagram account on Wednesday for a brand he represents. He wore a black knit top and white trousers in the images. However, the post drew attention for a user's comment about his donation. Addressing him as "Team Leader Byeon," a user said a child at a residential care facility where they formerly worked received medical treatment thanks to his donation. The unidentified commenter appeared on "Jae-seok's B&B Rules!," released in May. Byeon served as their team leader on the show. The commenter added that it was "truly amazing and touching" that his generosity reached the facility, thanking the actor for giving the child "much-needed hope." Byeon replied directly to the commenter, saying it was "truly happy news." In 2024, Byeon donated 300 million won ($210,000) to Severance Hospital to support pediatric patients. His agency, Varo Entertainment, confirmedAug 6, 2026By Xportsnews
National Tax Service thanks Yoo Jae-suk after on-camera tax paymentKorea's National Tax Service (NTS) publicly thanked entertainer Yoo Jae-suk after footage of him visiting a bank to pay taxes during filming gained widespread attention. The agency left the comment on the premiere episode of the web series "Punghyangjung," released on the YouTube channel DdeunDdeun Saturday. The NTS thanked Yoo for his consistent tax compliance and promoted its Modu Chaeum prefilled tax return service through the NTS Hometax mobile app. The agency added it "hopes to see him consistently pay his taxes again next year." Earlier in the episode, before leaving for a trip, Yoo explained his busy filming schedule had delayed his bank visit. He said he would pay his taxes while withdrawing cash. On the way to the bank, Yoo emphasized the importance of paying taxes as a civic duty. "Tax must be paid on time, and paying them is really important," he said. Yoo previously made headlines for his tax compliance when a 2024 tax audit found no evidence of deliberate underreporting or tax evasion. "Punghyangjung" is a domestic travel spin-off of the international travel web series "PunghyaAug 6, 2026By Hankookilbo
Jung Hae-in explores 'sweet, sticky' romance in Netflix dramaActor Jung Hae-in plays a lifelong single guy devoted to his first love in the Netflix rom-com "Our Sticky Love," an unconventional series that mixes romance, comedy and action. The upcoming drama follows the messy, sweet cohabitation of a prosecutor with amnesia (Ha Young) and a boxing coach who insists he's her boyfriend (Jung). Centered on a relationship as inseparable as "yeot" (traditional Korean taffy), the series is generating global buzz for the fresh chemistry between the two leads. "When I first heard it, I thought it was pretty bold," Jung said during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, admitting the Korean title — which translates literally to "yeot-like love" — initially caught him off guard. "Because yeot is a traditional candy, I took it as a 'candy-like' kind of love — sweet, sticky and charming. What pulled me in most was the storyline. The script was an absolute page-turner. It starts as a rom-com, turns into a melodrama, dips into thriller and noir territory, and then weaves back to romance. That blend really drew me in." Director Kim Jang-han noted that thAug 5, 2026By Park Jin-hai
'Flex X Cop' promises blockbuster thrills, new rivalryActor Ahn Bo-hyun returns as Jin Yi-soo, the eccentric third-generation tycoon turned detective, as the hit SBS action-comedy series "Flex X Cop" gears up for its second season with a bigger budget, grander scale and a whole new dynamic. Returning two years after its hit first season — which reached a peak viewership rating of 11 percent — the series expands its signature premise: When traditional police investigations hit a wall, Yi-soo simply flips the board using his vast family wealth, personal network, supercar collection and private jets. Returning to the Violent Crimes Unit after completing formal police academy training, Yi-soo brings a newfound maturity to his signature flamboyant style. "Yi-soo’s core personality is still the same default setting he was born with, but completing his time at the police academy has definitely made him a bit more mature," Ahn shared confidently during a press conference for the drama at SBS headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. "Viewers can look forward to seeing a cooler, upgraded version of Yi-soo in action." The scale of the action has also beeAug 4, 2026By Park Jin-hai
'A Shop for Killers' Season 2 bucks sophomore slump with expanded scale, deeper narrativeMultiseason dramas have become commonplace in the Korean drama industry. But with each new season, it is not easy to exceed expectations, giving rise to concerns about a sophomore slump. Amid this, "A Shop for Killers" Season 2 bucks the trend and proves its staying power. The second season of "A Shop for Killers" reached No. 1 among television shows in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore shortly after its July 22 release, according to streaming-ranking service FlixPatrol. Walt Disney Company Korea said the second season became the most-watched Korean Disney+ original worldwide on its premiere day, setting a new all-time viewership record. The first two episodes both recorded IMDb user ratings of 9.0 or higher, cementing the show's status as a high-caliber Korean action production. The show's strong start is notable because it retains the strengths of Season 1 while expanding the action and narrative. Rather than making a sequel resting on its laurels, it broadened the story's scope and actively utilized new characters, improving its overall execution. Viewers have praised the series for improAug 4, 2026By Hankookilbo
