KBS' historical series 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won' starts strong Actors Joo Sang-wook and Park Jin-hee pose for pictures during the online media conference for KBS' new historical series, “The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won,” Friday. Courtesy of KBS By Lee Gyu-leeKBS' new series, “The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won,” which is the network's first major, history-based series in five years since “Jang Youngsil: The Greatest Scientist of Joseon,” got off to a good start Saturday. The series' first episode kicked off with an 8.7-percent viewership rating nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.Based on the historical figure, Lee Bang-won, who is also known as Taejong, the third king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1897), the historical series follows the king's life amid the fall of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and the founding of Joseon. Actor Joo Sang-wook, who took the title role of Lee Bang-won, spoke of the pressure of taking on such a huge project and playing a much-respected figure, who previously had been portrayed by famous actors likeDec 12, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Korean remake of BBC sitcom 'Uncle' is more family-oriented: director From left, actors Lee Sang-woo, Jeong Hye-jin, Lee Kyung-hoon, Oh Jung-se, Lee Si-won and Hwang Woo Seul-hye pose during an online press conference for TV Chosun's new drama, “Uncle,” Thursday. Courtesy of TV ChosunBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Oh Jung-se, who has demonstrated his ability to balance both comedic and dramatic roles in hit TV shows, including KBS's “When the Camellia Blooms,” tvN's “It's Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Jirisan,” is returning to the small screen to play a loser whose music career never took off. Adapted from a BBC comedy series of the same title, TV Chosun's new drama “Uncle” tells the story of unemployed musician Jun-hyuk (Oh) who forges an unlikely alliance with his 12-year-old nephew, Ji-hoo (Lee Kyung-hoon), after being forced into looking after him by his overbearing sister Jun-hee (Jeon Hye-jin).Director Ji Young-soo described the series as a coming-of-age story that follows the 30-something failed musician as he grows up and rescues his sister and nephew, who are struggling to make ends meet. Asked abDec 10, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Premature to accuse JTBC drama 'Snowdrop' of 'distorting history': experts Scenes from JTBC's new drama, “Snowdrop” / Courtesy of JTBC Studio, Drama House StudioBy Dong Sun-hwaJTBC's upcoming TV series “Snowdrop” is undoubtedly one of the most-talked-about K-dramas this year, not only because of its star-studded cast, but also because of the controversy over its “history distortion.” After cable channel JTBC announced its premiere date (Dec. 18), the 16-episode soap opera is again facing a backlash online, with numerous people insisting that it glamorizes a North Korean spy and implies that North Korea was involved in the 1980 Gwangju Uprising ― a claim made by then-President Chun Doo-hwan in defense of his government's lethal suppression of the democratic movement.The drama, starring Jisoo of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK and actor Jung Hae-in, was first accused of distorting history in April, when part of its synopsis and character descriptions were leaked online. According to the synopsis, “Snowdrop” is a romance story about North Korean spy Im Soo-ho (Jung) and South Korean college student Eun Young-ro (JisooDec 9, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
'Squid Game' wins special award from American Film Institute This image released by Netflix shows a scene from the popular Korean series "Squid Game." AP-YonhapSouth Korean television series "Squid Game" has won a special honor from the American Film Institute (AFI).The AFI announced the top 10 movies and TV shows of the year on Wednesday (U.S. time), and "Squid Game" was one of the three special award winners, along with "Belfast" and "Summer of Soul…(Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)," although they fell outside the institute's criteria for American film and TV.This year's top awards for films went to "Coda," "Don't Look Up," "Dune," "King Richard," "Licorice Pizza," "Nightmare Alley," "The Power of the Dog," "tick, tick … Boom!," "The Tragedy of Macbeth" and "West Side Story."On the television side, the AFI Awards went to "Hacks," "Maid," "Mare of Easttown," "Reservation Dogs," "Schmigadoon!," "Succession," "Ted Lasso," "The Underground Railroad," "Wandavision" and "The White Lotus."On Tuesday, "Squid Game" clinched "The bingeworthy show of 2021" award at this year's People's Choice Awards in a heated competitionDec 9, 2021
Two outdoorsy celebrities head out on motorbike road trip in 'The Hungry and the Hairy' Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, left, and TV personality Ro Hong-chul pose during an online press conference for Netflix's variety show, “The Hungry and The Hairy,” Wednesday. Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger-actor Jung Ji-hoon, better known by his stage name Rain, and TV personality Ro Hong-chul hinted that their new reality show “The Hungry and the Hairy” explores some of the most beautiful places and best food in Korea as they head out on a road trip across the country.Netflix's upcoming variety show centers on two celebrities taking a motorcycle road trip to uncover hidden gems of Korea, exploring some tourist destinations and local food specialties. It offers beautiful views of the countryside with music by veteran guitarist and singer-songwriter Lee Sang-soon.Star TV director Kim Tae-ho, who produced the show, said he never planned on doing a show featuring Rain and Ro. Kim was behind several hit variety shows such as “Infinite Challenge” and “Hangout with You.”“After the success of SSAK3, a project group from MBC's HangDec 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Koreans' spending on Disney+ hits over 17 billion won in November: data This image released by Disney+ shows Grogu in a scene from the second season of "The Mandalorian." Koreans are estimated to have spent more than 17 billion won ($14.5 million) in purchasing contents by Disney+ less than a month since its launch here, according to data released Tuesday. AP-YonhapSouth Koreans are estimated to have spent more than 17 billion won ($14.5 million) in purchasing contents by Disney+ less than a month since its launch here, data showed Tuesday.Payments to Disney+ in the country were estimated at 17.2 billion won for November, according to industry tracker WiseApp, which analyzed credit and debit card data of those aged 20 or over.WiseApp added that the data excludes other payment methods, such as those through telecom operators.Disney+, the flagship streaming service of U.S. media giant Walt Disney Co., landed in South Korea on Nov. 12 with original content hits, like "Loki" and "The Mandalorian," heating up competition in the local video streaming market.The number of people making payments to the video streaming service reached 310,000 by the end of NovembDec 7, 2021
Global, homegrown streamers launch charm offensives in Korea A Thai woman dressed up in the Netflix series "Squid Game" costume bites to carve a predetermined shape out of a Korean-style sugar candy 'Dalgona' or sugar honeycomb during a "Squid Game" event at the Korean Cultural Center in Bangkok, Dec. 3. Since Netflix launched its Korean service in 2015, the country's streaming service market has become one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative industries in the world. EPA-YonhapKim Su-yeon, a 39-year old office worker based in Seoul, loves to binge watch Korean TV series on weekends or holidays on the small old TV in her room.Last week, she finished the latest episodes of romance series like "Melancholia," "Reflection of You," "The King's Affection" and "The Red Sleeve" through her TV equipped with Google Chromecast that enables the device to play internet-streamed video content from Netflix, Disney TV+ and other subscription video-on-demand services. "I wish I had more time. I often watch TV through the night," she said. "I subscribe to three services, Netflix, Wavve and Disney TV+, and those three cover nearly all of my favorites."She sDec 7, 2021
Bae Doo-na, Gong Yoo talk challenges of filming outer-space drama 'The Silent Sea' Actors Gong Yoo, left, and Bae Doo-na in a scene from Netflix's series “The Silent Sea” / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooBae Doo-na and Gong Yoo, who play astronauts in Netflix's new series “The Silent Sea,” described it as one of the most exciting, yet challenging projects of their careers.Set in 2075, when Earth has become almost uninhabitable, a group of astronauts are sent to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility on the moon. Bae portrays space biologist Song Ji-an while Gong plays the role of space agency team leader Han Yoon-jae.“I love taking on projects that are full of adventure. I was curious about the film set in outer space and wanted to push my creative boundaries as an actor,” Bae said. “This is the kind of movie I've been waiting for a long time. I've always had a desire to do a science fiction thriller movie and, as soon as I read the script, I immediately wanted to take part in it,” Gong said. “There were some challenges of filming a movie set in a weightless environment. Hard work went into makDec 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Yoo Ah-in on his portrayal of cult leader in 'Hellbound' Yoo Ah-in plays the leader of a cult-like organization in the Netflix series 'Hellbound.' / Courtesy of NetflixBy Lee Gyu-leeAfter debuting as a teen actor in 2004, actor Yoo Ah-in has made remarkable impressions on the public with his performance in each role he has taken on, such as the misfortunate crown prince in the period film, “The Throne,” and a ruthless young heir in the action film, “Veteran.”In director Yeon Sang-ho's new Netflix hit series, “Hellbound,” released on Nov. 19, the actor has proven himself once again, putting on a compelling performance as a subtle, charismatic leader of a cult-like organization. “There were a few pieces of information already established about the character: that he is a cult leader, goes through a certain incident at a young age, and is a mysterious person. And taking those keywords, the director and I exchanged ideas and discussed establishing the details of the character,” Yoo said in an interview with The Korea Times, Friday. “The important part in building my character was that I didDec 4, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Choi Woo-shik, Kim Da-mi team up again for rom-com 'Our Beloved Summer' Actors Roh Jeong-eui, Choi Woo-shik, director Kim Yoon-jin, actors Kim Da-mi, and Kim Sung-cheol pose for pictures during the online press conference of the romantic comedy series “Our Beloved Summer,” Wednesday. Courtesy of SBSBy Lee Gyu-leeChoi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi, who co-starred in the mystery action series, “The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion” in 2018, have reunited for the SBS romantic comedy series, “Our Beloved Summer,” set to go on air on Dec. 6.Based on the webcomic of the same name by Han Kyoung-chal, the upcoming series revolves around former high school sweethearts Choi Woong (Choi) and Gook Yeon-soo (Kim). Years after the lovers parted ways, the two are forced back into each other's lives when a documentary they filmed in high school goes viral. The series is directed by Kim Yoon-jin and is scripted by screenwriter Lee Na-eun.“In 'The Witch,' we were like rivals who wanted to beat and find ways to hurt each other. But this time, we have a completely different chemistry,” Choi said during an online press conference for theDec 2, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
