SBS talk show 'Top Secret' to expose industries' dirty secrets Comedians Kim Yong-man, from left, and Kim Sook and producer Ryu Yeong-u pose for photos during the online press conference of the new talk show “Top Secret,” Monday. Courtesy of SBSBy Lee Gyu-leeSBS's new talk show “Top Secret,” created by Ryu Yeong-u who produced popular investigative journalism shows “Unanswered Questions” and “Curious Stories Y,” will share secrets relating to different industries that no one has revealed before.“Throughout my life, in cases where I had to make certain deals, there were many times I would get ripped off. I thought it would be interesting to get private tutoring from the experts to avoid being duped because of a lack of prior knowledge of the fields that I am not familiar with,” producer Ryu said during the online press conference for the show, Monday. Hosted by comedians Kim Yong-man and Kim Sook, TV personality Kim Dong-hyun, and criminal psychology professor Park Ji-sun, the two-part pilot show invites guests from various industries to share the dark side and behind-the-curtains tricksNov 15, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Apple TV+ hopes to build on rivals' success with first Korean series A scene from the series “Dr. Brain” / Courtesy of Apple TV+Hot on the heels of Netflix's breakout South Korean hit "Squid Game," Apple has rolled out its first Korean-language original series this month, to coincide with the launch of its Apple TV+ streaming service in South Korea.Based on a Korean web comic of the same name, "Dr. Brain" is a six-episode sci-fi thriller about a cold-hearted neurologist Koh Sewon who tries to find clues to a mysterious family accident through brain experiments.Apple's foray into original Korean content comes as the country's entertainment industry reaches new global popularity, from k-pop superstars such as BTS to the 2020 Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite," and now "Squid Game", which became Netflix's biggest original series launch.Director Kim Jee-woon said after the consecutive success of such Korean content, global audiences began to understand Korean culture through artistic works and that he had made an extra effort to get the translations right."I hope Dr. Brain can prove there are diverse works in South Korea that cover a wNov 15, 2021
Lee Jun-ho returns to small screen with heartfelt, historical romance 'The Red Sleeve' Actors Lee Se-young, left, and Lee Jun-ho pose for pictures during an online press conference of MBC's new series, “The Red Sleeve,” Friday. Courtesy of MBCBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Lee Jun-ho has returned to the small screen with MBC's new historical romance series, “The Red Sleeve.” Lee went on hiatus due to his mandatory military service starting in 2019.Following his discharge from the military in March, the actor took on the lead role in his first period drama, portraying King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392―1910).“It wasn't easy to take on the role of a king, especially since he is an actual historical figure who has been loved by many people,” the actor said during an online press conference for the series, Friday. “But I did try to portray the character in my own color. At the same time, I tried to draw my attention towards the small details (of the king's gestures) like using chopsticks.”Based on the romance novel of the same name by Kang Mi-kang, the series follows a love story between crown prince Yi San, who later becomes KingNov 14, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'Squid Game' emerges as big contender in upcoming year-end awards season in US Lee Jung-jae, Jung Hoyeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk and Park Hae Soo attend a special event for the television series Squid Game in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Nov. 8. Reuters-YonhapThe South Korean breakout hit "Squid Game" has emerged as a big contender in the U.S. year-end awards season, possibly to become the first Korean-made TV series winning a trophy at prestigious awards ceremonies.Starting in late fall, the highly competitive race for great TV shows and movies of the year is the biggest celebration for the U.S. entertainment industry eying for the Emmys and Oscars next year.In the past two years, the American awards season unprecedentedly caught the eyes of Korean people, as Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" swept the awards-positioning fall film festivals and the eventual Academy Awards and Youn Yuh-jung of "Minari" brought home the first acting Oscar.This year, Netflix's Korean-language original "Squid Game" will be the next player that will gain huge attention not only from Korea but from all over the world.Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the nine-part series about contestants Nov 12, 2021
TV series 'Melancholia' kicks off to modest start TvN series “Melancholia,” starring actors Lim Soo-jung and Lee Do-hyun, premiered Wednesday. Courtesy of tvNBy Lee Gyu-leeTvN's new drama series “Melancholia,” starring actors Lim Soo-jung and Lee Do-hyun, has kicked off its run Wednesday, to a moderate start. The series premiere scored a 3.6 percent viewership rating nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea, surpassing the 2.3 percent rating of the JTBC series “Reflection of You,” which airs in the same time slot.The melodrama, directed by Kim Sang-hyub, whose previous works include teen series "True Beauty" and "Extraordinary You," revolves around a controversial relationship between math teacher Yoon-soo (Lim), and her troubled student Seung-yoo (Lee).Set in a prestigious private high school, a hotbed of corruption, Yoon-soo who has a genuine love for math gets involved with math prodigy Seung-yoo as they share their common interest in mathematics.The first episode followed their first encounter after Yoon-soo newly transferred to the school and founded an afterschool math club. The series is writNov 11, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'Squid Game' becomes Netflix's top-ranking show for longest 47 days Actor Lee Jung-jae attends a special event for the television series "Squid Game" in Los Angeles, Calif., Nov. 8. Reuters-YonhapThe South Korean sensation "Squid Game" has reclaimed the No. 1 position on Netflix's most popular TV show rankings to become the streamer's top-ranking original series for the most days ever.According to streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol on Wednesday (U.S. time), the Korean-language survival drama regained the No. 1 spot on the list of the world's most watched TV shows on Netflix, replacing the previous leader "Arcane," an animated series based on the online battle game "League of Legend."It is the 47th day that "Squid Game" has hit the summit after staying atop the chart for 46 days in a row from Sept. 23 to Sunday.It is one day longer than that of the American coming-of-age period drama "The Queen's Gambit" (2020), which held the title for 46 days.Meanwhile, the popularity of "Squid Game" has stood out on other platforms as well, outnumbering the longtime TV powerhouse "Game of Thrones" in terms of combined YouTube views of its derivative video content.Nov 11, 2021
YouTube content of 'Squid Game' outnumbers 'Game of Thrones' From left, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Hoyeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk and Park Hae Soo arrive at a red carpet event for "Squid Game," Nov. 8, at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. AP-YonhapThe South Korean phenomenon "Squid Game" has outnumbered the longtime TV powerhouse "Game of Thrones" in terms of combined YouTube views of its derivative video content, a U.S. media outlet has reported.A total of 129,000 videos of the survival drama, including official trailers, fan-made reaction clips and video games, have earned a total of 17 billion views on the platform since the show's release on Sept. 17, Variety said Wednesday (U.S. time), citing a report by content analytics firm Vobile.Those "Squid Game" YouTube videos had a combined 533 million engagements ― likes, dislikes and comments ― over the nearly eight-week period.In comparison, the American fantasy drama series "Game of Thrones," which premiered in 2011 on HBO, posted a combined 16.9 billion views from 420,000 uploaded YouTube videos, with an estimated 233 million engagements, according to the report.Variety said HBO's juggernaut "Game of ThroNov 11, 2021
Song Hye-kyo to portray realistic romance in 'Now We Are Breaking Up' Actors Jang Ki-yong, left, and Song Hye-kyo pose for pictures during the press conference for the series, “Now We Are Breaking Up,” streamed online Tuesday. Courtesy of SBSBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Song Hye-kyo is set to lead another romance series with SBS's upcoming melodrama, “Now We Are Breaking Up,” two years after playing the main role in the tvN romance series, “Encounter.” “I thought the script for this series was really interesting. Many people were looking forward to seeing me star in a new melodrama, but some still might wonder why I'm doing a melodrama again,” the actress said during the press conference for the series, streamed online Tuesday. “But as I get older, I think there are differences involved in expressing characters in the genre. So I wanted to join this series because I believed it would be different (from my previous works).”Directed by star director Lee Gil-bok, who led the smash-hit romantic comedy series, “My Love from the Star,” and the medical series, "Dr. Romantic," the new series follNov 10, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Kim Ha-neul, Kim Sung-ryoung confirmed to star in 'Kill Heel' Actors Kim Ha-neul, left, and Kim Sung-ryoung will star in tvN's upcoming drama “Kill Heel.” Courtesy of IOK Company, Y1 EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors Kim Ha-neul and Kim Sung-ryoung will be co-starring in a new tvN drama tentatively titled, “Kill Heel,” about home shopping television network hosts competing for power in a fierce workplace.Kim Ha-neul's agency, IOK Company, and Kim Sung-ryoung's agency, Y1 Entertainment, confirmed that the actors have taken the lead roles in the upcoming series.“Kill Heel” revolves around three ambitious women who attempt to outperform their competitors. Kim Ha-neul will play the role of Woo-hyun, who is stuck in a mid-career crisis despite her hard work and devotion. In contrast, Kim Sung-ryoung plays Ok-seon, a high-paid, celebrity TV show host. “Kill Heel” will premiere in the first half of 2022. Kim Ha-neul debuted in 1998 with the teen film, “Bye June,” and has starred in various films and TV series, including 2016's romance flick, “Remember You,” and the recent hit JTNov 10, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Squid Game' director confirms plan for season 2 Director Hwang Dong-hyuk arrives at a red carpet event for "Squid Game," Nov. 8, at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. AP-YonhapNetflix's runaway hit "Squid Game" will be back for a second season, its writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk has said in a media interview. "There's been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season, so I almost feel like you leave us no choice, but I will say there will indeed be a second season," Hwang said in an interview with the Associated Press at an event in Los Angeles on Tuesday (U.S. time).The South Korean director had previously hinted at the possibility for another season in media interviews but had not confirmed the plan. Stars arrive at a red carpet event for "Squid Game," Nov. 8, at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. AP-Yonhap"It's in my head right now. I'm in the planning process currently," Hwang said. "But I do think it's too early to say when and how that's going to happen. So I will promise you this, Gi-hun will be back, and he'll do something for the world."The Korean-language thriller is about contestants competinNov 10, 2021
