Can Jisoo finally silence ‘bad acting’ critics with Netflix’s ‘Boyfriend on Demand’?BLACKPINK’s Jisoo is returning to screens with a high-stakes lead role that could redefine her acting career — or reignite long-running criticism. As Netflix’s upcoming romantic comedy “Boyfriend on Demand” approaches its March 6 release, online debate has intensified over whether the K-pop star can finally shed the “bad acting” stigma that has followed her since her debut. The series centers on Mi-rae, a webtoon producer played by Jisoo, who escapes her exhausting reality through a futuristic virtual-dating subscription service. In the show’s premise, users can enter simulated worlds and experience romance across 900 themed scenarios simply by wearing a device — allowing Mi-rae to live out relationships, careers and alternate lives she cannot access in reality. The project marks Jisoo’s first drama lead since her acting debut in JTBC’s “Snowdrop” in 2021. She has since appeared in films including “Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman” and “Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy,” as well as the streaming series “Newtopia,” steadily building her acting résumé. YFeb 28, 2026By Xportsnews
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo explores virtual dating in 'Boyfriend on Demand'Undeterred by criticism of her previous acting, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo now has her eyes set on rom-com queen status in the upcoming Netflix series “Boyfriend on Demand.” The singer-actress will portray Mi-rae, an exhausted webtoon producer who finds escape in a mysterious app that delivers a custom-fit heartthrob boyfriend each month to tend to her emotional needs. “Virtual reality didn’t feel like a distant future, and my character, Mi-rae, is about my age too. I chose this project because I could really relate myself to the way Mi-rae wrestles with her worries and works through them,” the actor saud during a press conference for the show at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, Thursday. The virtual dating subscription in the show delivers 900 themed dates at the slip of a simple device, letting anyone dive into risk-free romance, hitting home for today’s burned-out people, where even dating feels like just another grind. “As a total homebody, when I saw the device, I immediately thought, ‘You could travel through all kinds of worlds without ever leaving your house,’ andFeb 26, 2026By Park Jin-hai
'The Art of Sarah' exposes Korea's luxury obsession"The Art of Sarah" cuts through Korea's luxury obsession with the precision of a scalpel. The Netflix mystery thriller, starring Shin Hye-sun, follows a woman who transforms her personal ruin into an audacious counterfeit empire — and in doing so, holds a mirror up to a society that willingly conflates desire with identity. From the first episode, Sarah Kim (Shin) signals her ambitions visually. She carries a crocodile leather Hermes Birkin bag valued between 90 and 120 million won ($63,000 to $84,000) — one of the rarest bags on the market — alongside a Dior limited-edition piece, one of only 150 released worldwide in 2017. The visual language vividly sets luxury as armor, argument and identity. The drama then rewinds to Mok Ga-hui, another of Kim's identities, who toils endlessly at a department store luxury counter without even time for bathroom breaks until a theft leaves her saddled with 50 million won in debt. She spirals into illegal reselling, loan shark traps and hostess gigs. Unable to change reality, she instead changes her identity to the fictional "Sarah Kim" and lauFeb 26, 2026By Park Jin-hai
Mystery-thriller 'The Art of Sarah' tops Netflix weekly chartThe mystery thriller "The Art of Sarah" rose to the No. 1 spot of Netflix's weekly non-English series chart, the streaming giant said Wednesday. The eight-part Korean-language series garnered 10 million views for the week ending Feb. 22, more than double the 4.3 million views of the second-place "Unfamiliar," a German thriller. Starring Shin Hye-sun and Lee Jun-hyuk, the series centers on a mysterious woman named Sarah (Shin) and a detective (Lee), who grows suspicious of her true identity and ever-changing accounts surrounding a murder case. Meanwhile, "Singles' Inferno Reunion," which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the fifth season of the popular dating reality show, landed at No. 7 with 1.5 million views.Feb 25, 2026By Yonhap
Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ faces criticism over treatment of Yerin HaConcerns about representation in global television franchises have gained renewed attention after fans questioned the visibility of Korean Australian actor Yerin Ha in promotional material for the fourth season of Netflix’s "Bridgerton." The criticism emerged after Netflix Spain shared photographs from a promotional event held on Feb. 18, featuring Luke Thompson, Hannah Dodd and Ha. Some viewers argued the framing appeared to foreground Dodd, who plays Francesca Bridgerton, rather than the season’s central romantic pairing of Thompson and Ha. Attention also focused on a promotional video in which Ha was seated at the edge. She was not visible in vertically cropped versions designed for social platforms, leaving only Thompson and Dodd in frame. Spanish newspaper ABC further fuelled discussion after misspelling her name as “Yern Ha.” Fans are increasingly worried that Ha is facing racism from Netflix. Ha is a Korean Australian actor who has appeared in works including the series "Halo." She is also the granddaughter of veteran Korean actor Sohn Sook. In an earlier interview with theFeb 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
InterviewShin Hye-sun takes on her most ambiguous role in 'Art of Sarah'Actor Shin Hye-sun said that her role in the new Netflix series “The Art of Sarah” was the most ambiguous character she has ever portrayed in her career. "I usually start a project only after I have a clear plan for the character, but this time was different," Shin told The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Friday. "The story was so interesting that I really wanted to find out how it ends as soon as I read the script.” The eight episode series tells the story of Sarah Kim, played by Shin, who lives a life of lies to act like she comes from a background of luxury. Her carefully crafted world begins to collapse as she is pursued by detective Mu-gyeong (Lee Jun-hyuk), who is determined to uncover the truth behind her fake identity. Shin portrayed multiple personas in the series, including Mok Ga-hee, Kim Eun-jae and finally, Sarah Kim. She explained that playing such an elusive figure required her to be flexible rather than following a fixed acting style. "The script was not very kind in terms of explanations and I actually felt more confused as I read it," she said. "I decided to focusFeb 20, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Kim Tae-ri leads rural drama club in heartfelt new reality showIn tvN’s upcoming variety show “Curtain Up, Class!,” actor Kim Tae-ri, best known for her roles in “The Handmaiden” (2016) and “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” (2024), takes on a new challenge as she leads a drama club at an elementary school on the brink of closure. Reflecting on her first fixed role in a variety program, Kim admitted with a laugh, “It was tougher than filming any drama I’ve done,” during an online press conference for the program on Friday. “What drew me in were the keywords: theater, elementary school and a small rural village. They just spoke to me,” she recalled. “At first, I felt this small flutter of excitement, wondering what kind of joys and discoveries I might find there. But midway through filming, the Korean title was suddenly changed from ‘After-school Theater Club’ to ‘Teacher Tae-ri’, and I trembled as I protested, ‘No, you can’t!’” she said, laughing. “Of course there was personal pressure, but honestly, I couldn’t have endured without the other teachers. So while having my name in the title felt overwhelming,Feb 20, 2026By Park Jin-hai
Yoo Jae-suk's travel show returns with 'no apps' experiment in EuropeWhat happens when Korea’s most seasoned variety star is stripped of Google Maps, booking apps and online searches for traveling? In “Punghyanggo” Season 2, Yoo Jae-suk and his cast are allowed to use only their phones’ call and camera functions — everything else is disabled. That single rule turns the travel series into an unexpectedly fresh experiment in analog adventure in an increasingly digital era. True to its title, which loosely means “going wherever the wind takes you” in Korean, the show embraces spontaneity over strategy. After heading to Vietnam in 2024 for its first season, the team now travels to Austria and Hungary, once again without reservations or pre-planned itineraries. Instead of relying on search engines, they carry printed booklets and navigate by instinct. Their unplanned, reservation-free journey brings viewers a rare sense of spontaneity and rediscovery in travel as “Punghyanggo” offers something in contrast to today’s hyper-organized trips — the messy, uncertain joy of getting lost and finding your way again. The four members — Yoo, LeeFeb 20, 2026By Park Jin-hai
'Agents of Mystery' returns for Season 2 on massive new scale"Agents of Mystery" is returning as a massive open-world adventure that expands its mystery-solving scale to outdoor locations. The second season of the Netflix's puzzle-driven series follows the success of the first season in 2024, which tracked a team of investigators solving strange cases that science cannot explain. "We received some complaints during the first season because it felt too short," producer Jung Jong-yeon said during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, explaining that the new season expands from six episodes to nine and utilizes outdoor filming to enable more active, dynamic storytelling. The show is the latest project from Jung, who is widely regarded as a master of the mystery and escape show genre, with previous hits such as "The Great Escape," "The Devil's Plan" and "High School Mystery Club." While the first season mostly focused on indoor undercover investigations, the new season aims to captivate global audiences through a significantly larger production scale and improved team chemistry. Returning cast members include comedian Lee Yong-jin, singer John Park, sFeb 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Why ‘Single’s Inferno’ keeps turning to Miss Korea contestantsA recurring keyword in the hit Netflix dating show “Single’s Inferno” is Miss Korea. From former cast members Yu Si-eun, Choi Seo-eun, and Jo Min-ji to Season 5’s Choi Mina Sue, Kim Go-eun, and Park Hee-sun, former Miss Korea contestants have been widely credited with bringing glamour and narrative drive to the series. On Feb. 13, show producers Kim Jae-won, Kim Jung-hyun and Park Su-ji met with the Hankook Ilbo at a cafe in Jongno District of Seoul and shared behind-the-scenes stories. The landmark dating reality program, the first Korean variety show on Netflix to reach a fifth season, follows singles stranded on a remote island dubbed “Inferno,” where they can only leave if they form a couple. Season 1 became the first Korean variety show to enter Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list, while Season 2 stayed on the chart for four consecutive weeks. Season 3, which marked the peak of the show’s popularity, sat in the upper rankings for five weeks and reached the Top 10 in 31 countries. Season 4 recorded the highest viewing hours in its premiere week, and SeasonFeb 18, 2026By Hankookilbo
