Song Ha-yoon, accuser trade fresh legal actions over school bullying allegationsActor Song Ha-yoon and the individual who first raised allegations of her past school bullying are escalating their legal fight, with each side filing new complaints. A person identified as A, who claimed to be a victim of Song’s alleged school violence, posted online under the title, “I am the victim of Song Ha-yoon’s bullying and assault.” In the post, A said this was a preview of a fourth statement, which will be released on Monday. Two days earlier, it was revealed that Song had filed an additional complaint on July 22, accusing A of defamation, obstruction of business by fraud and intimidation. A, who is reportedly residing in the United States, said they plan to return to Korea soon to face police questioning. In a lengthy online message, A accused Song of abruptly changing her legal strategy. “After 12 months of silence, Song’s side filed a criminal complaint in March. The investigation was suspended in May, but in July she suddenly labeled me a fugitive and suspect, filing an additional complaint for false accusation,” A wrote, pledging to mount a systematic legalAug 22, 2025By Xportsnews
Comedian Park Mi-sun reportedly battling breast cancerVeteran comedian Park Mi-sun has been reportedly diagnosed with breast cancer, though her agency stopped short of confirming the claim, citing privacy over personal medical information. “It is difficult to verify because this involves personal medical details, but she is currently taking a break for health reasons. Her return schedule has not been decided," Cube Entertainment told the Hankook Ilbo on Friday. Earlier in the day, local media outlet The Fact reported that Park was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer after undergoing medical examinations earlier this year. According to a close acquaintance, she is in a stable psychological state and is focusing on treatment and rest while commuting between her home and hospital. Park rose to fame after winning the gold prize at MBC’s second TV comedy contest in 1988. She has since built a prolific career, appearing in shows such as “Don’t Be the First One” “Fantasy House,” and “Teenage Parents.” In January, she suspended her YouTube activities and stepped down from programs including JTBC’s “Han Moon-cheol’s DashAug 22, 2025By Hankookilbo
Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul breaks silence on dating rumorsKim Hee-chul of boy band Super Junior has spoken candidly about long-standing rumors regarding his sexuality, revealing how speculation surrounding his friendships with fellow celebrities often spiraled into unfounded dating gossip. The singer appeared on MBC’s talk show “Radio Star” on Wednesday. During the program, he discussed how questions about his sexual orientation have followed him since his debut due to his androgynous looks and style. “(Actor) Jang Geun-suk, (singer) Lee Hong-gi and I have a similar vibe, so rumors about me and Geun-suk being in a relationship were very common,” Kim said. “Then eventually, I got caught up in really big dating rumors with Mithra Jin.” Kim explained that rapper Mithra Jin of Epik High was one of his closest friends when he debuted. “He was much taller and macho, and I had long hair back then. We hung out together all the time,” he said. “It was so serious that Mithra Jin actually kept meeting me in secret from the other Epik High members. One day, Tablo (of Epik High) caught us and thought it was strange.” Kim added that heAug 22, 2025By Hankookilbo
3-year jail term sought for Hwang Jung-eum over embezzlementProsecutors have requested a three-year prison sentence for actor Hwang Jung-eum, 40, who has been charged with embezzling more than 4.3 billion won ($3.1 million) from her family-owned entertainment agency. At a final hearing Thursday at the Jeju District Court’s Criminal Division 2, presided over by Judge Lim Jae-nam, the prosecution asked the court to sentence Hwang to three years in prison on charges of embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Hwang was accused of misappropriating about 4.34 billion won from Hunminjeongeum Entertainment, a management agency effectively owned by her family. She allegedly used 4.2 billion won to invest in cryptocurrency after taking out an 800 million won loan under the agency’s name. The remainder was spent on paying her property and local taxes by credit card. During the trial, Hwang admitted to all charges. She later repaid the full amount in two installments — on May 30 and June 5 — by liquidating her personal assets. As a result, all financial issues between her and the agency have been resolved.Aug 22, 2025By Hankookilbo
Daniel Dae Kim brings Korean heart to Amazon Prime spy series 'Butterfly'American drama "Butterfly," from Amazon MGM Studios, was filmed entirely in Korea with a Korean production team, and stars Kim Tae-hee, Kim Ji-hoon and other veteran Korean actors alongside Hollywood talents. The series, poised for its Korean television premiere Friday after a successful Amazon Prime Video debut on Aug. 13, aims to showcase cultural harmony between the two countries. Executive producer and lead actor Daniel Dae Kim, who built his career and life in the U.S., said he always wanted to return to Korea to "put his own life experience into the show." "I wanted to talk about a lot of different things about what it felt like to be Asian American and, in Reina [Hardesty]'s case, half-Asian. I felt like the way to do that was to talk about an American character coming back to a place where he looks the same but isn't quite the same as everybody else," he said during a press conference for the show at Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul Thursday. The narrative follows David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), once a U.S. intelligence officer, who disappeared from the world by faking his death. Now, yeAug 21, 2025By Park Jin-hai
With Bill Gates scheduled to appear on ‘You Quiz,’ Kim Tae-hee episode draws backlash over shallow questionsPeople are voicing disappointment online over the quality of questions asked during actress Kim Tae-hee’s recent appearance on tvN’s variety show “You Quiz on the Block.” The episode, which aired Wednesday, marked Kim’s first talk show appearance in 15 years. She appeared on the program after the release of her Amazon Prime Video series “Butterfly” and shared updates about her career and personal life. However, many viewers felt the interview focused too much on her looks, academic background and marriage to singer Rain rather than her acting and projects. During the show, Kim mentioned that she had recently returned from New York to promote her U.S. drama series and briefly touched on the storyline and how she was cast. The conversation then shifted quickly to her husband Rain and family life. Kim married Rain in 2017, gave birth to their first daughter later that year, and welcomed their second daughter in 2019. She said she had spent much of the past five years focused on household responsibilities and child care, which led to a hiatus from acting. Kim added that raisingAug 21, 2025By Xportsnews
‘Twelve’ actor Ma Dong-seok transforms into tiger angel in fantasy action dramaActor Ma Dong-seok is poised to unleash his trademark power-packed action once again, this time as a tiger-inspired celestial warrior in the upcoming fantasy series "Twelve." Co-produced by KBS2 and Disney+, the drama, premiering Sept. 21, reimagines the Eastern zodiac as 12 guardians who take human form to protect humanity from dark forces. The cast and crew gathered at the Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung District on Wednesday for press conference to promote the drama. Directors Kang Dae-gyu and Han Yoon-sun were joined by Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik, Seo In-guk, Lee Joo-bin, Kang Mina, Sung Yoo-bin, Ahn Ji-hye and Taiwanese actress Regina Lei. "Twelve" follows 12 celestial guardians who draw their strength from the animal spirits of the zodiac to battle evil. Ma, who also helped develop the story, recalled its origins. “Director Han and I began writing together with the idea of guardian angels who live among humans and fight against dark forces," he said. "I’ve always wanted to bring an Eastern-flavored superhero story to life.” Director Kang emphasized the importance of grounding thAug 21, 2025By Hankookilbo
‘Squid Game’ sweeps Gold Derby TV Awards with 6 winsNetflix’s “Squid Game” has once again shown its worldwide dominance, sweeping six honors at the 22nd Gold Derby TV Awards in the United States. The winners, announced Tuesday, saw the series clinch Best Drama Series for Seasons 2 and 3, while its stars collected major acting prizes. Lee Jung-jae, who portrays protagonist Seong Gi-hun, was named Best Actor, while Kang Ae-shim won Best Supporting Actress and Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P from BIGBANG, received Best Supporting Actor. Gong Yoo earned the Guest Performer Award for his high-profile special appearance, and the cast as a whole was recognized with Ensemble of the Year. The six awards highlight the show’s enduring cultural footprint, nearly four years after its debut sparked a global phenomenon. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk appeared via video to thank fans and organizers. “We are deeply grateful to Gold Derby and to all the fans who continue to support Squid Game and our actors,” he said. “Sometimes predictions turn out to be disappointing, but those moments are balanced by honors like this. We’ll keep strivingAug 21, 2025By Hankookilbo
Disney+ bets big on 'Tempest' starring Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-wonTop stars Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won teamed up with Korea’s most celebrated creators for Disney+’s most anticipated drama of the year, "Tempest." This blockbuster K-drama follows Mun-ju (Jun), a distinguished diplomat serving as Korean ambassador to the United Nations who sets out to uncover the truth behind an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate. By her side is San-ho (Gang), an enigmatic special agent without a nationality, assigned to protect her at all cost. Together, they are drawn into a sprawling conspiracy that threatens the Korean Peninsula. Adding further weight to the cast are Hollywood star John Cho and a lineup of veteran Korean actors including Kim Hae-sook and Park Hae-joon. Ahead of its highly awaited premiere on Sept. 10, Disney+ hosted a press event featuring the all-star creators for the original series. Carol Choi, executive vice president at Walt Disney Company APAC, described the project as “a high-stakes romance, a cross-genre series blending espionage, romance and action.” “'Tempest' is centered on a gripping storyline combined with a worAug 20, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Kim Jong-kook’s wedding sparks calls for married stars to leave SBS’ ‘My Little Old Boy’Viewers are once again calling for married cast members to leave SBS’ popular variety show “My Little Old Boy” after singer Kim Jong-kook revealed his surprise wedding. On the episode that aired Aug. 17, the show celebrated its ninth anniversary with a special appearance by actor Jung Il-woo as a guest MC. Host Shin Dong-yup introduced him by saying, “Thanks to our mothers and sons, we’ve reached our ninth year, and today we have an actor mothers will love the most.” Jung entered holding a cake, and before blowing out the candles, Shin expressed his hope that “‘My Little Old Boy’ will continue for a long time, even until its 50th anniversary.” During the broadcast, Shin also joked that 2025 has been a “year of weddings” for the show, noting that six regular cast members — Lee Sang-min, Kim Jun-ho, Kim Jong-min, Bae Sung-jae, Eun Ji-won and Jung Suk-yong — have all announced their marriages. Shin added humorously, “For the 10th anniversary, I hope we’ll have good news from Seo Jang-hoon.” However, just a day later on Aug. 18, Kim Jong-kook shocked fans byAug 20, 2025By Xportsnews
