Supporting actors leave lasting impact in ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ and ‘Buried Hearts’A well-crafted drama doesn’t rely on lead actors alone, as great supporting characters are often what bring the story to life. Recently, several well-made Korean dramas have featured memorable supporting casts who delivered as much emotional weight and narrative impact as the headliners. Whether it’s Choi Dae-hoon in “When Life Gives You Tangerines” or veteran actors like Woo Hyun and Lee Hae-young in “Buried Hearts,” these standout performances have helped shape some of the year’s most compelling series. The success of a drama doesn’t rest solely on strong direction and lead actors. The supporting cast, who fill out the story’s emotional and thematic layers, are essential to creating unforgettable moments. In recent hit dramas, actors like Cha Mi-kyung and Lee Hae-young have drawn widespread acclaim and quickly lined up new roles, signaling a new peak in their careers. In Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” a show with few clear villains, Choi Dae-hoon’s portrayal of Bu Sang-gil — a petty rival known for ending his sentences with the exclamation “HaApr 18, 2025By KTimes
Cha Tae-hyun, Zo In-sung launch new agency built on 20-year friendshipActors Cha Tae-hyun and Zo In-sung have established a new management agency, Base Camp Company, marking a fresh start in their careers based on over two decades of friendship and trust. The two stars announced the new management company's founding on Friday, choosing the name to symbolize a reliable foundation for artists — just as a base camp is essential for scaling a mountain or embarking on an expedition. The agency is staffed by team members who have worked closely with both actors over a long period. Their shared history and mutual trust are expected to guide the agency’s future endeavors. Through the new agency, Cha and Zo expressed their intention to continue focusing on their craft, remaining grounded and committed to delivering meaningful performances in quality projects. Cha is currently appearing in the tvN variety show "Handsome Guys," while Zo recently wrapped filming for the movies "Hope" and "Humint." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.Apr 18, 2025By KTimes
Retro K-dramas find new life on streaming platform amid global Korean content boomAs Korean content cements its position as the second-most watched programming on Netflix — accounting for nearly 10 percent of total viewing hours, just behind U.S. productions — classic K-dramas from the 1990s and early 2000s that first fueled the "hallyu", or Korean wave, such as "The Sandglass," "The Wild Days," "All In," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Cruel Temptation," are finding new audiences through the streaming platform. Now over 20 years old, these hits have recently been added to Netflix's Retro TV category and are enjoying renewed popularity among both fans both old and new. Korean drama fans online welcomed the decision, leaving comments like "The rediscovery of old K-dramas has begun," and "The final scene of 'Cruel Temptation' was shocking, but it's still fun to watch again." Most of these retro series are available only in Korea for now, but international K-drama fans — many of whom first encountered them through DVDs or niche streaming platforms — are hoping Netflix will expand access to these classics worldwide. On Threads, a Korean drama fan in Canada expressed disApr 17, 2025By Park Jin-hai
Uhm Tae-woong appears at official event for first time in 8 years following scandalActor Uhm Tae-woong made his first official public appearance in eight years on Tuesday, attending the VIP premiere of "Yadang: The Snitch" at Megabox COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul. It marked Uhm’s return to public life following a high-profile scandal in 2016. His last official appearance was during a press conference at the 21st Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia for the release of the film "Fork Lane." After posing for photos at the "Yadang: The Snitch" premiere, Uhm expressed his support for director Hwang Byeong-guk and wished the film success. Uhm was accused in 2016 of sexually assaulting a hostess bar employee. Although he was cleared on sexual assault charges, Uhm was fined 1 million won ($720) for solicitation of prostitution through a summary indictment. The incident significantly impacted Uhm’s public image, especially given his popularity at the time in a reality show. Since then, aside from his appearance in "Fork Lane," he has remained largely inactive in the entertainment industry. In 2023, it was reported that Uhm would return to acting in director Yoo HApr 17, 2025By KTimes
INTERVIEW Park Hae-joon: 'I acted selfishly in Yadang: The Snitch'Park Hae-joon, now known as Korea’s “national dad,” has credited the popularity of the hit drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines” for the moniker, but revealed he was going through an acting slump while filming the show. The drama’s widespread success made his character, Gwan-sik, a beloved figure, but it was Park’s performance that truly brought the role to life. Riding the momentum of “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” Park is now returning to the big screen with the crime film “Yadang: The Snitch,” which premiered Wednesday. He sat down for an interview the day before at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, his face lit with a constant smile. “Yadang: The Snitch” explores the world of drug trafficking through the tangled relationships between an undercover informant Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul), narcotics detective Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon) and senior prosecutor Kwan-hee (Yoo Hae-jin). While the plot touches on familiar themes — the tension between police and prosecutors, the dark side of the elite and collusion between criminals and law enforcement — the unfamiliarApr 17, 2025By KTimes
Profiler warns Park Na-rae after burglary, 'revealing celebrity homes is dangerous'A profiler has warned that TV programs showing the actual homes of celebrities can lead to serious crimes, following the recent arrest of a suspect who broke into the home of television personality Park Na-rae and stole valuables. Criminal profiler Bae Sang-hoon appeared on YTN Radio and commented on the case Tuesday, saying, "It seems the suspect was caught while police were investigating a group of career criminals targeting celebrities and influencers in the Hannam-dong area." Bae said the break-in may have been triggered by the suspect’s ability to assess the interior layout and security setup of Park’s home. “Police seem to have been looking into a group of thieves specializing in celebrity homes around Hannam-dong. It’s likely the suspect is part of this group of professional criminals,” he said. Bae disagreed with the suspect’s claim that they didn't know it was Park Na-rae’s house. "It’s nearly impossible not to know. Anyone who visits the neighborhood could easily figure out it’s her home," he said. "That statement is probably a strategic move to reduce the senApr 16, 2025By KTimes
Korean content ranks second globally on Netflix, surpassing UK and JapanKorean dramas and films are now the most-watched non-U.S. content on Netflix, second only to Hollywood productions in global viewership, according to a new report released by global media analytics firm Ampere Analysis on Tuesday. Based on Netflix viewing data, Ampere found Korean content has accounted for 8 to 9 percent of total Netflix watch time since 2023, trailing behind U.S. content (56–59 percent) but ahead of the U.K. (7–8 percent) and Japan (4–5 percent). This shift marks a notable moment in global media consumption. While the U.K. has traditionally supplied high-quality drama series and Japan boasts a strong following for its animation, Korean titles have overtaken both in terms of global streaming hours on the platform. According to Ampere, 85 out of Netflix’s top 500 most-watched non-U.S. programs and films — or 17 percent — are Korean. The firm cited major hits such as “Squid Game” Season 2, which racked up over 619 million streaming hours in the second half of 2023, as well as the romantic drama “Love Next Door” and the cooking reality show “CulinaryApr 16, 2025By KTimes
MBC reconsiders airing Disney+ drama ‘Big Bet’ after internal backlashMBC is reconsidering its decision to air the Disney+ original series “Big Bet” after internal pushback from its own drama production staff. According to MBC officials on Wednesday, discussions are underway to reevaluate the planned July broadcast of “Big Bet” in the network’s prime Friday-Saturday slot. The move comes in response to a joint statement issued by 53 producers and crew members from MBC’s drama division on Monday. In the statement, the drama department criticized management’s decision to prioritize “Big Bet” over the new original series “Judge Lee Han-young,” which had already been cast and scheduled to air this year. The internal team claimed that the new series was postponed until 2025 to make room for the Disney+ title. The drama division said it had explicitly opposed the programming change during a Drama Competitiveness Committee meeting held on Mar. 27, but the decision was pushed through regardless. They accused MBC’s executives of attempting to manufacture a budget surplus by delaying an in-house production. The group further condemned the moveApr 16, 2025By KTimes
Korean content is Netflix's second-most watched globally: reportKorean content has emerged as the second-most popular on Netflix globally, according to a new report by Ampere Analysis. The London-based research firm said Tuesday (local time) that Korean content accounts for 8-9 percent of total viewing hours on the platform, trailing only U.S. productions, which dominate with 56-59 percent. Of the 500 most popular non-English titles on Netflix, 85, or 17 percent, were Korean. "Squid Game" Season 2, "Love Next Door" and "Culinary Class Wars" ranked as the most-watched Korean content. Older hits like "Queen of Tears," "Squid Game" Season 1 and "Crash Landing on You" continue to attract global audiences. The firm attributes this success to Netflix's investment in original Korean productions and licensing agreements. More than half of Korean titles in Netflix's top 100 were Netflix originals, with exclusively licensed content — primarily from CJ ENM — making up most of the remainder. The firm projected Netflix's planned $2.5 billion investment in Korean content production by 2028 will sustain this trend. Recent data supports this forecast. For the week eApr 16, 2025By Yonhap
InterviewPark Eun-bin makes chilling transformation in genre-defying medical thriller 'Hyper Knife'While initially marketed as a medical thriller, Disney+'s "Hyper Knife" ultimately defies easy genre categorization. This drama, which dropped its final episodes on April 9, charts the dynamic between two neurosurgeons, showcasing yet another compelling performance from Park Eun-bin, who made her name with the 2022 sensation "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." The 32-year-old actor portrays Jung Se-ok, a disgraced genius surgeon who develops a unique mentor-mentee relationship with Choi Deok-hee (Sul Kyung-gu), a teacher who mirrors her own psyche. Moving away from the quirky yet charming persona she embodied as an autistic lawyer in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," Park has morphed into a chillingly ruthless surgeon, a killer doctor for whom even murder is merely a step in service of advancing neuroscience. With a calm and emotionless face splattered with blood, Park's Se-ok nonchalantly utters, "For one to survive, the other must perish." "This was the first time I played a role that expresses so much anger, constantly," the actor told The Korea Times in an interview Tuesday at a cafe in JongnoApr 15, 2025By Park Jin-hai
