'Physical:100 Underground' to feature skilled participants, quests of increased difficulty

The second season of Netflix Korea's flagship survival competition show "Physical: 100" will feature formidable participants, including renowned national athletes, taking part in quests of increased difficulty, the show's producers said Thursday. "Physical: 100" series features 100 contestants competing in survival matches to see who is the most physically fit. The winner gets prize money of 300 million won ($228,000). Its first season unveiled last year became a gl

March 14, 2024

Netflix original 'Chicken Nugget' brings creativity of Korean storytellers to life

Netflix mystery comedy original "Chicken Nugget," set to premiere Friday, will bring to life the creativity and ingenuity of Korean storytellers via its surprising plot. "Chicken Nugget" narrates the story of Go Baek-joong (played by Ahn Jae-hong) and Choi Seon-man (played by Ryu Seung-ryong), who endeavor to turn Choi Min-ah (played by Kim You-jung) back into a human. In the story, Min-ah, the daughter of Seon-man, is accidentally turned into a chicken nugget by a mysterious

March 13, 2024

Disney+ unveils lineup, strategy for Korean market

Emphasizing the importance of the Korean market, Disney+ said Tuesday that it will focus on quality over quantity going forward. "Disney Korea is evolving from playing the role of a distributor of global stories and content to producing content here and bringing it outside of Korea. The quality and the storytelling of Korean content is so attractive to audiences not only in APAC, but beyond," said Carol Choi, executive vice president of original content strategy at The Walt Disney Comp

March 13, 2024

Korean veteran actors to make streaming service debuts in 2024

A slew of South Korean veteran actors will be making their debuts on streaming services this year, amid a widespread shift of viewership toward online video platforms. According to Disney+, veteran actor Song Kang-ho, who starred in a slew of hit films such as "The Host," "Snowpiercer," and "Parasite," will be making his first streaming service, as well as drama series debut, via Disney+ original "Uncle Samsik." Set in the 1960s, Korea, "Uncle Samsi

March 10, 2024

Celebrity monk returns to TV after uproar over his wealth, lifestyle

A star Buddhist monk, who saw his following plunge amid an uproar over what critics said was self-indulgence that betrayed the monk’s preaching, has returned as a TV show host after some three years out of the public eye. In the first episode of the weekly show “A Cafe Where Mind Finds Rest,” which aired Monday, the Ven. Haemin began the 42-minute episode by saying he “repents for not living up to the standards expected of a monk.” “Your words will be my teach

March 8, 2024

'Queen of Tears' marks Kim Su-hyun's return to screen, explores woes of married life

South Korean actors Kim Ji-won and Kim Su-hyun will be depicting the woes of a married couple coming from vastly different backgrounds in tvN's latest drama series "Queen of Tears," set to air Saturday. Scripted by star screenwriter Park Ji-eun, who wrote the scripts for hit Korean romance dramas such as "My Love from the Star" and "Crash Landing on You," the 16-part drama series follows Baek Hyun-woo (played by Kim Su-hyun), a son of a supermarket owner from t

March 7, 2024

Change of 'National Singing Contest' host garners mixed reactions

The news that KBS has changed the emcee of "National Singing Contest," one of the longest-running variety shows in Korea, has been met with mixed reactions from the public. First aired in 1980, "National Singing Contest" is a weekly singing competition show that takes place in cities, towns and villages around the country, featuring contestants from those areas. The contestants compete in various rounds and Korea's popular songwriters participate as judges to select the

March 6, 2024

Legendary K-dramas to return to TV amid exodus of viewers to streaming services

A slew of legendary Korean dramas are set to return to the screen as broadcasters attempt to increase viewership ratings by attracting middle-aged and older audiences, while younger viewers increasingly turn to streaming services for content consumption. "Chief Detective 1958" will air its first episode on April 19, according to MBC. The new series is a prequel to MBC's 880-episode hit crime detective series "Chief Inspector," which aired from 1971 to 1989. Starring acto

March 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Mary & George' will resonate with global audience: actors

Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine and Tony Curran said their latest period drama "Mary & George" will connect with global audiences by exploring social constraints and the theme of human greed in 17th-century England. The 7-part historical drama series narrates the story of Mary Villiers, an ambitious, minor member of the gentry who is determined to rise to power by grooming her second son George Villiers to become the favorite of King James I. Set during the Jacobean era in Engla

March 1, 2024

Actor Lee Jae-wook vows legal action against malicious rumors

Actor Lee Jae-wook, who recently confirmed rumors that he is in a romantic relationship with Karina of aespa, warned Thursday that he would take strong legal action against groundless rumors circulating online. Lee's agency CJes Studios said via a public statement that it was notified of "ill-intended, insulting online posts, which contain false claims and defame Lee." "It is a severe infringement of human rights, and our company will file criminal and civic charges against (

Feb. 29, 2024

'Parasyte: The Grey' to hit Netflix in April

"Parasyte: The Grey," helmed by South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, who directed hit Korean Netflix original horror series "Hellbound" and "The Bequeathed," will stream on Netflix starting April 5, the streaming giant announced Wednesday. "Parasyte: The Grey" is set in the world of the hit Japanese manga series "Parasyte," which sold over 25 million copies globally. The manga series follows the story of a high school student named Shinichi Izum

Feb. 28, 2024

K-pop idol-led variety shows expand to cable

A TV variety show featuring K-pop idols is proving that TV and fandom-based online platforms could be a winning combination. K-pop groups have been running their own variety shows for a while on social media and the fan platform Weverse. But for "Nana Tour with Seventeen," the episodes were also broadcast on cable channel tvN, looking to simultaneously appeal to the K-pop super-fans and a wider audience among the general public -- while making use of Weverse's potential for aud

Feb. 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Choi Woo-shik shows inner turmoil of killer in 'A Killer's Paradox'

South Korean actor Choi Woo-shik, known for his role in hit TV shows and movies such as "Our Beloved Summer (2021)," "Parasite (2019)," and "Train to Busan (2016)," said he tried to portray the emotional turmoil of a character faced with the ethical dilemma of condemning evil through murder, in his latest work, "A Killer's Paradox." The 8-part Netflix original crime thriller drama series, based on the webtoon of the same title, tells the story of Yi T

Feb. 17, 2024

Netflix co-CEO expresses excitement for return of popular Korean series this year

Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive officer of Netflix, said on Friday he is excited about the return of several popular Netflix originals this year. "We're very excited about the return of 'Physical: 100' and 'Sweet Home,' and of course, 'Squid Game' this year," Sarandos said during a brief meeting with reporters at Netflix headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Friday. Sarandos is on a two-day visit to the country, which marks his second visit since Jun

Feb. 16, 2024

K-content illegal streaming site shut down after US court ruling

A US court decided to shut down Kokoa TV, a streaming website which illegally streamed a slew of Korean contents to overseas streamers, while ruling in favor of Wavve Americas -- which raised a suit against the website for copyright and trademark infringement. According to the US District Court, District of Arizona, Tumi MAX, the operator of Kokoa TV, has been ordered to cease activities such as storing, reproducing, displaying, or distributing any of the copyrighted works, as of Feb. 9. The US

Feb. 16, 2024

Coin fraud scandal rocks Korean entertainment industry

Allegations of cryptocurrency fraud are growing against multiple South Korean celebrities and popular YouTubers, with some denying their involvement and some admitting to having invested in the cryptocurrency. Winnerz -- a Korean blockchain sports platform that operates several businesses including issuing cryptocurrency -- has been accused of running a coin scam after anonymous investors alleged that the company was issuing fake cryptocurrency, gathering investments and forbidding investors t

Feb. 13, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'A Shop for Killers' an action drama with stories to tell

“A Shop for Killers” might appear to be an action drama, but the 8-part series is about the story of a lonely girl growing up, the choices various characters make and their consequences, which should give strength to the audience in enduring hardships, according to director Lee Kwon and the actor who portrayed the girl, Kim Hye-jun. Disney+ original "A Shop for Killers" narrates the story of Jung Ji-an (played by Kim Hye-jun), who is targeted by a slew of killers after her

Feb. 12, 2024

More CJ ENM series coming to Prime Video

South Korean series have been topping the charts on global streaming platforms amid the soaring popularity of K-content, according to entertainment giant CJ ENM on Wednesday. According to the US-based streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, "Marry My Husband," a 16-part romantic drama series that aired its first episode on Jan. 1, topped the daily rankings for TV shows worldwide on Jan. 31 on Prime Video, the streaming service from Amazon. This marked the first time for a Korean series to

Feb. 7, 2024

[Herald Review] 'A Killer Paradox' faithfully reproduces legendary webtoon

Director Lee Chang-hee -- a K-thriller master who has produced a slew of hit series such as "Hell Is Other People" and the film "The Vanished" -- has successfully breathed life into the award-winning webtoon "A Killer Paradox" through strict adherence to the plot of the original webtoon series. “A Killer Paradox” follows the story of Yi Tang (played by Choi Woo-shik), a college student who commits a series of murders by accident. After he commits the mur

Feb. 7, 2024

Netflix announces major Korean originals for 2024

Netflix on Tuesday unveiled a lineup of South Korean series and films that are scheduled to be released on Netflix in 2024. Among the Korean drama series that will hit the platform in the first half of this year is "A Killer Paradox," a webtoon-based thriller series that stars Choi Woo-shik and Son Suk-ku. The first episode of "A Killer Paradox" will stream on Netflix Friday. "Chicken Nugget," which follows the story of a father whose daughter turns into a chicken n

Feb. 6, 2024