Not just K-dramas anymore

Classic K-drama hits "Crash Landing on You" and "Vincenzo" are making comebacks as US remakes. Amidst the flurry of international remakes of hit Korean shows, these two series stand apart in a league of their own. Remaking a series typically involves selling the remake rights to an overseas studio, which then recreates the series without the involvement of the original creators. However, in the case of "Crash Landing on You" and "Vincenzo," Studio Dragon,

Aug. 6, 2024

Hollywood superstars spotted enjoying summer in Korea

This summer has been punctuated by the arrival of several Hollywood superstars in South Korea, adding a touch of glamour to the season. English actor Simon Pegg, known for his roles in the "Mission Impossible" series, "Star Trek" and British sitcom "Spaced," has been seen touring around Korea recently. Pegg shared a video of himself on a train that seemed like the KTX on Friday on his Instagram account while featuring a montage of scenes from the film, "Train t

Aug. 5, 2024

International soccer superstars appear on 'SNL Korea'

World-class soccer players from Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich appeared as surprise guests on an episode of "SNL Korea," hours ahead of their friendly match held on Saturday evening. Tottenham Hotspur players Richarlison de Andrade and Jamie Donley, along with the club's captain, Son Heung-min, appeared in a comedy sketch of "SNL Korea" on Coupang Play Saturday, acting as new recruits for a fictional soccer club named the Sindorim Morning Soccer Club. The episode fe

Aug. 5, 2024

Top contestants of 'Magic Star' to begin national tour

SBS series "The Magic Star" kicks off its national tour Friday, featuring performances by the six contestants. "The Magic Star" is a reality competition where magicians from around the world showcase their magical prowess. The show is hosted by TV personality Jun Hyun-moo and star magician Lee Eun-gyeol, with a panel of judges that includes film director Jang Hang-jun, actor Jin Sun-kyu, Portuguese magician Luis de Matos, actor Han Hye-jin, TV personality Kim Jong-min and ann

Aug. 2, 2024

Why do sequels flop?

Korean series traditionally did not produce sequels, primarily due to Korea's production structure. Unlike other countries, a series' intellectual property rights are distributed among production staff in a complex manner, which makes creating sequels challenging. However, the landscape is changing. International streaming platforms, especially Netflix, have begun introducing seasonal formats for Korean series. Following this trend, local cable channels such as tvN have also started ad

Aug. 1, 2024

'Squid Game Season 2' to be released in December, with final season coming in 2025

The second season of "Squid Game," the South Korean Netflix original series that captivated the world upon its 2021 release, will return on Dec. 26, with its third and final season set for release in 2025, according to Netflix, Thursday. "The real game will begin," said Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of "Squid Game" who also helms the remaining two seasons, via a press release. "I am genuinely excited to bring to fruition the idea I developed by brainstorming th

Aug. 1, 2024

International EBS festival to feature selection of well-crafted documentaries

The 21st EBS International Documentary Festival, the country's oldest documentary festival, takes place Aug. 19 to Aug. 25, when it will introduce a slew of well-made documentaries from around the world. Featuring 53 documentaries from 32 countries, this year's festival is being held under its slogan: "Bridge the Times." The slogan embodies the hope that humanity can bridge diverse values and cultures to strive for coexistence, said Kim Dong-gwan, director of EIDF, at a press

July 30, 2024

'Planet B' to shed light on recruitment process for K-pop survival show

CJ ENM announced on Monday that it will launch a new Mnet program called "Planet B," which will, for the first time, show how K-pop survival program participants are recruited. The producers behind Mnet K-pop idol survival programs such as the "I-LAND" series, which led to the creation of K-pop groups Enhypen and Izna; "Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga," which resulted in Kep1er; and "Boys Planet," which created Zerobaseone, will be responsible for produci

July 29, 2024

'My Name Is Gabriel' losing viewership battle with 'Jinny's Kitchen'

"My Name Is Gabriel," one of the most highly anticipated entertainment shows of this year, going head-to-head with the second season of star producer Na Young-seok's "Jinny's Kitchen," has continued to suffer low viewership, with experts noting the show has failed to leverage Kim's strengths. "My Name Is Gabriel" stars top celebrities such as actor Park Bo-gum and TV personality Kim Jin-young, otherwise known as Dex, who adopt different identities for

July 29, 2024

Disney+'s 'Moving' wins grand prize for 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards

Disney+ series "Moving" won the grand prize at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards held on Friday, clinching its second grand prize after securing the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards just two months ago. The Blue Dragon Series Awards honors excellence in Korean series and entertainment shows distributed on streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Watcha, Wavve, Kakao TV, Coupang Play and Tving. The nominees for this year's Blue Dragon Series Awards incl

July 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Tving's 'Shaman: Whispers from the Dead' explores why Koreans still consult shamans

The producers of the popular Tving original documentary series "Shaman: Whispers from the Dead" stated that their goal was to investigate why South Koreans, regardless of their belief in shamanism, continue to discuss and engage in shamanistic practices. The 8-part series explores Korean shamanism and its impact on contemporary Korean society. It features guests who report being tormented by spirits, shamans who help alleviate these experiences, and experts in religious studies and a

July 19, 2024

Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Emmy for Park Chan-wook's 'The Sympathizer'

"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer," as the 76th Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Downey portrays four characters in the seven-part black comedy miniseries: a CIA agent, film director, congressman and professor. For his performance as multiple antagonists in the series, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said that Downey has been

July 18, 2024

Director of 'Sweet Home 3' hopes fun will return in series finale

The director of "Sweet Home 3" shared that he listened attentively to all feedback given to "Sweet Home 2" and hoped the final season would, once again, be fun. Netflix's monster horror series "Sweet Home," was a huge success in 2020, becoming the first Korean series to enter Netflix's top 10 list in the US. However, "Sweet Home 2" flopped, criticized for its expansive setting and limited screen time for fan-favorites such as Hyun-soo (played by

July 18, 2024

Byeon Woo-seok embroiled in controversy for overzealous security team

South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok has become embroiled in controversy over excessive measures taken by his security team against fans and other travelers at Incheon Airport. Police have said they are considering an investigation into whether the measures undertaken by the actor’s private security were violent or constituted obstruction of business. The incident surfaced online following Byeon’s departure for Hong Kong on Friday for his final Asian fan meeting slated for Sunday. A lar

July 17, 2024

[Herald Review] 'The Whirlwind' is heavy watch, yet fast-paced, cathartic

Netflix's original political drama series "The Whirlwind" starts strong with the sitting prime minister, Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), killing the president by lacing the president's e-cigarette with poison. The plot quickly accelerates as Park, aiming to consolidate power in the president's absence, encounters opposition from Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae), who endeavors to dismantle his authority and ascend to the presidency herself. As

July 15, 2024

[What to Stream] Short animated films will captivate you this weekend

Tune in this weekend to witness some of the most imaginative pieces of content available — short animated films. Utilizing the creative liberty afforded by fewer restrictions compared to feature-length films, these series of short animations will not only captivate you with its artistic innovation but also deeply impact you with profound, heartfelt and thought-provoking messages. “Love, Death & Robots” on Netflix Since its debut in 2019, "Love, Death & Robots,&qu

July 13, 2024

Song Joong-ki, Katy Louise Saunders expect 2nd child

Actor Song Joong-ki is expecting his second child, following the birth of his first child a year ago, according to his agency. According to Song's agency, HighZium Studio, on Monday afternoon, Song's wife, British model and actor Katy Louise Saunders, is expecting their second child. The agency did not disclose specific details about the second child, including the gender or the due date. The news of Saunders expecting their second child arrives a year after the couple announced the bi

July 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Director of SBS hit series 'Connection' says portraying drugs on TV was difficult

The director of SBS' hit series "Connection" said although he felt burdened to shoulder the responsibilities that came with broadcasting a TV series dealing with drugs, he wanted to explore a new territory with the series. "Connection" is a 14-episode crime thriller series that centers on Jang Jae-kyung (played by Ji Sung), a detective specializing in apprehending drug criminals, who becomes a drug addict, ensnared by an unknown perpetrator. "Connection" became

July 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Hee-ae says she can take on 'relaxed' acting

Veteran actor Kim Hee-ae expressed her desire to pursue more "relaxed and comfortable roles," despite her widespread acclaim for portraying charismatic women in popular works such as "The World of the Married" (2020) and "Queenmaker" (2023). "The Whirlwind" is a 12-episode series that follows the story of Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), a prime minister who kills the president, believing him to be corrupt. As Park seeks to ascend to power after the

July 5, 2024

Korean-Taiwanese K-pop audition TV program searches for applicants

A Korean-Taiwanese collaborative K-pop audition TV program is searching for ambitious boys who wish to be a next-generation K-pop star. According to SBS M, applications for the global boy group debut show "Scool," will be open until July 14. Any male applicant born before 2000 who loves K-pop can apply. Applicants wishing to apply must fill out an application form on the official website and send a photo taken within the last three months, a dance and singing video for the audition, an

July 5, 2024