Korean streaming service Tving recently confirmed the return of its franchise entertainment show “High School Mystery Club” with a third season. “High School Mystery Club” (2021-22), the service's first-ever original show, revolves around five high school girls -- who are not in fact actual students, transferring to a suspicious school where a mysterious murder case and strange phenomenon occur. The same cast -- TV personality Park Ji-yoon, Jaejae, comedian Jang Do-y

Television Nov. 3, 2023

A pop-up store based on South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook is scheduled to open at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido on Nov. 9. According to Lee’s agency King Kong by Starship, the upcoming offline flash event, titled “Fancy Being Friends?” will mainly feature the actor’s avatar Wookdong, a white lion character which embodies the actor’s appearance, hobbies and personality. “Lee Dong-wook will be the first Korean actor to hold a character-themed pop-up shop here,&r

Culture Nov. 3, 2023

Beartree Park Fall Foliage Festival Beartree Park Fall Foliage Festival, which began on Oct. 21, will run through Sunday at Beartree Park in Sejong. Visitors can enjoy the peak fall foliage while taking a light stroll along the walking trail at Beartree Park. The festival is set to entertain visitors with outdoor concerts, unique photo zones and more. Holidaymakers can immerse in nature and enjoy the autumn breeze. The opening hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission costs 12,000 won and 10,000 won

Travel Nov. 3, 2023

More drama series with diverse women in the lead are expected to dominate South Korean TV screens over the remainder of the year. Several new shows last year, including “Juvenile Justice,” “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” and “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” garnered greater-than-expected attention from viewers with their strong, independent women. This year, TV dramas with bold, no-nonsense women have proved a strong trend

Television Nov. 1, 2023

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC appears to be burying the hatchet with K-pop powerhouse Hybe. The company on Monday announced Bang Si-hyuk’s visit to its headquarters in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, to discuss measures to enhance the rights of K-pop artists in TV productions. MBC President Ahn Hyung-joon said he hoped to root out past, abusive conduct that hurt young artists several years ago, according to the press release by MBC on Monday. Ahn said he wished to create a healthy content prod

Culture Oct. 31, 2023

Having recently made her Netflix debut in nine-part romance series “Doona!” singer and actor Suzy shared how she was blown away upon learning that the show ranked No. 6 globally among the streaming service’s TV shows. Suzy had not anticipated such global interest, feeling the show was largely based on Korean culture and so would be familiar mostly to Koreans. “I personally thought that Korean viewers would be the only ones who could easily empathize with most of the scene

Television Oct. 30, 2023

SINGAPORE -- Recognizing a steady recovery of the travel industry after the pandemic, industry leaders, international tourism brands, travel writers and journalists expected strong tourism growth -- particularly in Asia -- and sought to find ways to entice more people to travel at this year’s TravMedia Summit Asia, held at Swissotel the Stamford in Singapore, on Oct. 23. The summit brought together more than 275 travel specialists, who discussed top issues such as the rise of new technolog

Travel Oct. 29, 2023

Geoje Island Flower Festival The 17th–edition of Geoje Island Flower Festival will be held at the Geoje Agriculture Development Complex in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. The annual event features autumn flowers in a variety of exhibitions and displays, including flower sculptures, chrysanthemum-themed items, examining greenhouse office and more. Hands-on activities, like harvesting sweet potatoes and various music performances are set to entertain holidaymakers of all

Travel Oct. 27, 2023

After yet another Korean star came under investigation for suspected drug use, the South Korean entertainment industry is feeling increasingly anxious over the possible fallout from multiple entertainment personalities being investigated for suspected drug use. Rapper G-Dragon, the leader of Big Bang whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, was booked without detention Wednesday for suspected violation of the Narcotics Control Act, making him the latest celebrity to be investigated for illegal drug us

Television Oct. 26, 2023

A total of 16 League of Legends esports teams started competing for the grand prize of the Summoner’s Cup at the annual LoL World Championship on Thursday. But some esports fans are questioning the fairness of the tournament. Controversy erupted Thursday night when an online post surfaced with a screenshot image of the Swiss stage draw. The Swiss stage is a newly introduced nonelimination tournament that offers a fixed number of matches, allowing the players to qualify for the next round b

More Sports Oct. 20, 2023

Naver Webtoon’s action series “Teenage Mercenary” has achieved the highest transaction volume in the history of Naver Webtoon Japan. According to the South Korean tech giant’s digital comics platform, the series generated monthly sales of 1.6 billion won ($1.18 million) in September, and garnered more than 300 million accumulated reads from Japanese fans. Helmed by webtoon creators YC and Rakyeon, “Teenage Mercenary” revolves around Yu Ijin, who lost his paren

Books Oct. 20, 2023

Cinema operator Lotte Cinema confirmed Friday that it will livestream an upcoming NBA game between Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings on Oct. 28. A total of 22 screens, including Lotte Cinema World Tower, Gimpo Airport and more, will feature the basketball showdown between last year’s playoff qualifying teams, according to the cinema chain. Rules have been relaxed so that visitors can cheer while watching the game at the cinema during the match. Those watching will be invited to ma

Film Oct. 20, 2023

Cheongsong Apple Festival Cheongsong Apple Festival is scheduled to take place at Hyeonbiam riverside swimming pool in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province from Nov. 1 to 5. The upcoming event will entertain with various programs, including an apple-themed food presentation, a “Nanta” experience, an outdoor parade, a golden apple hunt and an apple lottery game. "Nanta" is one of the most popular non-verbal performance shows in Korea, featuring constant striking and drummin

Travel Oct. 20, 2023

South Korean piano sensation Lim Yun-chan is expected to release a new album in the first quarter of 2024 under the Decca label. On Thursday, entertainment giant Universal Music Group announced that Lim had signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca, Universal Music Group's London-based affiliate. The British record label has produced albums with leading musicians including Georg Solti, Luciano Pavarotti, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Chung Kyung-wha. “The company worked hard for a long t

Performance Oct. 19, 2023

With plans to release BTS’ Busan concert film -- “BTS: Yet to Come” -- and a survival show titled “University War” (unofficial translation) in November, local video streaming service Coupang Play seeks to cement its position in Korea's streaming market. While the streamer garnered viewers’ interest with the mystery thriller “Anna” (2022) -- starring K-pop star and actor Suzy -- and multiple seasons of comedy variety show “Saturday Night

Television Oct. 18, 2023