Upon its release in 2011, the classic Hollywood blockbuster IP Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, backed by Oscar-nominated VFX techniques, captivated audiences worldwide with its shocking story of primates challenging humans as the dominant species on Earth. The series is back seven years later with a meticulously crafted fourth installment, which effectively prompts the question of what it means to be human -- and whether it will be possible for different species with high intelligence to co

Film May 14, 2024

Kakao Piccoma, the overseas webtoon distributor of Kakao webtooons, said it would end its service in Europe, following an underwhelming performance in the French market. Kakao Piccoma currently distributes translated versions of Korean webtoons serialized on Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon as well as Japanese manga series,via its digital cartoon platforms in Japan and France. The company said it is scheduled to stop its services in France in September, two years after it commenced local services th

Culture May 13, 2024

"The Land of Happiness," a film starring the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his appearance in the Oscar-winning flick "Parasite," will hit theaters in August, according to the film's distributor, Friday. "The Land of Happiness" depicts the story of a lawyer, Jung In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk), who defends a soldier named Park Tae-joo (Lee Sun-kyun) during a trial involving the assassination of President Park Chung-hee, according to NEW, the film's distributor.

Film May 10, 2024

Director Han Jae-rim, who helmed numerous hit Korean flicks such as "The Face Reader" and "The King," said he aimed to depict the power dynamics that arise when people group together in his latest Netflix original series "The 8 Show" -- which re-imagines the popular Korean webtoon "Money Game" and its sequel "Pie Game." The eight-part thriller series narrates the story of eight financially struggling individuals who take part in a mysterious sh

Television May 10, 2024

CJ ENM aims to uphold its top position in prime-time viewership ratings by maximizing synergy between streaming platforms and its cable channel tvN, amid the declining use of linear TVs, the company said Wednesday. Announcing the outcomes of tvN content's performance in 2024 During a media event held at the headquarters of CJ ENM located in Sangam-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday, the company said tvN is currently taking the lead in nationwide viewership ratings logged during prime time. TvN is

Television May 9, 2024

Led by veteran actor Song Kang-ho, who has starred in numerous hit flicks, such as "Parasite" (2019) and "Cobweb" (2023), Disney+ original "Uncle Samsik" will aim to explore how Korea came to be what it is by exploring the fictional stories of those that lived through the 1950s and 1960s. Set in 1960s South Korea, the 16-part period drama series narrates the story of Kim San, (played by Byun Yo-han) a young government official with ambitions to put his self-devised

Television May 8, 2024

“12.12: The Day,” also known as “Seoul’s Spring” in Korean, and Disney+ sci-fi fantasy series “Moving” won the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards on Tuesday. Prolific actor Hwang Jung-min, who played the head of the Defense Security Command Chun Doo-gwang in “12.12: The Day,” also snatched the best actor award in the film category. He had been likened to the “Leonardo DiCaprio of Baeksang” for a long streak of missing out

Film May 7, 2024

Netflix's original series "Super Rich in Korea" will allow viewers to appreciate South Korea more by showcasing the lifestyles of ultra-wealthy individuals who chose to relocate to Korea out of their love for the country, the show's producers said Tuesday. "Super Rich in Korea" is a six-part reality show that explores the extravagant lives of super-rich foreign nationals living in Korea. The show stars five cast members -- Kim Anna, a member of the Pakistani nobil

Television May 7, 2024

South Korean hit romance drama series "Queen of Tears," riding high on the strong reception from its international fanbase, is continuing its strong streaming performance, according to entertainment giant CJ ENM on Thursday. "Queen of Tears" claimed the second spot in Netflix's non-English-language TV list during the last week of April, rising one position from the previous week. The rankings are calculated by dividing the total hours viewed by the total runtime. It wa

Television May 6, 2024

Special footage mainly starring actor Lee Jung-jae from the new "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" was unveiled in celebration of Star Wars Day, which takes place every May 4 as a play on the famous phrase "May the Force be with you." In the special footage released on YouTube, Lee -- dressed in traditional Jedi Master apparel with a hairstyle reminiscent of the venerable Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn -- delivers a thrilling action performance and discusses behind-the-sc

Television May 6, 2024

Kim Jin-min, director of the Netflix original series "Goodbye Earth," under heavy criticism for its difficult plot and complicated sequencing, said he would consider the drama series a success if it could get the audience to ponder what they would do in the face of imminent demise. The 12-part science fiction series, which is based on the popular Japanese fantasy novel “Shumatsu no Furu," tells the story of South Koreans who are told that a meteorite is slated to strike and

Television May 5, 2024

Netflix's original series "Goodbye Earth," despite what was promised by star director Kim Jin-min who previously helmed hit Netflix series "My Name" (2021) and "Extracurricular" (2020), fails to keep the audience engaged throughout its 12-hour streaming time due to its chaotic, hard-to-follow sequencing. Based on the Japanese fantasy novel "Shumatsu no Furu" by Kotaro Isaka, the 12-part science fiction series tells the story of people living in Korea

Television May 3, 2024

South Korean television personalities Jang Sung-kyu and singer Jang Min-ho will join forces to relay human stories to the audience via their new talk show, "Verse1 with 2Jang," amid KBS' attempts to tap into the growing popularity of on-site talk shows. The 16-part talk show, "Verse1 with 2Jang," features Jang Sung-kyu and Jang Min-ho engaging in spontaneous discussions with local people. The episodes also include an interactive gaming segment in which the hosts award

Television April 30, 2024

The final episode of "Queen of Tears" aired Sunday, achieving tvN's highest viewership ratings for an episode to date, surpassing the ratings recorded by the cable channel's other hit series, including "Crash Landing on You" (2020) and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (2017). According to tvN, the final episode of "Queen of Tears" logged an average viewership rating of 28.4 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 24.9 percent nationwide. &

Television April 29, 2024

South Korean crime flick "The Plot," starring Korean heartthrob Gang Dong-won, will see the actor in his coldest persona yet, alongside a narrative rife with unexpected twists. "The Plot" follows the story of Yeong-il, (Gang Dong-won) whose job is to arrange commissioned contract killings to seem like accidents. As the story unfolds, Yeong-il is unexpectedly involved in a series of events which leads him to believe that this time, he is targeted for a murder disguised as an a

Film April 29, 2024