Jan 16, 2020

Park Na-rae to ‘Stand Up’ on small screen

Will stand-up comedy shows return to mainstream?

Jan 13, 2020

JTBC's 'Sky Castle' named best drama series at Asian TV Awards

South Korea's black comedy "Sky Castle" has received the best drama series prize at an Asian awards ceremony for television programs, the series' broadcasting network said Monday.At the 24th Asian Television Awards held in Manila on Saturday, JTBC's 20-episode weekend drama airing from November 2018 to February 2019 won the title, outclassing seven competitors including "Dr. Prisoner" of South Korea, "Stepmom and Daughter Blues" of Japan and "The Rise of Phoeni

Jan 9, 2020

Animal rights in Korean entertainment industry

The Korean entertainment industry is beginning to take animal rights issues more seriously as criticisms arise from related organizations.The producer of tvN variety show “The Meow is Fake” issued an official apology for violating animal rights after its first episode aired Sunday.The producer apologized for not providing sufficient information required during the adoption process to nonprofit organization Nabiya. The organization is currently asking for the return of the adopted cat

Jan 8, 2020

Veteran actors to play ‘Money Game’

Cable channel tvN is starting this year big with its first-ever finance drama, “Money Game,” featuring top-tier actors Go Soo, Lee Sung-min and Shim Eun-kyung.“Money Game” tells the story of three people who work at South Korea’s finance control towers -- the Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Economy and Finance -- fighting to save the nation from going bankrupt. Go is returning to the small screen after two years as Chae Yi-hun, a government of

Jan 8, 2020

Adoption becomes open topic on TV

More celebrities are opening up about their adoption stories on the small screen. 　Actor couple Jin Tae-hyun and Park Si-eun will appear on the SBS reality show “You Are My Destiny,” starting Jan. 20. The show will deal with their family life with their adopted daughter, Sae-yeon.  In October the couple revealed that they had adopted Sae-yeon, now in her early 20s, after meeting her at an orphanage on Jeju Island while on their honeymoon in 2015. They stayed in close touch and S

Jan 7, 2020

Learn Korean from K-pop singers on tvN show

Many K-pop fans from around the world learn Korean through K-pop, whether intentionally or not, from their repeated listening of the songs and countless replaying of the videos starring their favorite artists. What would it be like for K-pop singers to actually teach Korean?“K-pop Culture Center,” a new tvN variety show scheduled to launch next month, will do just that -- K-pop artists teaching their fans Korean language and culture through K-pop.  Each episode will feature a po

Jan 1, 2020

After struggles, Yoo Jae-suk in his second heyday

Yoo Jae-suk had been the nation’s most popular entertainer for more than a decade, but after the hiatus of his signature show “Infinite Challenge” on MBC in 2018, his star seemed to be on the wane. The weekly variety show was beloved by Korean viewers for 13 years. Yoo and producer Kim Tae-ho rose to stardom with the show, earning top spots in the entertainment industry.  However, after the show ended almost two years ago, Yoo seemed to be experiencing difficulties with hi

Dec 30, 2019

‘Little giant’ Park Na-rae grabs grand prize

Comedian Park Na-rae wrapped up 2019 in triumph, winning the grand prize at the MBC Entertainment Awards. Park, 34, appreciated for her achievements on TV shows “I Live Alone,” and “Where Is My Home,” was awarded the top prize at a ceremony at the broadcasting station’s headquarters in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, Sunday.  “I honestly did not think that I deserved the prize, but as a human, I really wanted to receive it,” she said in her acceptance s

Dec 29, 2019

Korean content drawing interest in Korean culture in US

The rising popularity of South Korean cultural content is drawing interest among US consumers in Korea’s culture and its products, according to a recent survey by a state-run agency.The Korea Creative Content Agency on Friday released the results of a survey it conducted from July to September on consumer trends in the US market related to Korean content. The online survey had three categories -- Korea pop, Korean dramas and Korean variety shows. In all three sections, respondents wer

Dec 23, 2019

Actor Jung Woo-sung to produce new Netflix original series

Top actor Jung Woo-sung is set to produce a new Netflix series. Netflix on Monday announced Jung will be producing “The Sea of Tranquility,” Jung’s first production with the global media platform.Jung, a high-profile screen actor, has been showing keen interest in producing and directing. In 2016, he debuted as a film producer with “Remembering You,” in which he also starred as the male lead.Jung, who was recently awarded the grand prize in the film category at the

Dec 20, 2019

SBS reality dating show to be remade in Vietnam

South Korean TV channel SBS' popular reality dating show, "Jjak," will be reproduced and aired in Vietnam this month, the channel said Friday.Vietnamese TV channel HTV7 will air the first episode of the Vietnamese version, "The Love Game," during prime time next Friday, according to SBS.The South Korean TV channel has taken part in the production of the Vietnamese program, it said.The show ran for three years till early 2014 in South Korea, featuring an unpredictable process

Dec 19, 2019

With breakout trot music career, Yoo Jae-suk pioneers new reality show genre

Top star comedian and TV show emcee Yoo Jae-suk showed up in a red stage suit embroidered with a gold dragon and a matching red fedora for a press conference on Thursday, the typical costume of his alter ego, Yoo San-seul.What started as a comedy project under MBC's reality show, "Hangout with Yoo," led to Yoo's full-fledged trot music career under the stage name Yoo San-seul after the Korean name of a popular Chinese seafood dish.Yoo officially released a three-track trot album, "

Dec 9, 2019

Secret love story between Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin takes place in North Korea

The new tvN drama “Crash Landing on You,” starring seasoned actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, features a secret romance across the border between South and North Korea. The fantasy-romance drama begins as Yoon Se-ri, heiress of a South Korean conglomerate, accidently lands in North Korea while paragliding, and meets Lee Jung-hyuk, a North Korean commissioned officer.  Yoon, played by Son, soon falls in love with the North Korean officer, played by Hyun Bin, who tries to help the a

Dec 8, 2019

Married actresses returning to small screen after childbirth

In local entertainment circles, big-time actresses used to disappear from the public eye after marriage in the past. Lately, however, a number of married actresses are returning to the small screen after lengthy hiatuses for the entertainment of their fans.Kim Tae-hee, who married the singer Rain in January 2017 and bore two daughters, will resume acting by appearing in "Hi Bye, Mama!" -- a new drama set to air on tvN in the first half of next year.The drama tells the story of a housew