What if you could meet your favorite YouTubers in real life? That became a reality over the weekend at the YouTube Fanfest Korea 2025 in Seoul, where a three-day pop-up experience in Seongsu-dong and a live concert event at KBS Arena brought fans face-to-face with their favorite digital creators. Running from Friday through Sunday, the Seongsu pop-up drew massive crowds despite the scorching early summer heat. Packed with installations, interactive booths and surprise in-person appearances, the

Adapting a hit webtoon into live action has become a go-to move for drama creators, lowering risk while guaranteeing a ready-made fanbase eager to leap from digital panels to episodic storytelling. It is no surprise that original screenplays are becoming the exception rather than the rule in today’s drama landscape. Netflix Korea’s tentpole series “Mercy for None” rode that wave, bringing one of the most critically acclaimed webtoons to life with a star-studded ensemble cast. Fans were especiall

Asia is getting its own take on the Eurovision Song Contest. Apparently, “Veiled Musician,” an upcoming global audition show from leading South Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System, was made with the world's longest-running television music competition in mind. Featuring participants from 13 countries — Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos — the show, slated to premiere later this year, will kick off

Popular South Korean streaming services Tving and Wavve have been given the green light for a merger. On Tuesday, the Fair Trade Commission granted conditional approval for the merger of the two platforms, imposing a measure that requires the companies to maintain their current subscription fee levels through the end of 2026 in order to prevent potential price hikes tied to the launch of bundled products. Entertainment giant CJ ENM currently owns Tving, while Wavve operates as a joint venture be

“Squid Game” is coming to an end with its third and final season, set to premiere June 27 on Netflix. As anticipation builds, series director Hwang Dong-hyuk and key cast members opened up about what fans can expect — and how they’re addressing both the shortcomings of Season 2 and the headline-making spoiler leaks that surfaced ahead of the new season. Season 3 picks up in the aftermath of Season 2’s events, following Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he grapples with his failed attempt at rebellion. Me

When it comes to actors, there are generally two types: those whose names come to mind first, and those whose performances lead you to recall their characters before the actor behind them. Kim Da-mi belongs in the latter category. Her role in the action-thriller "The Witch" (2018) as a remorseless killer, followed by her turn as a sociopathic genius in "Itaewon Class" (2020), established her as a chameleon-like actor whose characters overshadow her own identity. Her latest role in "Nine Puzzles"

Son Suk-ku's hit series streak is showing no signs of stopping. His latest project, "Nine Puzzles," debuted on Disney+ on May 21 and quickly soared to become the second most-watched Korean title on the platform during its premiere week, trailing only behind Disney+ Korea's record-breaking series "Moving." Meanwhile, JTBC’s fantasy human drama "Heavenly Ever After," which premiered on April 19, has emerged as one of the most buzzworthy dramas of the first half of 2025. This is thanks in part to i

Two icons converge in Netflix Korea’s latest crime noir series as one of the country’s most widely beloved webtoons gets the live-action treatment with fan-favorite actor So Ji-sub stepping into the lead role. Titled “Mercy for None,” the series follows Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), a former gangster who resurfaces after an 11-year disappearance to avenge his brother’s death. Adapted from the wildly popular Naver Webtoon of the same name, which ran from 2020 to 2021, the series builds on the source materi

South Korea’s three major broadcast networks, KBS, MBC and SBS, aired marathon coverage of Tuesday’s presidential election running some eight hours, with MBC emerging as the clear ratings leader. According to Nielsen Korea, MBC’s “Election 2025” drew the highest nationwide household viewership across all parts of its six-segment broadcast. Its ratings climbed steadily, with Part 1 drawing 4.3 percent, peaking at 14.5 percent in Part 3, and concluding at 5.4 percent in Part 6. MBC was the only ne

South Korea’s major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hours of marathon programming, each with a distinct editorial style. National broadcaster KBS opted for a documentarylike, serious tone, while SBS took a more energetic approach, incorporating upbeat music such as 10cm’s “To Reach You” and prominently featuring its teddy bear mascot, Toopyoro. Meanwhile, MBC stuck to a relatively traditional, news-driven format, delivering

MBC, one of South Korea’s leading television networks, is facing mounting backlash from its own producers following the decision to broadcast Disney+ Korea’s hit original series "Big Bet," beginning in July. The series, which stars veteran actors Choi Min-sik and Son Suk-ku, originally ran on Disney+ for two seasons between 2022 and 2023. MBC has confirmed that "Big Bet" will air Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m. throughout July, while the second season will move to a regular Sunday night slot st

Season 2 of Netflix’s survival game show "Devil’s Plan" generated intense buzz — though not for the reasons the creators might have hoped. While season 1 earned praise for its intense mind games and unpredictable strategy, the second season has received heavy criticism for the behavior of its participants and a controversial outcome that left viewers divided. Continuing with a new lineup of contestants from diverse professions — including legendary Go player Lee Se-dol, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, a

A smash-hit webtoon driven by a mission to eradicate school violence is getting the live-action treatment. "One: High School Heroes," Wavve’s latest original series, is set to premiere this Friday with a star-studded ensemble, including Lee Jung-ha, best known as the superpowered lead of the Disney+ series "Moving," and Yuk Jun-seo, the breakout heartthrob from Netflix’s "Single’s Inferno." The coming-of-age action drama centers on Eui-gyum (played by Lee), a top student burdened by his domineer

Today, a show's failure to achieve high ratings on TV does not mean failure. Increasingly, content is experiencing a divide between streaming success and traditional broadcast viewership. As of Wednesday, "Tastefully Yours," a romantic comedy headlined by Korean stars Go Min-si and Kang Ha-neul, has soared to No. 2 on Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV series. The series also clinched the fourth spot on the streamer’s Korea rankings for the top 10 most-watched series. Despite its streaming m

The popular dance competition series "Street Woman Fighter" is back for a third season — this time, with only one Korean team. "World of Street Woman Fighter," the show's latest iteration, features competition between dance crews from five countries: South Korea’s Bumsup, the United States’ Motiv, Japan’s Osaka Ojo Gang and RHTokyo, New Zealand’s Royal Family and Australia’s AG Squad. Series producer Choi Jung-nam said the decision to include crews from other countries was aimed at showcasing mo