Subscription rates for streaming services are rising amid already high inflation, and such price hikes are stoking a boom in Koreans' use of illegal streaming sites. Local streaming service Tving is the latest to jump on the bandwagon, raising its subscription price some 20 percent starting in December. The subscription price for Tving's basic plan -- which allows content viewing at a resolution of 720p and is limited to one viewer at a time -- will rise by 20.3 percent from 7,900 won

Winter is here, and that means prime time for heartwarming love stories. While Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., caught many viewers’ eyes with exciting superhero action flick “Moving” and spy thriller “Vigilante,” the streamer is set to wrap up the year with two romantic love stories in “Tell Me That You Love Me” and “Soundtrack #2.” Adapted from a 1995 Japanese drama series of the same title, “

Terrestrial broadcaster SBS on Monday confirmed that V of K-pop sensation BTS and actor Yoo Seung-ho will star in its hit variety show, “Running Man,” in an episode set to air on Dec. 3. V, who was a guest on episode 671 (Sept. 10) was praised by the hosts, production staff and viewers after showcasing his skills in the psychological battle round and his ability to lead the show in various missions. He was admired for his poker face and using his acting to gain an advantage in the ga

Mystery thriller series “The Deal” is set to be released on a global streaming service and screened at an upcoming international film festival. The eight-part series, which premiered locally Oct. 6, spurred a rise in the number of paid subscribers and unique visitors to domestic streamer Wavve in the four days following its release. The series also secured the top spot on Taiwanese streaming platform FriDay. “‘The Deal’ is set to be released globally via Rakuten Vik

The local production teams behind hit drama series “Castaway Diva” and the third season of reality show “Unexpected Business" recently issued official apologies for lack of caution while shooting their projects. Controversy erupted Monday afternoon when a resident of Jeju Island shared that the production team of “Castaway Diva” had left a pile of stones near Hwanguji Coast in Seogwipo, in the south of the island. The props were used to shoot a scene in which t

Netflix original series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” set in a psychiatric ward, has quickly spread by word of mouth since its Nov. 3 release, with many viewers praising the 12-episode series. As of Wednesday, the TV drama ranked fourth on the non-English top 10 TV chart for Netflix. It was listed among the top 10 shows in 28 regions, according to Netflix. Unlike other successful medical dramas like “Behind the White Tower” (2007), “Dr. Romantic” (2016) and &ldquo

KBS’ new President Park Min has promised a major reform of the country’s largest public broadcaster, announcing a structural overhaul, the relocation of employees, and measures to deal with worsening financial conditions and ever-declining public trust. “Today, I am standing in front of you to publicly apologize for disappointing the public and viewers with the broadcaster’s inability to deliver accurate, objective news and quality content,” Park said in a press con

Terrestrial broadcaster KBS premiered its new epic historical drama “Goryeo-Khitan War” on Saturday with much anticipation, but the first two episodes of the series fell short of the expectations of many TV drama fans who felt nostalgic for the spectacular Korean period dramas that dominated the creative content industry for many years in the early 2000s. “Goryeo-Khitan War,” the broadcast’s 34th period drama, unfolds the stories of King Hyeongjong (Kim Dong-jun) of

Netflix Korea on Sunday confirmed the premiere of the highly anticipated horror thriller, “Gyeongseong Creature,” in December. The series will be split into two different parts, with the first seven episodes being presented as “Gyeongseong Creature Part 1,” and the remaining three episodes scheduled to be released Jan. 5. With a star-studded lineup in terms of both its creators and cast, the thriller-action series is regarded as one of the year's must-see projects.

Park Hae-soo from “Squid Game” and “Narco-Saints,” and Shin Min-a from “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” and “Our Blues” will meet for Netflix’s new crime thriller series, “Karma” (working title). The Korean original title roughly translates to “ill-fated relationship.” Based on the Kakao webtoon of the same title by Hwang Joon-ho, the series follows characters who are tightly entangled in doomed relationships. “Karma&rdquo

National broadcaster KBS's flagship comedy TV show, "Gag Concert," is set to return after a hiatus of over three years. "Gag Concert," which first aired in September 1999, ended its first season after 1,050 episodes in June 2020. It garnered much more popularity compared to its competitors such as cable channel tvN's "Comedy Big League" and "Saturday Night Live Korea." The second season of "Gag Concert" will reportedly focus on "

Kakao Entertainment blockbuster webtoon “A Business Proposal” is being adapted into Viu’s new TV drama in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong-based streaming service Viu has cast sought-after local actors, including model and actor Hanna Chan, and singers Anson Lo and Edan Lui, Kakao Entertainment said. While Chan will play female lead Shin Ha-ri -- a young office worker originally played by Kim Se-jong, Lo and Lui star the series as CEO Kang Tae-moo and his secretary Cha Sung-hoon, r

K-pop boy band Enhypen is scheduled to perform on MBC’s “Show! Music Core” for the first time since its debut in 2020, signaling an end to a yearslong dispute between the group's agency Hybe and the broadcaster. Though the group has starred in various local music shows, including KBS’ “Music Bank,” SBS’ “Inkigayo” and more, Enhypen -- along with other Hybe artists -- have not been able to perform on MBC programs since a disagreement ov

“Vigilante,” director Choi Jeong-yeol’s crime/action thriller based on a webtoon of the same title by Kim Kyu-sam, offers a reflection of growing public frustration and fury over what some view as the justice system's failure to adequately punish those who commit the most heinous crimes. Accidents caused by drunk drivers, drugs, domestic violence, attempted murders and insurance fraud are all crimes we read about in the news on a near-daily basis. For Kim Ji-yong (Nam

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

Director Lee Jae-gyu, most recently known for “All of Us Are Dead,” has returned with comedy series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” a Netflix original series set in a psychiatric ward. Park Bo-young stars as a kind-hearted nurse working at a psychiatric ward, dealing with a variety of patients and colleagues. Lee Jung-eun (“Parasite,” “Our Blues”) appears as a head nurse who supports Da-eun. Yeon Woo-jin stars as Go-yoon, a doctor in charge of proctologi

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

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

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

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