'Gyeongseong Creature' inadvertently raises historical awareness among viewers around the world

While the show's writer and director clearly said that their intention for "Gyeongseong Creature," a Netflix original drama series, was to show how the people of the time lived, the show inadvertently raised awareness about the harrowing history of the Japanese colonization of Korea among viewers around the world. "Gyeongseong Creature," which ended Jan. 5, has enjoyed global success, securing its position on Netflix's global top 10 list in the TV (Non-English) ca

Jan. 30, 2024

'SNL Korea' lawsuit sheds light on streaming shows' working conditions

The legal disputes surrounding the popular Korean entertainment show "SNL Korea" is shedding light on the poor working conditions experienced by staff working at production companies that supply content to streaming services, according to experts, Monday. South Korean production company Astory, which produces content for various streaming services, said on Thursday the company has filed a lawsuit claiming 7 billion won ($5.2 million) in damages for restraint of trade against CP Enter

Jan. 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon explore paradoxical nature of family in 'The Bequeathed'

South Korean veteran actors Kim Hyun-joo and Park Hee-soon said, through their latest work "The Bequeathed," they wanted to ask their audience about the meaning of family. Netflix's six-part mystery thriller "The Bequeathed" tells the story of Yoon Seo-ha, who becomes mired in a series of ominous events including the murder of her husband, after inheriting a family grave site from her deceased uncle. The series explores the concept of family in depth, while incorporating

Jan. 28, 2024

How ‘Sing Again’ stays a hit brand in a sea of audition shows

A 27-year-old office worker Choi Ji-yeon recently bought a ticket for a concert of the Top 10 participants of the audition program “Sing Again 3.” Tickets for the concert sold out within 10 minutes of opening, showing the popularity of the program. “I have been a big fan of the program since its first season. In the recent season, I’m obsessed with the voice of So Soo-bin, the runner-up of the show,” said Choi. “Audition program is one of the most common theme

Jan. 25, 2024

Korean TV programs show former couples together amid cultural shift

South Korean entertainment shows which invite past lovers on the program are gaining popularity. Following a shift in Korean culture towards more openly discussing past relationships, there is an increase in audience demand for shows to more directly fulfill innate desires, according to experts. Korean streaming service Tving said the reality dating show "Transit Love 3" ranked first among the platform's original titles in contributing to the rising number of paid subscribers on

Jan. 23, 2024

Korean dramas depicting countryside youth enjoy bump in popularity

The end of 2023 and start of 2024 have been flooded with South Korean dramas depicting the lives of youth who lead their lives in countryside, amid the increase in demand from the audience for stress relief, according to experts, Monday. "Welcome to Samdal-ri," a popular 16-part JTBC romantic comedy drama, which released its first episode on Dec. 2, 2023, wrapped up with its last episode on Sunday. The drama series narrates the story of Cho Sam-dal (played by Shin Hye-sun), who lived i

Jan. 22, 2024

Kakao Entertainment names new CEOs amid continued controversy

Kakao Entertainment said Friday it has designated the company's Chief Operating Officer Kweon Ki-su and Global Strategy Officer Joseph Chang as the company's co-chief executive officers, in a bid to push for reform amid public criticisms surrounding the company's alleged stock manipulations. According to Kakao Entertainment, before Kweon and Chang are officially appointed, which will take place after Kakao's board meetings and shareholders' meetings, the two co-CEO nomin

Jan. 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'The Bequeathed' merges concepts of horror and family

Yeon Sang-ho, star director of mega-hits such as the 2016 zombie film "Train to Busan" and the 2021 Netflix original fantasy drama series "Hellbound," is back with "The Bequeathed," a new Netflix original thriller drama series. "The Bequeathed" is a 6-part series that focuses on a series of ominous events which occur after Yoon Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo) receives a family grave site as inheritance following the death of her uncle. Conflict heightens as her half

Jan. 18, 2024

'LTNS' satirizes realities of today's sexless, adulterous couples

The life of a married couple who have lost interest in each other will be examined in "LTNS," Tving's new original series, offering a no-holds-barred depiction of the realities of couples today, promised actors Ahn Jae-hong and Lee So-young, also known as Esom, during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. "LTNS," short for "Long Time No Sex," is a 6-part drama series that uses black comedy to tell the story of Woo-jin (played by Esom) and Samuel (played by Ahn

Jan. 18, 2024

KBS employees fined W30m for abuse and death of horse

A Seoul court on Wednesday fined three KBS employees a total of 30 million won ($22,338), holding them accountable for the death of a horse on the set of a drama production in 2021. The Seoul Southern District Court convicted the three employees -- a 59-year-old drama producer surnamed Kim, a martial arts director and an equestrian -- of animal abuse among other charges for the torture and killing of a horse while shooting a scene for the local broadcaster’s "The King of Tears, Lee

Jan. 17, 2024

[Herald Interview] Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee say historical themes drew them to 'Gyeongseong Creature'

Actors Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee said they most wanted to portray the lives of people living in 1945, when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, through their roles in "Gyeongseong Creature." The final episode of the first season of the 10-part Netflix original series aired on Jan. 5. "Gyeongseong Creature" tells the story of Jang Tae-sung (Park Seo-joon) and Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee), who investigate clandestine operations taking place in a hidden basement of a hospita

Jan. 17, 2024

'Captivating the King' to capture love-hate relationship between king and spy

Sparks are set to fly as South Korean actors Jo Jung-suk and Shin Se-kyung star in tvN's new historical romance drama "Captivating the King," in which they will portray a love-hate relationship between a king and a spy. The 16-part drama series centers around the relationship between Lee In (played by Jo Jung-suk), who rises to the position of king of Joseon, and Kang Hee-soo (played by Shin Se-kyung), a spy who approaches him seeking revenge. "Although it is a fusion histo

Jan. 17, 2024

Are Korean dramas struggling on Netflix?

Despite the continued success of Netflix's global hit Korean drama originals such as “Squid Game,” "The Glory," and "Hellbound," which have all topped Netflix's non-English TV series weekly chart in succession, Netflix's recent K-drama original releases made at higher production costs are struggling to reap the same results. According to Netflix's "Global Top 10" list, which ranks its titles in four categories including "Film (En

Jan. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Single's Inferno 3' may be most successful season yet

The producers of Netflix dating show "Single's Inferno 3" said the third season was the most successful compared to previous seasons. The last episode of "Single's Inferno 3" was aired Tuesday amid much excited squabbles about the cast's actions and their decisions on their final partners. "'Single's Inferno' and 'Single's Inferno 2' garnered total viewing hours of some 6 million viewing hours, respectively, but the third seas

Jan. 15, 2024

'Island' wins best original digital drama at Asian Television Awards

South Korean streaming service Tving said Sunday its original drama series "Island" notched an accolade at the 2023 Asian Television Awards, which honors production achievements in the Asian television industry annually. According to Tving, the first part of "Island" won the award for best original digital drama series at the 28th ATA held in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. "Island," helmed by star director Park Bae-jong, who is best known for the hit film "Welcom

Jan. 14, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Gyeongseong Creature' focuses on human stories of 1945, not monsters

With a whopping total production cost of 70 billion won ($53 million), the first season of "Gyeongseong Creature," touted as one of Netflix Korea's most anticipated original dramas of the second half of 2023, aired its last episode on Friday. "Gyeongseong Creature" tells the story of Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee) and Jang Tae-sung (Park Seo-joon), who set out on a journey for survival in 1945, during the Japanese colonial period in Korea. Since its release, the drama serie

Jan. 10, 2024

Webtoon based drama series to dominate in early 2024

Drama series adaptations of renowned South Korean webtoons are set to open the new year, riding high on the continued success of Korean webtoon-based dramas on global streaming services. "Man and Woman," a 10-part drama series adaptation of the hit Naver webtoon series of the same name, began airing on cable TV network Channel A Dec. 26 and continues through to Feb. 27. The webtoon series ranked seventh on Naver Webtoon's Top 10 most-read list despite its R-rating, meaning you hav

Jan. 8, 2024

Korean American director's 'Beef' wins big at 81st Golden Globe Awards

Korean American director Lee Sung-jin’s road-rage drama on Netflix, “Beef,” won big at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, which took place in Beverly Hills on Sunday night local time. Along with best TV series, the two lead actors in “Beef” – Steven Yeun and Ali Wong – won the best actor and actress awards, respectively. The awards marked the first Golden Globes win for both Yeun and Wong. In his speech after being named Best Male Actor in a Limited Series, K

Jan. 8, 2024

'Gyeongseong Creature' spin-off webtoon to be released

Kakao Entertainment, a content arm under Korea’s IT giant Kakao Corp., said Friday that a spin-off webtoon series of the Netflix original "Gyeongseong Creature" will be released on Kakao Webtoon and KakaoPage starting Jan. 20. Netflix's 10-part thriller drama "Gyeongseong Creature" centers around the stories of Jang Tae-sang (Park Seo-jun) and Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee), who infiltrate a hospital in the city of Gyeongseong (now Seoul) in 1945 -- where human experime

Jan. 5, 2024

KBS cancels 'Beat Coin' despite show's streaming popularity

Korean Broadcasting System's decision to cancel "Beat Coin," which has been widely popular on streaming platforms but less so on the terrestrial television network's airwaves, has come under fire from the show's fans, who argue that the state broadcaster is prioritizing viewership ratings and profitability over general viewer sentiment. Starring comedians Hong Jin-kyung, Kim Sook and Jo Se-ho, model Joo Woo-jae and singer Wooyoung, "Beat Coin" is a variety show

Jan. 3, 2024