"Tunnel," a new time-slip crime series on South Korean cable channel OCN, has become the talk of the town on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, a talent agency said Thursday.The number of posts mentioning "Tunnel," which premiered last week, rose to more than 660,000 on Weibo as of early Thursday, according to G-Tree Creative, which represents the show's lead actor Choi Jin-hyuk. (OCN)"This shows the high level of interest among (Chinese) fans despite the import ban on South Korean cultura

Show deliberately paced to accentuate character growth, writer Scott Buck says

Actor Jang Keun-suk has helped a Mongolian teenager get treatment for ovarian cancer in South Korea, his management agency said Wednesday.Tree J Company said Jang covered the cost for the patient's trip and medical treatment after he had heard that her family wasn't able to pay for the expenses. He also thought it would be better for her to receive treatment in Korea with better medical facilities.  The undated photo provided by Tree J Company shows South Korean actor Jang Geun-suk. (Yonhap)The

Taking up the baton from the hit SBS series “Defendant,” which ended its 18-episode run last week, the new revenge drama “Whisper” is off to a strong start, leading in ratings with 13.9 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.Its first episode, aired Monday at 10 p.m. on SBS, set the tone for a dark tale of ambition and vindication. Actress Lee Bo-young returns to the small screen after her role as a feisty prosecutor in the 2013 show “I Can Hear Your Voice,” this time as policewoman Shin Young-joo,

"Radiant Office," MBC TV's new late night office drama, debuted at No. 1 on a benchmark TV popularity index, while bigger shows took a back seat, data showed Tuesday. "Radiant Office" scored 254.1 points on the Content Power Index, becoming the most popular TV program during the March 13-March 19 period. (MBC)CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stories, online search tallies and buzz on

"Whisper," SBS TV's new crime thriller, looks and feels similar to its preceding hit show "Defendant" in many ways.Both are in essence tales of revenge: In "Defendant," the protagonist framed for murder avenges his dead wife and clears his name, while the lead in "Whisper," a female police officer, seeks revenge on a judge who convicts her dad of murder. The cast of SBS TV's new thriller "Whisper" pose for the camera during a press conference at the SBS headquarters in western Seoul on March 24,

The broadcasting regulator on Friday renewed the licenses for three general-programming cable TV channels on the condition that they curtail programs criticized for providing incorrect and biased information and using inappropriate language.The Korea Communications Commission made the decision during a plenary session as their previous three-year licenses are to expire next month.JTBC run by the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper was allowed to continue its operations until Nov. 30, 2020, and TV Chosun, ru

With two more episodes to go, "Good Manager" retained its lead in the Wednesday-Thursday late night TV drama race, while its competitors slightly caught up. Episode 18 of KBS 2TV's "Good Manger," which aired Thursday evening, recorded a 17 percent viewership, according to Nielsen Korea. It marks a 0.4 percentage point dip from the previous broadcast but still towered over its main competitors. This image provided by Logos Film shows the cast of the KBS 2TV office series "Good Manager." (Yonhap)S

Actress Ku Hye-sun has dropped out from MBC TV's weekend drama "You Are Too Much" due to health issues, the network and her agency said Friday."Ku was recently rushed to a hospital emergency room during filming, after showing symptoms of nausea and breathing problems," YG Entertainment, Ku's agency, said.  (Yonhap)The actress was diagnosed with a severe case of anaphylaxis, a type of serious allergic reaction, and was recommended by her doctor to undergo long-term treatment.Ku was cast as the co

The smash-hit television series "Descendants of the Sun" received the top honor at the 2017 Korea Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards on Monday.The series garnered high scores for its quality screenplay and depiction of the core humanitarian values of peace and dedication while being hugely popular at home and abroad as a successful pre-produced drama series, according to the Korea Communications Commission, the nation's broadcasting watchdog body. (Yonhap)Broadcast simultaneously on S

It's been quite some time since "meokbang," a Korean popular cultural phenomenon of people broadcasting themselves preparing food and eating, penetrated mainstream television. An average South Korean hardly has difficulty in seeing a TV celebrity indulging in some epicurean delicacy in front of a national audience every week.  (Yonhap)Yet apparently, the TV market segment on food still has room to grow. Director Na Yeong-seok, who has virtually brought the meokbang genre to mainstream TV via tvN

"Defendant," SBS TV's popular late night crime thriller, kept a firm grip on a benchmark TV popularity index, as the series prepares to bow out from an explosive 18-episode run, data showed Tuesday.  (Yonhap)"Defendant," starring Ji Sung, scored 269.5 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), staying as the No. 1 TV program during the March 6-March 12 period.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of relate

Ji Chang-wook will star in an upcoming SBS drama titled “Be Careful of This Woman.” Actor Ji Chang-wook (Glorious Entertainment)“Ji Chang-wook decided to accept the lead role. He will play Noh Ji-wook, the prosecutor in the drama,” a representative from his agency, Glorious Entertainment, said. “Noh is a genuine all-rounder who’s excellent in math, music, sports and more.”Actress Han Ji-min was recently offered the female lead role of Eun Bong-hee, but has not yet made a decision, according to B

"Good Manager" maintained a firm grip on its lead in the Wednesday-Thursday late night TV drama race, while new office series "Radiant Office" lagged far behind in the 3-percent range, data showed Friday. Episode 16 of KBS 2TV's "Good Manger," which aired Thursday evening, recorded a 17.1-percent viewership, according to Nielsen Korea. It marks a 1.3 percentage point dip from the previous broadcast but still towered over its main competitors.SBS TV's "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" stood at 10.2 pe

TvN’s “Saturday Night Live Korea” will return for its ninth season, featuring Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation as its first host, the cable network said Thursday. 　“Sooyoung is very motivated and she has a good sense of humor so she will create good synergy with SNL,” the show’s production team said. 　The official promotional image of Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation starring on season nine of “Saturday Night Live Korea” (tvN)Sooyoung has shown her sense of humor on other TV shows, for which her fans