The Korea Herald

Song Joong-ki revealed as secret donor

Mar 8, 2016

Actor Song Joong-ki has recently been nabbing the spotlight for more than his charismatic performance on popular TV series “Descendants of the Sun.” In a blog post last week, the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation revealed that the rising actor has been consistently donating to cancer-stricken children since 2011.　According to the post, over 10 children have received treatments with the funds Song has provided anonymously over the years. Both the foundation and Song’s agency declined to disclos
'Pied Piper' debuts with moderate viewership

Mar 8, 2016

A tvN series on crisis negotiation got off to a moderate start on Monday, renewing the viewership record for the Monday-Tuesday night time slot.The pilot episode of "Pied Piper," starring actor Shin Ha-kyun as police negotiator Ju Seong-chan, drew 3.7 percent of TV viewers, data by Nielsen Korea showed. That's 0.1 percentage point higher than that of its predecessor and previous record holder "Cheese in the Trap."Ju is a corporate negotiator-turned-policeman who has seemingly mastered the art of
KBS sweeps weekly viewership, tvN leads cable with 'Signal'

Mar 7, 2016

Terrestrial network KBS beat rivals MBC and SBS in three of the most popular drama time slots with "Sweet Home, Sweet Honey," "Five Children" and "Descendants of the Sun," data showed Monday."Sweet Home, Sweet Honey," a KBS 1TV family drama, was viewed by 26.5 percent of TV homes between last Monday to Sunday, Nielsen Korea data showed. MBC's "Beautiful You," on the same Monday-Friday night time slot, finished with roughly half that viewership at 13.2 percent.On the weekend drama front, KBS 2TV'
Actor Park Bo-gum to take on period drama after 'Reply 1988'

Mar 4, 2016

Actor Park Bo-gum, a Korean prodigy from the recent tvN drama "Reply 1988," is to be the leading man in an upcoming period drama, his agency said Friday.Park will play the crown prince in KBS 2TV's "Moonlight Drawn By Clouds," which premieres in the latter half of this year, Blossom Entertainment said.The series, based on a web novel of the same name, tells a love story of crown prince Hyomyung in the late Joseon Dynasty."It's a coming-of-age story set in the Joseon period, for which no historic
'Descendants of the Sun' carries on strong viewership

Mar 3, 2016

KBS 2TV's new television series "Descendants of the Sun" hit the jackpot, collecting more than 20 percent of viewership nationwide, Nielsen Korea data showed Thursday. In its third episode, the show starring actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo drew 23.4 percent of viewers nationwide, the data showed.Higher percentage of viewers turned up in Seoul at 25.8 percent and around Seoul at 24.6 percent for the series produced by Lee Eung-bok and written by star screenwriter Kim Eun-sook.This is
'Cool Kiz on the Block' turns volleyball into eye-candy sport

Mar 3, 2016

"Cool Kiz on the Block," a KBS 2TV reality show, has elevated volleyball to a new height -- aesthetically.Eight male celebrities have been recruited for Team Cool Kiz, and they include actors Oh Man-seok, Jo Dong-hyuk, Lee Jae-yoon and Japanese model Ryohei Otani. Two of them -- Otani and rookie actor Hak Jin -- are former volleyball pros. Otani started volleyball in fourth grade and played for a professional team in Osaka, Japan, until college. Hak Jin has much the same history, having played p
[Herald Review] ‘Cheese in the Trap’ caught in deluge of complaints

Mar 2, 2016

Drama series based on webtoon irks fans of original work for failing to deliver
KBS World program to air K-pop special on 10th anniversary

Mar 2, 2016

KBS World, the international service of the terrestrial network KBS, said Wednesday it will broadcast a K-pop special on the 10th anniversary of its news program later this week.　“KBS World News Today” will interview non-Korean fans of K-pop on the set of “Music Bank,” a KBS music program, on Thursday, KBS World said.　It will air segments produced by KBS correspondents in Brazil and China who followed aspiring K-pop artists in the two countries.　The news program will also introduce Myeong-dong a
Two Korean TV series to be shown in Myanmar

Mar 2, 2016

Two popular Korean television series will be shown on Myanmar's state-run channel starting next month, cultural authorities said Wednesday."A Thousand Days' Promise" and "Cinderella's Sister" will be shown on Myanmar's MRTV, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and its affiliate Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange said. This is their first joint project to provide foreign channels with selected Korean TV content free of charge. It remains unknown exactly when the two seri
Actor Park Bo-gum from 'Reply 1988' overcame bankruptcy in Sept.: sources

Mar 2, 2016

Actor Park Bo-gum, who recently gained nationwide popularity through the tvN hit drama "Reply 1988," bounced back from bankruptcy last year, legal sources said Wednesday.The 22-year-old actor was declared bankrupt in March 2015, after he filed a petition for bankruptcy and exemption from liability with the Seoul Central District Court in 2014, according to the sources.Park has been cleared of his bankruptcy status just six months after the declaration, following the creditor's agreement to abide
Korea-China co-produced drama for kids to show on EBS

Feb 29, 2016

An action drama for children on the saga of ancient China will be aired on a key South Korean TV channel starting this week, the channel said Monday.Co-produced by South Korea and China, the blockbuster drama named "Legend Hero" will be shown every Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. on the Educational Broadcasting Station. China Film Animation is a co-producer of EBS.The historic drama has been filmed with special effects at the production expense of some 7 billion won, according to EBS.The 50-epi
TV drama 'Signal' enjoying high viewer ratings

Feb 29, 2016

The tvN TV drama "Signal" registered a national rating average of 10.9 percent for the 11th episode on Friday, proving to be a big hit after "Reply 1988" syndrome.Starting with a 6 percent rating for its first episode on Jan. 22, "Signal," which screens every Friday and Saturday, has been gaining an additional 1 percent with each following episode on average, according to Nielsen and reports on Saturday.The drama, starring Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Je-hoon, is about detectives working o
Jang Hyuk to appear in Chinese drama

Feb 26, 2016

　Korean actor Jang Hyuk has signed on to appear in the Chinese drama “Mei Feng Mei,” the actor’s agency SidusHQ announced Friday.　It has been six years since Jang last appeared in a Chinese drama. In 2010 he starred in “Fall in Love with Anchor Beauty,” a Chinese remake of the Korean drama “All about Eve.” Actor Jang Hyuk (SidusHQ)　Jang’s new drama “Mei Feng Mei” will feature a story of ambitious immigrants seeking to make their dreams come true in a heaven-like city, where the actor will play
Actress Jo Yoon-hee works with old crush in 'Pied Piper'

Feb 25, 2016

They say don't mix business with pleasure, but actress Jo Yoon-hee has gotten pretty close in the upcoming TV series "Pied Piper."Jo, who plays the sympathetic crisis negotiator Yeo Myeong-ha, has partnered with actor Shin Ha-kyun, her former crush."Acting with (Shin) has been amazing. Personally, he used to be my ideal man," Jo told a news conference discussing the tvN police thriller on Thursday. "I was excited and honored just to be able to work with him. He didn't disappoint."Asked around wh
Ex-reality TV actress says she hesitated to accept mom role

Feb 25, 2016

Here's a common dilemma that Korean actresses face: when to start playing moms.Actress Kim So-yeon says she had to think long and hard about whether she should accept the role of Bong Hye-ryeong, an unhappy housewife in the upcoming weekend drama "Gahwamansaseong." The title is a Korean saying that roughly translates as "a happy family makes for an easy life."The 35-year-old is better known for her reality show appearances. She was on MBC's "Real Men - Female Soldier Special,"in which she got a