The Naver webtoon series “Yumi’s Cells” may be the perfect example of versatile multimedia content, with plans for it to be adapted as an animation and a musical. The animation version of the webtoon for cinematic release will be co-produced by a Naver subsidiary, Studio N, and by local animation production company Locus, which created the 2019 hit “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs. The company is aiming to release the animation in cinemas in the first half of 2023, acco

For global star Song Hye-kyo, the decision to come back with another melodrama after just two years brought with it a bag of mixed emotions. “After tvN’s ‘Encounter’ (2019), many fans have been waiting for my return to the small screen with another beautiful romance story, but I am certain that there are some viewers who already feel tired of watching another melodrama by Song Hye-kyo,” said Song in an online press conference recorded in mid-August that was releas

Joining the ranks of Korean dramas and K-pop in gaining popularity worldwide is Korean animation series “Catch! Teenieping,” which has caught on with kids around the globe. “Catch! Teenieping” topped Netflix Korea’s trending kids category four days after the launch of its first season. YouTube channel Teenieping TV, meanwhile, has over 208,000 followers. The series has been widely watched in Australia and North America, where it has ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respect

Television director Hyun Don hopes to bring back the heyday of cooking shows with “The War of Chefs.” “After producing multiple seasons of ‘Hansik Battle,’ I worked on other food programs. But it is when I am presenting outstanding Korean dishes that I feel most comfortable,” Hyun said in an online press conference Monday. Unlike “Hansik Battle,” which took on a tournament format, the director’s latest show has adopted a team competition fo

Lee Sang-youb, who directed the webtoon-based tvN drama “Yumi’s cells,” did not expect to receive many compliments about the show after the first season ended, knowing his adaption of the well-beloved original web comics might disappoint some fans. “Because the original webtoon, written and drawn by author Lee Dong-gun, was such a popular work and loved by many readers, I worried a lot and had many things to consider. But I was happy to hear that the first season of &ls

Veteran director Kim Jee-woon, debuting as a TV series producer after a 23-year film career, is feeling a mixed bag of emotions. “I am very nervous and excited about ‘Dr. Brain’ being the first Korean-language original of Apple TV+. I feel like I am here to showcase my debut project as a rookie director,” the director said in an online press conference on Wednesday. “Dr. Brain,” the streaming service’s first original series from South Korea, is an adap

With South Korea on its way to returning to normal from COVID-19, local broadcasters are set to resume the recording of their programs with a studio audience for the first time in nearly two years. Cable channel tvN said Friday that its long-running skit show "Comedy Big League" will be filmed in front of an audience next Tuesday for the first time in about 20 months. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the prime nighttime program on Sundays has been forced to conduct tapings

Netflix Vice President of Public Policy Dean Garfield, decked in a green tracksuit costume from the hit Netflix show “Squid Game,” entered the press conference room at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday, accompanied by the theme song from the drama series. Garfield began his speech by talking about how Netflix is willing to invest more into creating Korean content. However, when addressing the most heated issue on paying internet service providers bandwidth usage fees,

A spinoff of the popular SBS variety show “Running Man” will be the first original content from South Korea on Disney+, the streaming platform said Thursday. The Walt Disney Company announced that “Outrun by Running Man” will star three members of the original cast -- Jee Seok-jin, Kim Jong-kook and Haha. While the original show’s main producer, director Im Hyung-taek, is behind the spinoff, its main star, Yoo Jae-suk, is not part of the upcoming series. “

Amid concerns about teacher-student relationship, director Kim Sang-hyub says it is not a romance drama

For director Ahn Gil-ho, a desire to portray the life of ordinary people was the reason to film “Happiness.” “When I read the script, the scenario was really interesting and had the power to draw a viewer‘s attention. But the biggest reason for me to choose this drama was my plan to make a series that focuses on the stories and feelings of common individuals,” the director said in an online press conference on Monday. The upcoming tvN Friday-Saturday series revolv

Two TV series about the lives and struggles of K-pop singers will hit small screens in South Korea next week, their broadcasters said Tuesday. "Let Me Be Your Knight" will premier this Sunday on SBS, depicting a romance between a popular idol singer suffering from sleepwalking and a live-in doctor who has to cure his condition secretly. Former and active K-pop singers take part in the 12-episode drama, with Lee Jun-young, a former member of boy band U-Kiss, playing Yoon Tae-in who is

Public broadcaster KBS has come under fire for what viewers say was unnecessary programming concerning the beleaguered actor Kim Seon-ho. On Friday, “Entertainment Weekly Live,” an entertainment show covering pop culture figures and industry news, aired a segment on recent controversy surrounding the actor. The segment dealt with the question of whether the actor, whose ex-girlfriend claimed he had urged her to have an abortion only to later dump her, could be in any legal hot wat

"Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk will talk about his stories behind the smash hit Netflix drama in a local online forum next month, the event's organizer said Friday. At the SBS D Forum to be held Nov. 18, Hwang will deliver a speech, titled "The Portrayals of the Times, Things We Have to Talk About," sharing his experience on his theatrical works and the social impact of the global success of "Squid Game," according to the SBS TV station. He took the helm of

South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun has won a US entertainment award for Asian and Asian American contributions to film and television, the event organizer said Friday (Korean time). Lee was included in the list of recipients of the US Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards, along with Bela Bajaria, head of global TV at Netflix, and Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the superhero film "Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings" (2021). Hosted by the nonprofit organization As