Star chef Paik Jong-won is casting his net yet wider, with a show aimed at introducing Korean cooking to an international audience. “Paik Jong-won Class,” also starring Korean singer Sung Si-kyung, invites “trainees” from across the world to learn Korean recipes. Most of the participants have no culinary background, but the team behind the show hopes they will put their own spin on the dishes, giving Korean viewers new ideas to try out in the kitchen as well as an intr

Thanks to the growing global presence of South Korean content through online streaming platforms, the world's entertainment industry is wooing Korean professionals who are behind big-name films and TV series. Not only screenwriters and directors who have come into the spotlight for their global hits like Netflix originals "Sweet Home" (2020) and "Space Sweepers" (2021) but also experts in post-production jobs like poster designing, color grading and visual effects are also i

Criticized for cultural insensitivity and racism, content creators urged to transcend stereotypes

The second season of hit medical drama series “Hospital Playlist” got off to an auspicious start Thursday, recording the highest first-episode viewership rating in tvN history. Thursday night’s episode recorded an average viewership rating of 10 percent, according to Nielsen ratings, making it the first tvN drama series to chart double-digit ratings on day one, as it reached as high as 12.4 percent at its peak. The TV drama written by Lee Woo-jung and directed by Shin Won-ho

The culture ministry on Monday unveiled a plan to introduce a self-rating system for online video streaming service providers so they can shorten the time needed to circulate new releases. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will propose a law revision to allow video content service providers to evaluate and classify their soon-to-be-released series and shows, based on criteria set by the state-run Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB). Currently, all motion pictures and creative wor

A special episode of Netflix's popular original Korean series "Kingdom" will be released next month, the US streaming media service said Friday. "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" will be released July 23 as a "sidequel" to the global Korean zombie sensation "Kingdom" (2019) and "Kingdom Season 2" (2020), according to Netflix. It tells the backstory of the resurrection plant, or "saengsacho" in Korean, which causes a mysterious plague that

Two major South Korean drama productions are entering the US market through joint production and corporate acquisition, as Korean shows are enjoying increasing popularity around the world via online video steaming services. Studio Dragon said Tuesday it has agreed to co-produce a drama series with US company Skydance Television for Apple TV+. JTBC Studios said it signed an agreement to acquire US television and film studio Wiip on Monday. Studio Dragon is affiliated with CJ ENM, the nation's

Media giant CJ ENM has earmarked 5 trillion won ($4.49 billion) for content creation over the next five years to boost growth of its streaming platform Tving. The Korean company has also set its sights on becoming a worldwide leader in the entertainment industry, it said Monday. “We will establish a sound IP creating system and infrastructure, so we have decided to inject more money into creating content,” CJ ENM CEO Kang Ho-Sung said during a press event held in Sangam-dong, Seou

Actor talks about Netflix original series ‘Move to Heaven’

Korean comedian Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Joon-ik, the director of period film “Book of Fish,” won the grand prizes in the TV and film categories respectively at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. This year’s award ceremony took place at Kintex exhibition hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday night and it was hosted by comedian Shin Dong-yup and singer-actress Suzy. Yoo, the winner of this year’s TV categories’ grand prize, was recognized for hosting multiple suc

Five TV programs including a drama series and a documentary produced by network broadcaster SBS received Remi Awards at the 54th Annual Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival. Founded in 1968, the annual film festival is the third-oldest film festival in the US. Past winners include Steven Spiellberg, the Coen brothers, Ang Lee and John Lee Hancock. The film festival ran April 16-25 in Huston. SBS television drama “Hot Stove League” and documentary “Anywhere & N

Lee Kwang-soo, a core member of the long-running popular TV show "Running Man," will step away from the program after 11 years, his management agency said Tuesday. The 35-year-old actor-entertainer will film his last episode for the show on May 24, KingKong by Starship said. According to the agency, Lee has been having trouble playing his role on the show due to an injury he suffered from a car accident last year, though he has been doing physical therapy. Lee decided to take some t

The Korea Creative Content Agency on Thursday announced plans to expand support for local companies hoping to export and promote media content overseas. “The KOCCA has been conducting diverse online projects that reflect different demands to support the local industry that cannot continue their offline businesses due to COVID-19,” KOCCA official Lee Do-hyung said in a statement. “Through online support programs, we will further diversify the current exporting markets and hold

Controversy surrounding actor Seo Yea-ji has continued to mount, as more allegations of bullying have surfaced, despite denials from her agency in an official statement. An alleged staffer that used to work with the actress posted on an online portal early Wednesday morning that Seo had regularly mistreated her staff members in her agency, Gold Medalist. “As a staff member going around in the same car with her for several years, verbal abuse was nothing. She smoked in the car, so I suff

After recent drama fiascos, Chinese investment seen as poisoned chalice