International Youth Fellowship -- an international Christian youth organization -- held a global dance competition “Online Creative Dance Competition” that was streamed live on Saturday on its official YouTube channel under the title “Shall we dance like the stars?” The dance competition aimed to foster hope and offer joy to people amid the pandemic, according to the organization. A total of 30 selected teams from around the world -- 20 teams from Korea and 15 teams fr

Star lecturer Seol Min-seok said he would take sole responsibility for the controversy surrounding misinformation during the second episode of popular tvN entertainment show “Seol Min-seok’s Naked World History.” The apology posted on YouTube on Tuesday followed the announcement the producers made on the program website the previous day, apologizing for the misinformation in the second episode on Saturday. Archaeologist Kwack Min-soo, one of the advisers for the program, poi

As the first season of webtoon-based drama “Sweet Home” premiered Friday, lead actor Song Kang gained fans throughout the world. Although Song earlier this year starred in another webtoon-based Netflix drama -- “Love Alarm,” as one of the lead actors -- the attention he is receiving with “Sweet Home” is unparalleled. The 10-episode Netflix original series with a budget over 30 billion won ($27 million) was the most popular drama series in over 10 countries

Producers of tvN‘s “Seol Min-seok’s Naked World History” apologized for inaccuracies after an archaeologist, who served as an adviser to the show, criticized the program for inaccuracies. “Naked World History” is hosted by popular lecturer Seol Min-seok, who approaches world history in an entertaining way. Seol gained fame as one of the first internet lecturers in the early 2000s, specializing in Korean history. Seol has remained silent on the criticism rai

‘Sweet Home’ director Lee Eung-bok talks about monsters that drove him crazy

The highly anticipated Netflix original series “Sweet Home” will kick off its first season Friday, bringing the celebrated webtoon to life. “Sweet Home” is about teenager Hyun-soo, played by Song Kang, who moves into a new apartment after losing his family. In the apartment, monsters that reflect human desires appear, which Hyun-soo and his neighbors have to fight off as they solve the mystery behind the apartment. The original webtoon that was serialized on portal site

Anticipation builds up for JTBC drama, with online press conference reaching record viewer numbers

Five K-pop idols in their 20s running through scenic courses around the country is the theme of Mnet’s “Running Girls,” whose first episode airs Wednesday. Sunmi, Chungha, Hani of EXID, YooA of Oh My Girl and Chuu of Loona run together as a crew in a show that is as much about bonding as it is about introducing viewers to running courses. Chungha, who was confirmed with COVID-19 on Monday, was absent from the online press conference for the show held Tuesday. With filming hav

Online TV platform Netflix announced the making of a new project Friday titled “Paik’s Spirit,” featuring food researcher, businessman and entertainer Paik Jong-won. On the show, Paik will have a drink with guests in diverse fields who represent South Korea and will talk about their stories, as well as the stories behind the liquors they prefer. “Paik’s Spirit” will be Netflix’s first reality series introducing Korean drinks, food and culture. Paik wi

After popular trot singer Lee Chan-won tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, celebrities who had come into contact with him were quickly tested and quarantined. How Lee got infected is unknown. On Thursday morning, Lee’s agency New Era Project announced that the singer had tested positive and gone into self-quarantine. “Currently, everyone associated with Lee Chan-won is being tested, and some have already finished testing and are in self-quarantine,” said New Era Projec

US media giant Netflix is beefing up efforts to secure popular Korean-made films and shows as part of a strategy to boost its presence in the global streaming service market. Netflix, which launched its Korean service in 2015, said it set up a separate production firm, Netflix Entertainment Korea, which deals with fostering and financing up-and-coming Korean-language content, in September. "It is part of our efforts to introduce more Korean content to the world," Netflix Services Kor

Netflix original Spanish drama series “Money Heist” will be getting a 12-episode Korean remake. Kim Hong-sun, producer of OCN dramas “The Guest,” “Voice” and “Black,” among others, will be producing the Korean remake, while Ryu Yong-jae, who wrote Netflix original series “My Holo Love,” will lead the screenwriting. BH Entertainment, which made the movie “A Single Rider,” and Zium Content, which made “Itaewon Class,&r

With many Korean dramas and movies heading to Netflix, the platform, with services in 190 countries, is becoming a major medium for the spread of Korean pop culture. Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency’s African sector recently mentioned Netflix as one of the reasons for the popularity of Korean culture in South Africa. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs announced in October that South Korea’s favorability is at 60 on a zero-to-100 scale, the highest yet. Besides favorabil

With the resurgence of COVID-19 in Seoul, many dramas were forced to halt production as actors tested positive for the new coronavirus or came in contact with people who had. So far, 10 dramas across multiple broadcast stations have halted production when actors and staff tested positive. They are “The Penthouse: War in Life” (SBS), “The Spies Who Loved Me” (MBC), “The Moon Rising River,” “Bossam,” “Snowdrop” (JTBC), “Sisyphus:

After a monthlong break, reality show “Fake Men” returned to local streaming platform Kakao TV on Tuesday at noon with its fifth episode, titled “3000 PT gymnastics ... start of a new training process.” The second season of “Fake Men” went on hiatus after some of the instructors came under scrutiny over their past. The program was also criticized for excessive violence and near torture of the participants. The return of the show on local platforms Kakao T