The government said Wednesday it is scrapping some of the more controversial guidelines it intended to bring diversity to the screen, following criticism from politicians and K-pop fans on suggestions of an appearance-based quota. The decision comes just days after the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family published its new guidebook on gender equality on Feb. 12, in which it urged broadcasters not to present a “monolithic beauty standard” to help tackle lookism altogether.“Most idol groups hav

Veteran actress reflects on being part of top TV success, being a working mom and her love of ‘Mamma Mia!’

Last year, there was an unexpected buzz on TV about several people who were not big-name actors, singers or TV personalities. They were non-celebrities who had not been exposed to media before. From matchmaking to restaurant mentorship, reality programs featuring non-celebrities have risen in popularity, with viewers seemingly tired of celebrity-centric reality show formats.Viewers say they like watching non-celebrities for their natural behavior. Though the outlines of the shows are laid out, t

Idol star discusses successful TV series, childhood and being 20 years old

Police said Friday they were looking into allegations that Sohn Suk-hee, a well-known news anchor for cable channel JTBC, punched a freelance reporter earlier this month.Sohn, who is a household name in Korea and also the chief of JTBC, denied accusations of assault at the beginning of his news show “News Room” on Thursday evening, and reported the reporter, surnamed Kim, to the police for blackmail.(Yonhap)According to Kim, Sohn hit him twice during a dinner meeting earlier this month in Seoul

Netflix on Monday unveiled to media its first original Korean drama series, which has drawn much anticipation for its big budget and acclaimed creative team."Kingdom," which premieres globally on the U.S. video streaming service Friday, is a genre-defining six-episode zombie mystery thriller set in the last Korean kingdom of Joseon. It took nearly eight years to produce the series, with its production cost reaching 2 billion won (US$1.7 million) per episode, according to the producers.Netflix ch

Actress Lee Na-young, who is more well-known in the film industry, is returning to the small screen with the new rom-com series “Romance is a Bonus Book” (direct translation), in which she stars opposite Lee Jong-suk.She plays Kang Dan-Yi, a former top copy editor at a PR firm who was happily married with a daughter but who is now divorced, with her career put on halt. She strives to excel in the workplace again, representing many South Korean women who face similar struggles. Women whose career

JTBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Sky Castle,” which centers on Korea’s overheated educational system, has been creating a buzz since its launch on Nov. 23. But beyond its depiction of the educational system, the story is about the importance of parenting and trials and tribulations of parenthood.The drama revolves around the lives of housewives living in a luxurious residential area called Sky Castle in suburban Seoul. The name is also a reference to the country’s top three universities: Seoul Nati

Chef Baek Jong Won’s hit reality show “Alley Restaurant” gave viewers some TV gold moments on Wednesday night after a pizza restaurant owner continued to disappoint the chef with his poor cooking skills and customer service.Restaurant owner Hwang Ho-jun surprised a group of tasters again when he went over to their table and asked them whether they wanted the rest of their order because they seemed “full.”“Are you still going to eat?” Hwang asked the tasters, who then answered in disbelief, “Are

Donka 2014, a restaurant praised by celebrity chef Baek Jong-won for its delicious pork cutlets on the TV program “Alley Restaurant,” is experiencing the downside of fame.As a result of Baek’s comments, the restaurant has seen extremely long lines outside its door. One Instagram user claimed to have lined up outside the restaurant since 10:50 p.m. the night before. Many other customers were seen with blankets and hot packs to fight the winter cold while waiting there at night.  (SBS)The racket f

These were the 10 hottest South Korean drama series during the first week of this month, according to big-data analyst Good Data Corporation’s weekly monitoring report. Sky Castle, drama“Sky Castle” held onto the top position as the most-talked-about TV series in South Korea for the fourth consecutive week, accounting for nearly a third of the online conversations. This figure is determined by the volume of articles and blog posts written about it, as well as reactions on social media and in onl

New reality show features K-pop stars discovering the popular holiday destination on small screen

BTS won the Digital Bonsang and the Global V Live Top 10 Best Artist awards at the 2019 33rd Golden Disc Awards held Saturday at Gocheock Sky Dome in Seoul.“Thank you to our fanclub Army for streaming our songs, allowing us to win the Bonsang,” said Suga at the event. “We are working hard on new tracks to present our fans with good music. Thank you for waiting,” added the leader RM. (BTS official Twitter)This was not the end of BTS showing love toward its fans. On Sunday morning, member Jimin an

A pizza restaurant owner on chef Baek Jong Won’s reality show “Alley Restaurant” has caused anger among viewers with his abrasive attitude and questionable food hygiene standards.The restaurant makeover show featured a pizza restaurant owner in Cheongpa-dong in Seoul on this week’s episode, during which chef Hwang Ho-jun served his “Mexican style” chicken noodle soup to a group of tasters who were university students. (SBS)It is safe to say Hwang did not leave a good impression as he took nearly

Famous South Korean celebrities entering the year that matches their zodiac sign