While Korean original series have been drawing attention from the creative content industry since Netflix’s global phenomenon “Squid Game” (2021), local television dramas -- including many that have ended their runs -- are starting to enjoy unexpected worldwide popularity as well. With the continued success of Korean content on video streaming services, seeing Korean originals ranked high on a global chart is no longer an unexpected, mind-blowing event. However, TV dramas cl

Apple TV+ on Saturday confirmed the return of its Korean original series “Pachinko” with a second season. The period drama shows the life of Korean family moving to Japan in the 20th century, presenting the universal story of immigrants throughout the world. Based on Korean American author Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel of the same name, the series depicts the life of a Korean woman named Sunja (played by Youn Yuh-jung and Kim Min-ha), who was born to a poor family in Busan

As the trees start to dress in green and the warm breeze brings a spring-like atmosphere, mountain lovers are in search of mountains to scale. These passionate trekkers will be surprised by the new mountain trail which opened to the public for the first time in 54 years. When North Korean military infiltrators slipped into Seoul through the mountain route of Bugaksan to attack Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 21, 1968, South Korean forces faced a fierce firefight. The hilly path of Bugaksan was used as

Beartree Park’s Royal Azalea Festival The Beartree Park’s Royal Azalea Festival, which started from April 14, will run through May 8 at Beartree Park in Sejong. After the cherry blossoms and plum blossoms fell off, the azaleas are dressed in red, white and purple, creating some colorful sceneries across the park. The park welcomes the flower-loving visitors of all ages from 9 a.m. Tickets for children are 8,000 won. For teenagers and adults, it is 10,000 won and 12,000 won, respe

The last part of cable channel JTBC’s two-part special “Five Years of Moon Jae-in” aired Tuesday, reflecting on the Moon presidency’s five years. Hosted by veteran JTBC journalist Sohn Suk-hee, the one-on-one interview reviewed Moon’s achievements and regrets, ranging from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to international relations. On Monday’s first episode, Moon talked about real estate prices and his administration’s efforts to tame South Kore

Cable channel tvN’s new Wednesday-Thursday drama, “The Killer’s Shopping List,” will be unlike any of the currently trending dramas with either heartwarming storylines or hard-hitting action sequences. “Unlike the typical mystery thrillers with intense mind games and breathtaking actions, our series takes a different approach to a mysterious murder case. The exciting script aside, the character was really new to me. I thought I would not have another chance to pla

Improper use of English subtitles and slang continues to increase in TV broadcasts, according to a Korea Communications Standards Commission report released Sunday. While the words and expressions are widely used by streamers on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Twitch and Afreeca TV, TV programs have also adopted such usage in recent years, though they deviate from the standard Korean language deemed proper for broadcast. KCSC and Special Advisory Committee on Broadcasting Language, a

President Moon Jae-in will share his thoughts and feelings about his five years of presidency on a two-part special for cable channel JTBC’s “Five Years of Moon Jae-in” airing on Monday and Tuesday. Hosted by JTBC journalist Sohn Suk-hee, the one-on-one interview reviews Moon’s achievements, regrets and opinion of the incoming administration as he looks back on the past five years. “The interview was conducted without any political bias. Moon sometimes responded

Star director Yeon Sang-ho, who was behind global apocalyptic thriller “Train to Busan” (2016) and Netflix’s “Hellbound” (2021), is expanding his dystopian fantasy world, widely known as “Yeoniverse,” with Tving’s upcoming occult series “Monstrous.” “It may sound unreal, but I was thinking of director Yeon the other day. And I received a message about his new project. I was screaming in my room with excitement and decided to sta

South Korea’s Hangang Park, or Han River Park, has been named the world’s third most Instagram-worthy park. With the goal of helping to reduce metropolitan cities’ carbon emissions, green energy experts at the United Kingdom-based comparison website Uswitch analyzed Instagram data to find the most picturesque parks and gardens around the world in an article published earlier this month. Hangang Park, made up of 12 riverside parks along the Han River, is one of the beloved sp

Cheongnamdae Spring Flower Festival The Cheongnamdae Spring Flower Festival will run through May 8 at Cheongnamdae in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Once a private villa used by former presidents of South Korea, Cheongnamdae opened to the public in 2003. Surrounded by spring flowers, the festival welcomes visitors of all ages with various sculptures, art paintings and wild flowers. Cheongnamdae is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed every Monday. Admission fees range from 3,000

Singers and actors Lee Jun-ho and Yoona are set to star in an upcoming rom-com with the working title “King the Land.” According to local production company Npio Entertainment, the actors are confirmed to play the lead characters in the series and filming is scheduled to begin in the fall. While Lee plays an heir to a conglomerate, Yoona takes the role of a hotelier. Lee, who debuted as part of JYP boy band 2PM, made his name as an actor after starring in various hit series, inc

Though cable channel tvN and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol might each have had their own motivations for the talk show, the latest episode of “You Quiz on the Block” arguably backfired, raising growing criticisms against both the cable channel and Yoon. Hosted by the comedian duo Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho, “You Quiz on the Block” invited four guests to this week‘s episode, including Yoon. Nearly 20 minutes of the 100-minute talk show were dedicated to Yoon, who sh

Actor Park Ju-hyun, 27, who caught local and global viewers’ attention with her portrayal of thieving high-schooler Bae Gyu-ri in Netflix’s “Extracurricular” (2020), has come back as a badminton player in “Love All Play,” a new sports romance on KBS. “I was also surprised to find that ‘Love All Play’ is my first romance drama. But, the biggest reason that I chose to star in the series was the charm of my character Park Tae-yang,” Park

Studio LuluLala, formerly known as JTBC Studios and a subsidiary of cable channel JTBC, will invest 3 trillion won ($2.42 billion) over the next few years into producing 30 TV series and five films, seeking to become a global content studio. “We have changed our name from JTBC Studio. It reflects our determination to become a leading production company in the world entertainment industry,” SLL CEO Jung Kyung-moon said during a press conference at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu,