Streaming services gradually dominate sports broadcasts amid mixed reactions from fans

Korean streaming services are increasingly securing exclusive rights to sports broadcasts to expand their viewer base. While fans acknowledge that this enhances the quality of the viewing experience, the shift from free to paid access is generating widespread criticism. Starting in May, Tving, which secured exclusive online broadcasting rights for the Korea Baseball Organization, began offering KBO-related broadcasts exclusively to its subscribers. Tving is also set to exclusively live-broadcast

June 22, 2024

'My name is Gabriel' to showcase top celebs switching lives with individuals abroad

"My Name is Gabriel," a new variety show, will feature top celebrities swapping lives with real people living abroad, and will provide compelling and authentic storytelling, according to the producer on Thursday. The show features comedians Park Myung-soo and Hong Jin-kyung, actors Yeom Hye-ran, Park Bo-gum and Ji Chang-wook, dancer Shin Ga-bee (Gabee), and TV personality Kim Jin-young (Dex). The seven cast members embark on quests to live under different identities from various countr

June 20, 2024

Billie Eilish to make Korean TV debut with 'The Seasons - Zico's Artist'

Global pop sensation Billie Eilish is set to make her debut appearance on Korean television this Friday by appearing as a guest on KBS music talk show "The Seasons - Zico's Artist." According to KBS, Eilish's segment was recorded at KBS headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. "The Seasons," a successor to the popular music talk show "Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook," invites popular musicians and celebrities for talks and performances. The show is now i

June 19, 2024

Netflix's 'Agents of Mystery' promises realistic mystery-solving with star-studded casts

Netflix's new mystery reality show "Agents of Mystery," featuring a star-studded cast, ranging from popular Korean comedians to top K-pop idols such as Karina of aespa, will emphasize a high level of realism in its approach to mystery-solving quests, said the producer Tuesday. "Agents of Mystery" stars singer John Park, actor Kim Do-hoon, comedians Lee Eun-ji, Lee Yong-jin and K-pop idols Lee Hye-ri of Girl's Day and Yu Ji-min, more popularly known as Karina of aesp

June 18, 2024

Popular TV series, movies cross borders in remakes

Popular intellectual properties transcend borders, as seen in widely beloved content in Korea remade to cater to global audiences -- as well as the reverse. JTBC hit series "Sky Castle" will be remade into a Japanese series of the same name to be telecast by TV Asahi Corp., one of Japan's largest private broadcasters. The Korean drama series narrates the story of ambitious women who resort to extraordinary measures for their children be accepted into prestigious universities. Acco

June 16, 2024

Yunmin of Touched makes history with 9 wins on ‘King of Masked Singers’

Yunmin, the lead vocalist of the prominent South Korean band Touched, has made a significant mark on “King of Masked Singers” by achieving nine consecutive wins, a milestone not seen in nine years. “King of Masked Singers,” which has been airing on MBC since 2015, is a singing competition where singers and celebrities wear masks, leaving behind their careers and fame to compete solely based on their voice and singing ability. Yunmin maintained her top position from mid-Ja

June 13, 2024

More TV producers appear in front of camera, star in own shows

More TV producers are appearing in front of the camera and gaining popularity as they take a more active role, rather than remaining behind the scenes. From star producer Na Young-seok, who runs his show on Channel Fullmoon on YouTube, to the latest EBS show "PD Log," TV producers are embracing new roles as emcees or guests to add to the entertainment value. In "Earth Arcade's Vroom Vroom" on tvN, Na entertains viewers by teasing the cast when they fail to win a game in

June 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘World Dice Tour’ applies YouTube formula to reality TV: producer

“World Dice Tour,” one of ENA's most successful shows to date, ended the seventh and last episode of its second season Saturday. In addition to airing every Saturday on the airwaves, each episode of “World Dice Tour” has been released in an edited version via YouTube every Thursday. It has recorded a cumulative 24 million views on the video-sharing platform, reaching new highs in viewer count with each new episode released. The show has also been sold to 115 countrie

June 10, 2024

'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae accused of unfairly trying to take over management rights

Actor Lee Jung-jae has been accused of attempting to unfairly seize management rights over RaemongRaein, the Korean drama production company responsible for producing series such as "Maestra" (2023) and "Reborn Rich" (2022). Kim Dong-rae, the head of RaemongRaein, said via a press release on Monday that Artist United, a company in which Lee stands as the largest stakeholder, has been unjustly pushing RaemongRaein to convene an extraordinary general meeting in a bid to replace

June 10, 2024

[Herald Review] Lee shines as warmhearted Jedi in action-packed 'The Acolyte'

The latest series in the "Star Wars" universe, "The Acolyte" boasts convincing acting by "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae, who portrays an unconventionally emotional and warmhearted Jedi. The series is also rife with meticulously choreographed action sequences that dynamically blends martial arts with the use of the Force. The eight-part series, set a century before "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," follows the story of Osha (Amandla Stenberg), w

June 7, 2024

Lee Jung-jae says criticism of casting in 'The Acolyte' is 'natural'

"Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae said any criticism regarding the casting of actors from diverse backgrounds in the latest "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" is "natural," considering the immense popularity of the franchise. The 8-part series tells the story of Osha (played by Amandla Stenberg), who is accused of a string of murders targeting Jedi -- the practitioners of the Force's energies. The series is set a century before the events of "Star War

June 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] Actor Byeon Woo-seok says he loved Seon-je in 'Lovely Runner'

The tvN romance series "Lovely Runner," which aired its last episode May 28, has taken not only Korea but also the world by storm. The show, topping the charts in 130 countries on the global streaming platform Rakuten Viki, also made history in the Korean streaming services sector. On the day of the series finale, Tving, the exclusive domestic streaming platform for "Lovely Runner," surpassed Netflix in daily viewing hours for the first time. According to Mobile Index, Tving&

June 4, 2024

Richly detailed teen romance will explore 'Hierarchy' at elite school

The Netflix teen romance series "Hierarchy," rife with luxurious mise-en-scenes, will chronicle the tales of youths attempting to break free from an established hierarchical structure based on wealth, according to producers, Monday. The 7-part series follows the story of Kang Ha (played by Lee Chae-min), who, after receiving a scholarship, transfers to Jushin High School, where the wealth and social status of students' families are pivotal in assessing the students' value.

June 3, 2024

[Music in drama] Legendary ballads fan alien romance

“My Love from the Star” was one of the most successful drama series 2013 -- as was its soundtrack. The series features a magical romance between Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun), an alien pretending to be a human for hundreds of years after accidentally falling on Earth, and Chun Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun, also known as Gianna Jun), a top actress who is spirited yet lonely. With its touching romance and well-timed comic scenes, the series garnered die-hard fans beyond Korea, reaching China, Jap

June 3, 2024

Controversy ignites over regulation of online entertainment shows

A rash of complaints about offensive remarks on online variety shows have stirred up controversy over the relatively light regulation given to online-only content. Some experts argue that while the freedom given to digital platforms helps enrich Korea's content landscape, there is also a need for new regulations to guard against the potentially damaging effects of some shows. YouTube channel Psick Univ, featuring comedians Lee Yong-ju, Kim Min-su and Jung Jae-hyung, recently caused controve

June 2, 2024

Constitutional Court dismisses petition against separating collection of public broadcaster fees

The Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed a petition against a government revision separating the collection of public broadcasters' license fees, citing it does not violate their broadcasting rights. Last July, the Korean Broadcasting System filed the petition against a revised enforcement ordinance to the Broadcasting Act requiring it to collect license fees separately from electricity bills. KBS argued it would threaten the financial stability of public broadcasters. Since 1994,

May 30, 2024

Singer Kim Ho-joong temporarily banned on KBS

Popera singer Kim Ho-joong, who was recently issued an arrest warrant under charges of committing a hit-and-run while driving under the influence, will temporarily be banned from appearing on the Korean Broadcasting System. "Although the court has not yet made its ruling, Kim Ho-joong caused serious public controversy by making up repeated lies about a hit-and-run accident that occured while drunk driving. As a result, we received numerous petitions from viewers requesting a ban on his appe

May 30, 2024

Popular Korean webtoons to be remade into international TV series

Popular Korean webtoons are set to be adapted into international drama series, riding high on the webtoons' appeal to global audiences and the widespread perception that webtoon-based content is entertaining. The Naver romance webtoon series "Take Me, I'm Yours" will be remade as a Japanese drama series and broadcast on Nippon Television Network starting July 5, according to Naver Webtoon. Titled "With Me," (translated) the series, which was produced by Nippon Telev

May 29, 2024

'The Player' hopes to continue tvN's success streak

"The Player 2: Master of Swindlers" will be larger in scale than its first season, is set to hit screens with the goal of continuing tvN's successful track record. The cable channel appears to be on a winning streak with hit series such as "Queen of Tears" and "Marry My Husband" capturing audiences worldwide. "The Player" series, which aired in 2018 on cable movie channel OCN, is making its comeback on tvN. Actors Song Seung-heon, Lee Si-eon and Tae W

May 28, 2024

Korean shows most-viewed of Netflix's non-English titles: report

Among non-English content streamed on Netflix during the second half of 2023, Korean shows were watched the most, according to a Netflix report. "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report" released Friday, showed that non-English content accounted for some 30 percent of all viewing on Netflix. Titles in Korean (9 percent), Spanish (7 percent) and Japanese (5 percent) captured the largest shares of viewership outside of English, respectively. Among Korean series, JTBC's romance

May 28, 2024