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13th Busan Int'l Comedy Festival to take over coastal city in August
The 13th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of Asia’s largest comedy showcases, is set to run for 10 days from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 across multiple venues in the coastal city of Busan. Kicking off with an opening ceremony at Bexco, the event will bring together around 100 performers, including Korea’s top comedians, international acts and rising digital creators. The comedy troupe from "Gag Concert" — Korea’s iconic sketch show — will open the event with a live performance. Popular comedian
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Japanese version of 'Marry My Husband' becomes Prime Video Japan’s most-watched series
The Japanese adaptation of the hit Korean drama "Marry My Husband" has become Amazon Prime Video Japan’s most-watched series. Having premiered on June 27, the series soared to the top of the platform's viewership charts, drawing the largest audience in Japan within its first 30 days, from June 27 to July 27, 2025, according to data provided by Amazon Prime Video. As of Thursday, the drama also clinched the No. 1 spot on Prime Video’s Top 10 chart in Japan, based on rankings compiled by FlixPatro
Aug. 1, 2025 -
JTBC's 'Beyond the Bar' promises to refresh crowded legal drama genre
Amid a saturated market of legal dramas, "Beyond the Bar" aims to deliver healing stories that explore the emotional wounds behind legal cases. "Beyond the Bar" is an office drama centered on Hyo-min (Jung Chae-yeon), a rookie lawyer, and Seok-hoon (Lee Jin-wook), an elite attorney at the same firm. Despite the star power of Jung, known for "Family By Choice" and as a former member of the K-pop group I.O.I, and Lee, a seasoned actor with hit K-drama credits including "Sweet Home" and "Squid Game
July 31, 2025 -
CJ ENM launches label dedicated to supporting content by Asian creators
South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has launched First Light StoryHouse, a new label dedicated to supporting content development by Asian creators. The label falls under CJ ENM’s newly unveiled Asian Content Initiative, aimed at elevating Asian voices on the global stage. The initiative is spearheaded by CJ Vice Chair Miky Lee, producer and former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang, and East West Bank Chair and CEO Dominic Ng. The trio will serve as foundin
July 30, 2025 -
What would you do if you had a gun?
Guns and South Korea are two subjects rarely linked in everyday discourse. Netflix’s new series “Trigger” tests Korea's strict gun control, imagining what could happen if guns were suddenly introduced into a society already grappling with deepening social divisions. “Trigger” follows Yi-do (Kim Nam-gil), a police officer who begins to suspect that civilians are receiving shipments of guns. As violent incidents escalate, Yi-do races to uncover the root of the crisis. The series premiered Friday,
July 30, 2025 -
EBS documentary events scheduled for late summer
South Korea’s public broadcaster EBS on Tuesday announced the return of its annual documentary-centered events that are open to the public. K-Docs Festival, which seeks to champion emerging Korean documentary filmmakers and introduce new local titles to a wider audience, is set to run from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22. Now in its fourth year, the event has adopted the title “festival” for the first time, signaling a broader push to engage industry professionals and everyday viewers alike. “This is our thi
July 29, 2025 -
Lee Jung says dance is her 'source of life'
K-pop continues to dominate the global stage — not just through its chart-topping idol groups, but also thanks to the choreographers and creative minds behind the scenes who are now gaining long-overdue recognition. Among them is one of the hottest names in the game: Lee Jung, the 26-year-old star choreographer who recently appeared in Mnet’s dance survival competition "World of Street Woman Fighter," the third installment of the hit competition franchise "Street Woman Fighter" (2023). The serie
July 27, 2025 -
Japanese version of 'Stove League' begins production
Studio S, the drama production arm of Seoul Broadcasting System, announced Thursday that it has officially kicked off production on the Japanese adaptation of its hit series “Stove League.” More than a straightforward remake, the upcoming series will be co-produced by Studio S and Japanese production house NTT Docomo Studio & Live, marking a continued push into cross-border collaboration. The original “Stove League,” which aired on SBS in 2019, follows Seung-soo (played by Namgung Min), who step
July 24, 2025 -
Iconic Korean variety shows gear up for major comebacks
Legendary Korean reality and competition series are making a comeback — with fresh casts, revamped formats and ambitious global editions in the pipeline. Mnet confirmed Monday that "Show Me the Money" will return for its 12th season. The popular rap competition series, credited with catapulting Korean hip-hop back into the mainstream and launching the careers of breakout stars like Loco, BeWhy and Basick, is set to begin production next month. A recent teaser released on YouTube hints at the sho
July 23, 2025 -
CJ ENM establishes first Korean entertainment subsidiary in Saudi Arabia
CJ ENM, a leading South Korean entertainment company, announced Wednesday the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — becoming the first Korean entertainment firm to set up a branch in the country. CJ ENM said it is positioning the Middle East and North Africa region as a strategic growth engine, aiming to integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution with the region’s rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultu
July 23, 2025 -
‘Trigger’ hits Netflix as Songdo shooting shakes nation
Netflix Korea’s newest original series, "Trigger," held its press conference on Tuesday in a subdued mood, just one day after a shocking event occurred in Songdo International City, where a father allegedly shot and killed his son using a homemade gun. Set in a fictionalized present-day South Korea, where in reality gun ownership is still prohibited, the series delves into the fallout when ordinary citizens begin receiving mysterious packages containing guns -- a premise made all the more unsett
July 22, 2025 -
Six EMK musicals coming to Disney+ next month
Some of Korea’s most iconic homegrown musicals by EMK Musical Company are soon to be available via streaming. The leading South Korean producer of original and licensed musical productions announced Monday that six of its biggest titles — “Elisabeth,” “Phantom,” “Monte Cristo,” “The Man Who Laughs,” “Xcalibur” and “Marie Antoinette” — will be released on Disney+ next month for users in Korea. Among them, "Monte Cristo," "Phantom" and "Elisabeth" have already been made available through a variety
July 21, 2025 -
K-dramas embrace pop-ups amid shifting content landscape
In a rare shift for Korea’s television industry, drama series are increasingly adopting pop-up stores ― a marketing strategy more often undertaken by retail, K-pop or gaming brands. As streaming services extend the content viewing cycle, companies are turning to new marketing tactics to sustain fan enthusiasm over a longer period and carry that excitement into future projects. From June 29 to July 10, Netflix’s "Squid Game" rolled out a pop-up experience at Shinsegae Department Stores in Gangnam
July 19, 2025 -
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ sweeps Blue Dragon Series Awards
Netflix’s hit drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" dominated this year’s Blue Dragon Series Awards, taking home four trophies, including the top honor, the Grand Prize. Now in its fourth year, the annual ceremony is a spinoff of the prestigious Blue Dragon Film Awards, created to recognize excellence in Korean streaming series. This year’s event was held Friday evening at Paradise City in Incheon. "Tangerines" emerged as the biggest winner of the night, securing awards for Grand Prize, Best Ac
July 19, 2025 -
'Non-celebrity risk' shakes Korean dating reality TV
Dating reality shows featuring ordinary people have gripped South Korean audiences for years now, with hits like "I'm Solo" consistently dominating the country's television ratings. But there's a dark side to the trend: as these shows gain popularity, the term “non-celebrity risk” has taken hold in the entertainment industry — referring to cases in which participants are later revealed to be involved in legal or ethical misconduct. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in late June when Seoul’
July 18, 2025