Korea Drama Festival returns to celebrate K-drama’s evolution

The 2025 Korea Drama Festival, Korea’s first dedicated K-drama festival, returns for a ten-day run this October in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. Running from Friday to Oct. 19, the festival will take place at the Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center and various venues along the Nam River. Now in its 18th edition, the festival was first launched in 2006 by the Korea Drama Festival Organizing Committee with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Jinju City. Over the years, it

Oct. 10, 2025

The next Byeon Woo-seok? Lee Chae-min discusses 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty'

Byeon Woo-seok, the breakout star of "Lovely Runner," has become a rising star in an era when the K-drama scene is increasingly dominated by a saturated A-list. Once a B-list actor navigating the margins, Byeon now represents the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, a talent whose momentum can carry a series from domestic acclaim to global recognition almost overnight. Into this narrative steps Lee Chae-min, the lead of "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" -- tvN’s biggest hit of 2025 -- whose explosive pop

Oct. 9, 2025

K-dramas that will bring families together this Chuseok

With a rare seven-day break this Chuseok, families have time to slow down and reconnect. With everyone gathered together, it’s the perfect chance to discover a new binge-worthy drama. This Chuseok, gather around the TV with your family and enjoy dramas that cross generations, offering stories that are as engaging as they are heartfelt. From shows that make you laugh to those that tug at your heart, these K-dramas will give you moments to connect, reminisce and even shed a few tears with your lov

Oct. 4, 2025

From Emmys to Seoul, ‘Severance’ and ‘Adolescence’ continue their winning streak

Marking its 20th anniversary, the 2025 Seoul International Drama Awards wrapped Thursday night in Seoul, with Apple TV+’s “Severance” and Netflix’s “Adolescence” emerging as one of night’s biggest winners. The ceremony, hosted by the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee and the Korean Broadcasters Association at KBS Hall in Yeouido, spotlighted 276 submissions from 50 countries. Honors were divided into three main sections: International Competition, K-Drama Competition and International Invi

Oct. 2, 2025

President Lee Jae Myung, first lady Kim Hea Kyung to guest star on JTBC’s 'Chef & My Fridge' Chuseok special

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung are set to guest star on the hit JTBC cooking variety show “Chef & My Fridge,” the presidential office announced Thursday. Airing Sunday at 9 p.m. local time, the special holiday installment is titled “Chuseok Special: Please Take Care of My K-Refrigerator” (translated). In the episode, the presidential couple will spotlight seasonal produce from Korea’s farms and seas while celebrating traditional Chuseok dishes, weaving in perso

Oct. 2, 2025

Meeting your ex, watching them fall for someone else -- 'Transit Love' returns

Tving’s breakout reality series “Transit Love” is back for Season 4, reviving its bold format of exes reuniting — and watching each other explore new flings with other cast members' exes. Since its 2021 debut, “Transit Love,” also known as "EXchange," has become one of Korea's most popular dating series, drawing audiences with its raw portrayals of heartbreak, rekindled romances and surprising new couplings. It won the best entertainment program award at the inaugural Blue Dragon Series Awards i

Oct. 1, 2025

Kim Go-eun, Park Ji-hyun unpack emotional layers of 'You and Everything Else'

Autumn has arrived -- and few series mirror its bittersweet, reflective mood as vividly as "You and Everything Else." Eschewing adrenaline-fueled hooks, the series is less about plot twists than it is about the subtle accumulation of memory, regret and longing. Accordingly, "You and Everything Else" is not casual binge material; rather, it offers a viewing experience that lingers long after the credits roll, inviting repeated revisits as foreshadowing gradually comes into focus. At the heart of

Sept. 30, 2025

Genie meets righteous psycho in Bae Suzy, Kim Woo-bin's 'Genie, Make a Wish'

Netflix Korea is aiming for a Chuseok sweep with its latest tentpole series “Genie, Make a Wish," starring Hallyu heavyweights Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-bin and fueled by the storytelling chops of Kim Eun-sook, the hitmaker behind K-drama touchstones such as “Mr. Sunshine” and “The Glory." “Genie, Make a Wish” centers on Genie (Kim Woo-bin), who awakens after a millennium-long slumber, and the emotionally detached Ga-young (Bae Suzy) as they navigate three wishes that could alter their destinies. Bey

Sept. 29, 2025

Actor Lee Dong-gun diagnosed with rare progressive illness on air

Lee Dong-gun, 45-year-old South Korean actor, was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis during his appearance on the latest episode of a popular TV show. The Sunday episode of "My Little Old Boy," an SBS show following single celebrities who are past the age conventionally considered a prime marriage age, featured Lee visiting the hospital for severe symptoms on his eye. He told the doctor that he has had repeated onset of the inflammation of the uveitis, a form of eye inflammation that affects

Sept. 29, 2025

'The Murky Stream': Disney+ Korea’s bold leap into period drama

Disney+ Korea has three original series left to premiere this year and one of them is the streamer’s first Korean period drama, "The Murky Stream," from the star-studded creators who helped shape some of Korea’s most enduring historical dramas and films, such as "The Slave Hunters" and "Masquerade." Set during the Joseon era (1392-1910) along Gyeong-gang — the name by which the Han River was once known — “The Murky Stream” follows characters who dream of toppling the corrupt government. Rowoon,

Sept. 23, 2025

Jun Ji-hyun’s ‘Tempest’ stirs backlash in China

South Korean actor Jun Ji-hyun’s new series “Tempest” has sparked controversy in China after a line from the show was criticized as offensive. Despite it not being officially available in China, clips from the series quickly spread online through unofficial channels, fueling anger among Chinese viewers. The dispute comes from a scene in the 4th episode where Jun’s character, a presidential candidate, asks, “Why does China favor war?” Her character adds that such a stance “does not make sense whe

Sept. 22, 2025

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao joins star-studded 'Physical: Asia' lineup

Netflix Korea on Friday unveiled the star-studded lineup for "Physical: Asia," the franchise’s first-ever nation-versus-nation showdown. The series will feature 48 contestants from eight countries — Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey — competing in a high-stakes test of strength, strategy and teamwork. Each six-person team is led by a national superstar. Team Korea is anchored by Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer Kim Dong-hyun and boasts a pow

Sept. 19, 2025

SBS to pull content from Wavve as Tving-Wavve merger progresses

With Korean streaming platforms Tving and Wavve moving ahead with their merger, SBS will pull its content, including classic hits like "Running Man" and "My Love From the Star" from Wavve. A Wavve spokesperson confirmed Friday that starting Sept. 30, all SBS content will be removed from the platform. However, content made by SBS’ subsidiaries, such as hit dating show "I’m Solo," will remain, according to the spokesperson. "I'm Solo" is jointly produced and broadcast on cable channels ENA and SBS

Sept. 19, 2025

Korean stars warn of fake SNS accounts

High-profile Korean stars, including household names Son Suk-ku and Ha Jung-woo, are speaking out against a surge of fake social media accounts impersonating them. On Thursday, Son (“The Roundup,” “D.P.”) took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a fraudulent account posing as the actor. According to Son's post, the impostor account, operating under the handle sonsukku_01, had amassed 64,000 followers and displayed a blue verification badge, which signals that an account has been authenticated

Sept. 19, 2025

‘Kpop Demon Hunters live-action leak' stuns fans, but revealed to be AI

A short video showing a supposed live-action remake of “Kpop Demon Hunters” went viral on Thursday, only to later be revealed as an AI creation. The 35-second clip, titled “K-pop Demon Hunters film leaks,” began spreading rapidly on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. In the video, actors appeared to be preparing for a shoot and are seen interacting with staff on set. The cast members closely resemble the film’s characters, such as Rumi, Zoey and Mira of fictional girl band Huntrix, and Jin-wo

Sept. 19, 2025