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Legendary webtoon comes to life
Two icons converge in Netflix Korea’s latest crime noir series as one of the country’s most widely beloved webtoons gets the live-action treatment with fan-favorite actor So Ji-sub stepping into the lead role. Titled “Mercy for None,” the series follows Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), a former gangster who resurfaces after an 11-year disappearance to avenge his brother’s death. Adapted from the wildly popular Naver Webtoon of the same name, which ran from 2020 to 2021, the series builds on the source materi
June 5, 2025 -
MBC logs highest viewership on election night
South Korea’s three major broadcast networks, KBS, MBC and SBS, aired marathon coverage of Tuesday’s presidential election running some eight hours, with MBC emerging as the clear ratings leader. According to Nielsen Korea, MBC’s “Election 2025” drew the highest nationwide household viewership across all parts of its six-segment broadcast. Its ratings climbed steadily, with Part 1 drawing 4.3 percent, peaking at 14.5 percent in Part 3, and concluding at 5.4 percent in Part 6. MBC was the only ne
June 4, 2025 -
Broadcasters pull out all stops in Election Day coverage
South Korea’s major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hours of marathon programming, each with a distinct editorial style. National broadcaster KBS opted for a documentarylike, serious tone, while SBS took a more energetic approach, incorporating upbeat music such as 10cm’s “To Reach You” and prominently featuring its teddy bear mascot, Toopyoro. Meanwhile, MBC stuck to a relatively traditional, news-driven format, delivering
June 3, 2025 -
MBC's decision to broadcast Disney+'s 'Big Bet' met with internal dissent
MBC, one of South Korea’s leading television networks, is facing mounting backlash from its own producers following the decision to broadcast Disney+ Korea’s hit original series "Big Bet," beginning in July. The series, which stars veteran actors Choi Min-sik and Son Suk-ku, originally ran on Disney+ for two seasons between 2022 and 2023. MBC has confirmed that "Big Bet" will air Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m. throughout July, while the second season will move to a regular Sunday night slot st
June 2, 2025 -
Is 'Devil's Plan' 2 the worst game show ever?
Season 2 of Netflix’s survival game show "Devil’s Plan" generated intense buzz — though not for the reasons the creators might have hoped. While season 1 earned praise for its intense mind games and unpredictable strategy, the second season has received heavy criticism for the behavior of its participants and a controversial outcome that left viewers divided. Continuing with a new lineup of contestants from diverse professions — including legendary Go player Lee Se-dol, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, a
June 1, 2025 -
'One: High School Heroes' brings to life smash-hit webtoon
A smash-hit webtoon driven by a mission to eradicate school violence is getting the live-action treatment. "One: High School Heroes," Wavve’s latest original series, is set to premiere this Friday with a star-studded ensemble, including Lee Jung-ha, best known as the superpowered lead of the Disney+ series "Moving," and Yuk Jun-seo, the breakout heartthrob from Netflix’s "Single’s Inferno." The coming-of-age action drama centers on Eui-gyum (played by Lee), a top student burdened by his domineer
May 29, 2025 -
How Korean shows like 'Tastefully Yours' reflect shifting content landscape
Today, a show's failure to achieve high ratings on TV does not mean failure. Increasingly, content is experiencing a divide between streaming success and traditional broadcast viewership. As of Wednesday, "Tastefully Yours," a romantic comedy headlined by Korean stars Go Min-si and Kang Ha-neul, has soared to No. 2 on Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV series. The series also clinched the fourth spot on the streamer’s Korea rankings for the top 10 most-watched series. Despite its streaming m
May 28, 2025 -
‘Street Woman Fighter’ goes global
The popular dance competition series "Street Woman Fighter" is back for a third season — this time, with only one Korean team. "World of Street Woman Fighter," the show's latest iteration, features competition between dance crews from five countries: South Korea’s Bumsup, the United States’ Motiv, Japan’s Osaka Ojo Gang and RHTokyo, New Zealand’s Royal Family and Australia’s AG Squad. Series producer Choi Jung-nam said the decision to include crews from other countries was aimed at showcasing mo
May 27, 2025 -
Actor Go Min-si denies school bullying allegations
Go Min-si, a South Korean actor known for her roles in “Sweet Home” and “The Frog,” has denied allegations of school bullying that surfaced online Monday. In a statement issued the same day, her agency, Mystic Story, called the claims “clearly false and groundless.” The agency added that it had retained legal counsel and begun preparing civil and criminal legal action. School bullying is a highly sensitive issue in South Korea, particularly when it involves public figures. Celebrities accused of
May 27, 2025 -
Netflix-Naver, Tving-Baemin? Streaming wars take new shape
South Korea’s streaming services have realized that their survival hinges on more than just offering compelling content -- platforms are increasingly turning to strategic brand partnerships to combat subscriber churn and fuel growth. Korean streaming platform Tving is set to unveil a bundled membership offering in collaboration with Baedal Minjok, the nation’s top food delivery app, starting June 2. The combined membership, which marks the first time for a Korean streaming service to partner wit
May 26, 2025 -
Disney+ Korea unveils strategy for latter half of 2025
Disney+ Korea on Friday outlined its strategic vision and announced a highly anticipated slate of original series for the second half of the year, spotlighting the return of major Korean stars including Kang Dong-won and Jun Ji-hyun. According to Choi Yeon-u, director of local content at Walt Disney Company Korea, the forward-looking strategy of Disney+ centers on four key pillars: “tentpole,” “curated selection,” “franchise series,” and “new opportunities.” “Tentpole” refers to the streamer’s c
May 23, 2025 -
Netflix greenlights thriller 'The Rat' starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu
Netflix anniunced Tuesday the production of "The Rat," a psychological thriller headlined by veteran Korean actors Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu. The upcoming series is adapted from "Field Mouse," a popular Kakao Entertainment webtoon inspired by a Korean folktale in which a rat transforms into a human by consuming human fingernails. Netflix's "The Rat" centers on a reclusive novelist who joins forces with a loan shark-turned-private investigator to track down a mysterious figure known only as “
May 20, 2025 -
Busan Content Market to take place late May
The Busan Content Market, one of Korea's largest marketplaces for content licensing and distribution, is set to take place from May 28-30 at Bexco, Busan. Under the theme “Global Content Hub Busan,” this year’s event is expected to attract over 700 companies representing more than 50 countries. Key highlights of the market include BCM Funding, a business-matching platform aimed at fostering partnerships between content creators and investors. BCM Conference, which will feature in-depth discussio
May 18, 2025 -
Coupang Play to launch Korea’s first free ad-supported streaming service in June
Local streaming service Coupang Play will be launching the country’s first free ad-supported streaming service this June. Under the new model, much of Coupang Play’s content library, including original series, domestic and international dramas, films, sports and live news, will be available for free to Coupang members. In exchange, viewers will see ads during playback, presented in both preroll and mid-roll formats. The new service positions Coupang Play as the first major streamer in South Kore
May 18, 2025 -
Disney+'s 'Nine Puzzles' is full of plot twists, stylistic flairs
Disney+ is set to roll out its latest Korean original, "Nine Puzzles," a stylized mystery thriller that follows a tenacious detective and a profiler shrouded in suspicion. Due to significant spoiler concerns, Disney+ and the creative team are keeping story details under tight wraps. What has been disclosed so far centers on Yi-na (Kim Da-mi), a profiler who finds herself under suspicion by detective Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) in connection with a decade-old unsolved case. The series marks yet another
May 14, 2025