Fans and actors mourn passing of Kim Sae-ron

Fans say what Kim faced was 'excessively severe compared to her wrongdoing' Fans and celebrities are mourning the death of actor Kim Sae-ron, 24, who was found dead at her home in Seoul on Sunday. The Women Celebrities Gallery (translated), an online community dedicated to Korean female celebrities, released a statement on Sunday night mourning her passing and condemning the harsh public criticism she faced. "We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragic news of Kim Sae-ron's passing. We

Feb. 17, 2025

'Squid Game' production designer wins ADG Awarde-award

"Squid Game" production designer Chae Kyoung-sun won an Art Directors Guild Award, the awards' organizer said Sunday. Chae received the Excellence in Production Design Award in the One Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series category at the ADG Awards, held at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on Saturday (local time). She was recognized for her work on Episode 4 ("Six Legs") and 6 ("O X") of the seven-part "Squid Game" Season 2. This marks her second ADG win, following her 2022 award for the

Feb. 16, 2025

G-Dragon to make first-ever solo entainment venture with 'Good Day'

K-pop icon joins hands with dazzling lineup of guests and star PD Kim Tae-ho to make song of the year K-pop juggernaut G-Dragon is set for his first-ever solo entertainment venture with "Good Day," an eight-part series fueled by his dream of uniting diverse talents through music. "Good Day" follows G-Dragon's journey as he joins forces with a dazzling lineup of guests -- spanning Hallyu heavyweights to K-pop idols and variety-show veterans -- to create the song of the year. The star-studded cast

Feb. 14, 2025

CJ ENM returns to black on strong content business

Following megahits 'Lovely Runner' and 'Queen of Tears,' CJ ENM makes turnaround South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM returned to profitability in 2024, driven by the strong performance of its content business, particularly its cable channel tvN and streaming platform Tving. In its earnings call on Wednesday, CJ ENM reported consolidated annual sales of 5.2 trillion won ($3.5 billion), marking a 19.8 percent increase from the previous year. The company posted an operating profit of 104 billio

Feb. 12, 2025

TvN’s W50b space romance drama 'When the Stars Gossip' flops in dissonance

Critics say certain expectations for space-themed projects unmet South Korean cable channel tvN, known for hit K-dramas such as "Queen of Tears" and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," is now grappling with the fallout of the massive failure of one of its most ambitious projects yet, "When the Stars Gossip," Korea’s first-ever space-set office drama. Despite the presence of Hallyu A-listers Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, the 16-episode series that blends romance with a sci-fi backdrop has strugg

Feb. 12, 2025

CJ ENM eyes global market with estimated W1.15tr investment

Lee Jung-jae of 'Squid Game' to star in romance series, hit drama 'Signal' confirms second season for 2026 South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, which owns cable channel tvN and streaming platform Tving, aims to expand globally this year with an estimated 1.15 trillion won ($793 million) investment. At a press event, CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun announced that the company is poised to make its largest investment to date in its content business. "We will innovate our production system and st

Feb. 10, 2025

'Squid Game' wins best foreign language series at Critics Choice Awards

After becoming first Korean series to win Critics Choice in 2022, second season clinches second honor The second season of "Squid Game" nabbed recognition for best foreign language series at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, held Friday evening in Los Angeles. Considered a reliable indicator of Academy Award nominees in the film segment, the event is evaluated by more than 600 critics from the US and Canada, recognizing outstanding achievements in film and television. This year’s ceremony was twic

Feb. 10, 2025

Squid Game 2 named Best Foreign Language Series at Critics Choice

Netflix's Korean original series "Squid Game" Season 2 has won the Best Foreign Language Series award at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards, its website showed Sunday. The Critics Choice Association announced the winner in Los Angeles on Friday (local time), marking the second time the popular series has won the award after it previously took home the honor in 2022 for its first season. Its lead Lee Jung-jae won Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2022. The second season follows protagonist Gi-hu

Feb. 9, 2025

Lee Hye-ri returns for buzzworthy role in 'Friendly Rivalry'

From drama of teen life to LGBTQ+ themes, director Kim Tae-hee says teen thriller promises authentic portrayal of reality Girl’s Day member and K-drama star Lee Hye-ri will undertake what promises to be one of the most buzzworthy roles of her career in the upcoming mystery thriller "Friendly Rivalry." Jointly produced by video production company Ylab Flex and Studio X U+, the content production arm of Korean telecommunications company, "Friendly Rivalry" is the latest addition to Studio X U+'s g

Feb. 9, 2025

South Korean singer-DJ Koo Jun-yup mourns wife Barbie Hsu's passing

Koo says all assets belonging to late actor to be entrusted to her mother South Korean singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup expressed his grief over the death of his wife, Taiwanese actor Barbie Hsu, describing it as "an unbearable pain." Koo, formerly of the dance duo Clon, shared on social media late Thursday, "On Feb. 2, 2025, my angel returned to heaven." He said, "I am going through an indescribable sorrow and agony, as if my insides are being torn apart. I have no strength to speak, nor do I wish to.

Feb. 7, 2025

Go A-ra makes return in steamy romance series 'The Scandal of Chunhwa'

19+ rated period drama explores free love in an era of strict traditions "Reply 1994" star Go A-ra is back on the small screen, this time in a steamy romance series titled "The Scandal of Chunhwa." The period drama explores love in an era when rigid decorum dictated interactions between men and women. It follows Hwa-ri (Go A-ra), a princess determined to choose her own husband, even as her father, the king, rushes to arrange her marriage after rumors spread that she is the protagonist of a provo

Feb. 5, 2025