Korea’s first dating show for the disabled challenges genre with tender, humanistic lens

South Korean broadcasting has long been a powerhouse for the dating show genre, but SBS' latest three-part series, "Mongle Mongle Mongle," is breaking new ground by centering on a demographic often left out of romantic narratives -- people with disabilities. The program follows the journey of three young adults -- Ji-hyun, who has a level 3 intellectual disability; Ji-hoon, who is on the autism spectrum; and Ji-won, who has Down syndrome -- as they embark on blind dates with other young adults w

March 13, 2026

K-drama icons return for 'Climax' as spring content wars heat up

Korean heavyweights are returning to television with a major new project, as the political thriller "Climax" unites Netflix's "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" hero Ju Ji-hoon with a beloved K-drama heroine Ha Ji-won ("Secret Garden") -- who returns from a four-year hiatus with the new series. Set to air on cable network ENA, the outfit behind the global phenomenon "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," the show follows prosecutor Tae-sup (Ju) as he becomes part of a cartel in his pursuit of political po

March 10, 2026

‘Mad Concrete Dreams’ starring Ha Jung-woo takes aim at South Korea’s property obsession

Ha Jung-woo, known for hits such as “Along with the Gods” and “1987,” returns to television for the first time in 19 years with “Mad Concrete Dreams,” a satire that taps into one of modern South Korea’s most enduring aspirations: property ownership. “(Shooting this series), I came to think that becoming part of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) shouldn’t be something that comes easily,” Ha said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. “It’s great if you manage to buy

March 10, 2026

Korea moves to curb 'excessive' celebrity security disrupting airport passenger flow

South Korea has long grappled with airport congestion caused by the large entourages and security details accompanying celebrities traveling overseas. The issue has persisted for years, with fans and security personnel frequently crowding airport passageways and delaying travelers trying to catch flights on schedule. That situation may soon change. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport commissioned a research project titled "A Study on Crowd Safety Management Meas

March 8, 2026

‘Battle of Fates’ overtakes ‘Moving’ as most-watched Disney+ show in Korea

"Battle of Fates," a Disney+ original reality series featuring 49 of South Korea’s most promient fortunetellers, has become the platform’s most-watched show in Korea, dethroning hit drama series "Moving." The reality show gathers a diverse group of practitioners — including shamans, known locally as "mudang," tarot readers, physiognomists and saju and Myeongri scholars — who compete to demonstrate their ability to interpret fate. Throughout the tournament-style competition, the participants face

March 6, 2026

'Show Me the Money' retakes place at center of Korean hip-hop

Tom Cruise's iconic line from "Jerry Maguire" — "Show Me The Money" — occupies a special place in Korean culture. The phrase has become virtually synonymous with hip-hop, as the name of the country's flagship hip-hop survival program. The ultimate reward is literal, with the season's winner traditionally "shown" a 100 million won ($68,000) cash prize. In a music market dominated by K-pop, hip-hop increasingly occupies its own niche. So the show's return for its 12th season, its first in four yea

March 5, 2026

Ha Ye-rin says 'Bridgerton' racial bias controversy may be learning curve for global media

Netflix's flagship intellectual property "Bridgerton" has returned with a milestone season, its first to feature an East Asian lead. Fronting Season 4 is Ha Ye-rin, a 28-year-old Korean-Australian actor whose blockbuster resume includes training at the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art and roles in tentpole projects such as Paramount+'s "Halo" and HBO's "Dune: Prophecy." The glossy alternative-history series unveiled Part 2 of its latest season on Feb. 26, this time leaning into fai

March 4, 2026

Korean TV actor Lim Ju-hwan worked as 'Coupang man': agency

South Korean actor Lim Ju-hwan worked at a Coupang logistics center, his agency confirmed Friday, after online posts claiming he had been spotted there drew widespread attention. Basecamp Company said the actor “has experience working at a logistics center,” confirming accounts that circulated rapidly this week across online communities and social media. The posts, which recently resurfaced, said Lim was seen in August at a Coupang facility in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. The original author of th

Feb. 27, 2026

What Yerin Ha read to become Bridgerton's new Cinderella

The much-anticipated second batch of episodes from Season 4 of Netflix’s Regency-era hit show “Bridgerton” was released on Thursday. Holding its place as one of Netflix’s most popular series, the period romance continues its tale of the lavish and lovestruck Bridgerton brood. The fourth installment centers on Yerin Ha, who plays Sophie Baek, a maid whose encounter with Benedict Bridgerton at a masquerade ball sets in motion a Cinderella-esque love story with the rakish second son. Ha has since b

Feb. 27, 2026

Date K-drama star of your choice with Blackpink's Jisoo

This may be K-drama rom-com at its most indulgent. With a lineup of Korean drama heartthrobs paired opposite a global K-pop superstar, Netflix Korea's "Boyfriend on Demand" is positioning itself as a high-concept crowd-pleaser for romance fans worldwide. The 10-episode series stars Blackpink's Jisoo as Mi-rae, a webtoon producer drained by the monotony of office life. Her escape comes in the form of a subscription-based virtual dating simulation that promises the boyfriend of her dreams, no stri

Feb. 26, 2026

How 'The Art of Sarah' recalls real-life luxury fraud even 'Squid Game' Lee Jung-jae fell for

Netflix Korea's mystery thriller "The Art of Sarah" has swiftly emerged as a global conversation starter, topping Netflix’s worldwide TV rankings for non-English series. As the show's buzz builds, it has reignited interest in an infamous, real-life fraud case from Korea a decade ago that bears striking similarities to its central premise: counterfeit luxury goods falsely marketed as elite, European-made products, which reaped astronomical profits. "The Art of Sarah" centers on Sarah Kim (Shin Hy

Feb. 25, 2026

A show even Blackpink's Jennie can't save?

"The Secret Friends Club," featuring A-listers such as Blackpink's Jennie and Go Youn-jung (recently seen in "Can This Love Be Translated?"), is struggling to gain traction despite coming from one of Korea's most acclaimed variety show creators. The series attempts to introduce more "warmhearted" entertainment programming in a landscape increasingly dominated by dopamine-driven formats, but has posted ratings of around 1.6 percent across its first four episodes. Structured in three parts, the sh

Feb. 24, 2026

Korea's top TV networks sue OpenAI for training ChatGPT with their news

South Korea's three major terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, seeking an injunction to halt alleged copyright infringement and compensation for damages, according to the Korea Broadcasters Association on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence service developed and commercially operated by OpenAI, was trained using the broadcasters' news content without authorization. In a press statement released Monday, the KBA sai

Feb. 23, 2026

'Agents of Mystery' moves beyond studio in Season 2

Netflix Korea's mystery variety series is gearing up for a second season, expanding both its scale and creative ambition even as it continues to draw attention over alleged similarities to a popular Korean YouTube series. "Agents of Mystery" centers on six celebrity participants who work together to unravel a succession of mystery cases. This season's lineup features comedian Lee Yong-jin, singer John Park, actor Kim Do-hoon, Karina of aespa, Hye-ri of Girl's Day and dancer Gabi. The new season

Feb. 21, 2026

Shin Hae-sun discusses Netflix's style-obsessed mystery 'The Art of Sarah'

“The Art of Sarah” has emerged as one of the more intriguing anomalies in the recent K-drama landscape. The mystery thriller has drawn strong viewership not only for its tautly constructed whodunit and high-caliber performances, but also for its fashion and beauty aesthetics, with Shin Hae-sun standing at the center of the cultural conversation. Korean online platforms have been flooded with posts dissecting the dresses, accessories and cosmetics worn by con artist Sarah Kim, the shape-shifting

Feb. 20, 2026