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What's hot in Korea

What's hot in Korea

The latest entertainment news from Korea, including updates on the sex scandal, food trends, beauty hacks and more from the land of K-pop.

Runners set off during the DMZ International Peace Marathon, in the Demilitarized Zone in Gangwon province, in South Korea, on September 21, 2025. Some 10 million South Koreans now identify as runners, according to industry and tourism data, roughly double the figure from 2015. Photo: The Korea Times

What’s fuelling South Korea’s running boom? A look at the fitness obsession

From office workers to ultra-marathoners, South Korea’s running boom is reshaping streets, travel and retail as millions hit the pavement.

14 Jan 2026 - 1:05PM

The 15 most anticipated K-dramas of 2026, from Scandals to Show Business

13 Jan 2026 - 4:58AMvideocam

World of performing arts

Frozen, Spirited Away among shows lighting up Seoul’s theatre stages in 2026

11 Jan 2026 - 3:15PM

Latest K-drama casting news about Park Min-young, Song Joong-ki and more

Park Min-young is eyeing a role in Nine to Six and Song Joong-ki is considering joining Love Cloud in the latest Korean drama casting news.

10 Jan 2026 - 3:15PM

Korean actress Park Min-young is in talks to star in the coming K-drama Nine to Six. Photo: Instagram/rachel_mypark

Korean drama reviews

Spring Fever: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-bin in formulaic rural romcom K-drama

Spring Fever pairs Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin in a rural romcom that leans hard on the ‘city woman finds love and healing in the countryside’ formula.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

Food and Drinks

Why are Korean-style cafes proving so popular in Hong Kong?

With immersive themes and Instagram-worthy interiors, Korean-style cafes offer comfortable ‘third places’ for Hong Kong’s busy populace.

9 Jan 2026 - 7:23AM

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Korean drama reviews

The Judge Returns: Ji Sung fights corruption in legal thriller K-drama

Starring Ji Sung, Won Jin-ah and Park Hee-soon, The Judge Returns is set in a dystopian near-future Seoul torn open by rampant corruption.

6 Jan 2026 - 11:10AMvideocam

Ji Sung as corrupt judge Lee Han-young in a still from The Judge Returns, a new Korean drama on HBO Max.

BTS are back! A new album and tour are coming after their military service

South Korea’s top act has been on hiatus since 2022 for military service. Their new album is the first since 2022’s record-breaking ‘Proof’.

1 Jan 2026 - 7:31PM

8 of the best new K-drama series to watch in January 2026

Ji Sung stars in The Judge Returns, Nam Ji-hyun and Moon Sang-min clash in To My Beloved Thief, and Park Shin-hye is Undercover Miss Hong.

30 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Korean drama reviews

Made in Korea: Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung in slick political thriller K-drama

Made in Korea, set in the 1970s, is a political thriller exploring power, corruption and moral ambiguity under an authoritarian regime.

29 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Hyun Bin as political operator Baek Ki-tae in a still from Made in Korea, a slick political thriller set in 1970s South Korea.

Food and Drinks

How Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 stays ‘true to the original essence’

Amid off-screen scrutiny on one of the show’s judges, season two of Culinary Class Wars returns with a focus on its intense cooking battles.

28 Dec 2025 - 12:15PMvideocam

A poster for Netflix’s cooking show Culinary Class Wars season two. The Netflix hit cooking competition returned on December 16. Photo: Netflix

Korean drama reviews

The 15 best K-dramas of 2025 ranked, from Melo Movie to Squid Game 3

Here are our 15 favourite Korean dramas from the past year, which also include Dear X, Typhoon Family, Way Back Love, Aema and Nine Puzzles.

28 Dec 2025 - 7:15AMvideocam

Korean drama reviews

Idol I: Choi Soo-young, Kim Jae-young lead K-pop-infused legal K-drama

Choi Soo-young plays a lawyer defending Kim Jae-young’s K-pop star – who she’s secretly obsessed with – in this new Korean drama.

27 Dec 2025 - 5:15PMvideocam

Korean drama reviews

Review | Cashero: Lee Jun-ho can’t save this messy superhero K-drama

While it has a compelling concept and potentially great characters, Cashero’s poor writing means the K-drama fails to deliver.

26 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

Kim Hyang-gi (left) as Bang Eun-mi and Lee Jun-ho as Kang Sang-ung in a still from Cashero. Photo: Kim Hobin/Netflix

Korean drama reviews

Love Me: Seo Hyun-jin leads slow-burn family K-drama with heavy emotions

Loneliness and redemption are explored through family drama and romance in Love Me, starring Seo Hyun-jin, Yoo Jae-myung and Chang Ryul.

23 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Seo Hyun-jin as Seo Jun-kyung, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, in a still from Love Me, a new Korean drama exploring grief, guilt and healing through family bonds.

Korean drama reviews

Villains: Yoo Ji-tae leads unconvincing counterfeiting thriller K-drama

Starring Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Min-jung, Lee Beom-soo and Kwak Do-won, new Korean drama Villains is already in danger of being quickly forgotten.

22 Dec 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

Worship to witch hunts: how South Korea’s fandoms turn on their idols

When stars shine brightest in the glare of publicity, the darkness that follows can feel absolute. This December, three more lights went out.

21 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM

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Latest K-drama casting news about Lee Min-ho, Han Hyo-joo and more

Lee Min-ho may be joining Moon Ga-young in period drama Scent of the Night, while Han Hyo-joo has been confirmed to appear in Your Ground.

20 Dec 2025 - 3:15PM

Korean actor Lee Min-ho may take a leading role in the coming romantic period drama series Scent of the Night. Photo: Instagram/actorleeminho

‘It’s all in English now’: South Koreans fall out of love with K-pop

Long-time listeners say the genre has lost its identity, with English lyrics and shorter tracks alienating the local fan base.

14 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM

Profile | Who is Kim Woo-bin, star of K-dramas Our Blues and Genie, Make a Wish?

Kim Woo-bin, who is marrying fellow K-drama star Shin Min-a this month, has proved he has the acting chops to match his good looks.

13 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

Korean drama reviews

Pro Bono: Jung Kyung-ho shines in another breezy legal K-drama

Jung Kyung-ho plays a judge aspiring to join the Supreme Court, but ends up working as a pro bono lawyer in a large law firm.

11 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Jung Kyung-ho as judge-turned-lawyer Kang Da-wit in a still from Netflix’s new Korean drama Pro Bono.

Korean drama reviews

Surely Tomorrow: Park Seo-joon makes muted comeback in K-drama romcom

Park Seo-joon and rising actress Won Jin-ah lack chemistry in this Korean drama about a couple repeatedly thrown together and torn apart.

10 Dec 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

Park Seo-joon as journalist Lee Gyeong-do in a still from Surely Tomorrow, a new Korean drama on Prime Video that’s off to a lacklustre start.

Latest K-drama casting news: Yuna of Itzy, Jung So-min and more

K-pop star Yuna will play an actress in My Favorite Employee, while Jung So-min and Ryoo Seung-bum are looking at roles in Dealer.

6 Dec 2025 - 5:15PM

Korean drama reviews

Review | The Price of Confession: Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Go-eun in binge-worthy K-drama

Bold performances and punchy scripting keep this murder mystery Korean drama engaging from start to finish.

5 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

How K-pop idols are helping Korea’s ‘kimjang vest’ make a comeback

The iconic vest, long associated with older women making kimchi in the countryside, is being revived by young consumers embracing the ‘grandma-chic’ aesthetic.

29 Nov 2025 - 6:00PM

Blackpink’s Jennie and Aespa’s Karina are just two K-pop idols who are bringing the kimjang vest back into vogue. Photos: @jennierubyjane, @katarinabluu/Instagram

Food and Drinks

What is a bento cake? The trending mini cakes that come from the heart

Bakers and bloggers are singing the praises of bento cakes, small layered confections originating in Korea that are easy to make at home.

29 Nov 2025 - 12:15PM

Palm-sized bento cakes offer everything a large cake does, including a base, filling, coating and decoration, and often feature a short message to the recipient. Photo: Shutterstock

8 of the best new K-drama series to watch in December 2025

December brings a raft of thrilling new K-dramas, such as Made in Korea with Hyun Bin, and romcoms like I Dol I with Choi Soo-young.

29 Nov 2025 - 4:15AMvideocam

Korean drama reviews

Taxi Driver 3: Lee Je-hoon and co kick new season off in style in Japan

The third series following the Rainbow Taxi vigilantes gets off to an action-packed start as the gang takes on the yakuza in Japan.

26 Nov 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

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