https://www.scmp.com/rss/327042/feed The latest entertainment news from Korea, including updates on the sex scandal, food trends, beauty hacks and more from the land of K-pop. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-joon, Kwak Sun-young Latest Nielsen rating: 4.1 per cent Picture the scene: outside a rural town in 1980s South Korea, a red scarecrow stands in a field of pale reeds, within which stalks a serial killer whose diabolical acts will consume the detectives who later search for him in vain. From its opening moments and all through its first two episodes, ENA’s new period investigative drama The Scarecrow is unable to escape the spectre of Bong Joon-ho’s landmark... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3351250/k-drama-scarecrow-serial-killer-thriller-echoes-classic-film-memories-murder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3351250/k-drama-scarecrow-serial-killer-thriller-echoes-classic-film-memories-murder?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Long a staple in Filipino desserts, ube has become the newest obsession in South Korean cafes. The root crop, also known as purple yam and commonly exported from the Philippines, is turning up in everything from creamy desserts to colourful drinks as its popularity spreads worldwide. Ube first went viral for its visual appeal as it gives off a distinct violet hue when added to desserts and drinks, taking the place of the long-reigning green of Japan’s matcha. The starchy tuber is now a mainstay... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351302/how-viral-ube-drinks-and-desserts-are-taking-over-south-korean-cafes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351302/how-viral-ube-drinks-and-desserts-are-taking-over-south-korean-cafes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran 3/5 stars Lead cast: Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok, Lee Hyo-je From shopping and dating to content creation, these days it feels like there is very little that you cannot do with your smartphone. Netflix’s latest original K-drama, If Wishes Could Kill, pushes that reality just a little bit further. What if there were an app that could grant your deepest desires? In the world of this series, that app exists and it is called Girigo. There is just one catch: once your wish... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3351274/netflix-k-drama-if-wishes-could-kill-review-high-school-horror-chilling-tech-twist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3351274/netflix-k-drama-if-wishes-could-kill-review-high-school-horror-chilling-tech-twist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Kim Hyang-gi, Cha Hak-yeon, Kim Jae-hyun, Son Jeong-hyeok, Kim Dong-kyu The worlds of glossy high school comedy and steamy BL (boys’ love) melodrama collide in the breezy new drama Absolute Value of Romance. Kim Hyang-gi (Cashero) plays Yeo Ui-ju, a high school student in the idyllic old town of Jeonju who spends her evenings at home hunched over her laptop, secretly churning out web novels. Her genre is BL, a popular phenomenon that focuses on the romantic misunderstandings and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350960/prime-video-k-drama-absolute-value-romance-high-school-comedy-boys-love-twist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350960/prime-video-k-drama-absolute-value-romance-high-school-comedy-boys-love-twist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Koo Kyo-hwan, Go Yoon-jung, Oh Jung-se, Park Hae-joon Latest Nielsen rating: 2.24 per cent Park Hae-young, the celebrated scribe behind My Mister and My Liberation Notes, returns with her latest slice-of-life series, the film-industry-set We Are All Trying Here. D.P. actor Koo Kyo-hwan, who recently headlined the big-screen romantic hit Once We Were Us, plays Hwang Dong-man, a passionate and eccentric filmmaker who excelled among his peers at university. Trouble is, that was 20 years... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350976/netflix-k-drama-we-are-all-trying-here-go-yoon-jung-koo-kyo-hwan-film-industry-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350976/netflix-k-drama-we-are-all-trying-here-go-yoon-jung-koo-kyo-hwan-film-industry-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran As temperatures rise and cherry blossom petals drift across Seoul’s bustling spring streets, the city’s drama industry is whirring with activity. Major stars are circling a collection of enticing new shows, including an Australia-set mystery, a Japanese drama remake and a period hitwoman series. Read on for the latest casting news. Caution, Hazardous Wife Lee Hye-ri and Na In-woo have been approached to take on the leading roles in Caution, Hazardous Wife, a remake of the 2017 Japanese series of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350389/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-hye-ri-choi-hyun-wook-kim-da-mi-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350389/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-hye-ri-choi-hyun-wook-kim-da-mi-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:15:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The sound of tinkling bells drifts through an alley in central Seoul, an unmistakable sign that a shaman is near – although in this case the mystic is a robot powered by artificial intelligence. Many South Koreans still place great value in shamanic traditions, which purport to divine a person’s future based on the day and time they were born. Practitioners, known as mudang, wear long, colourful robes and perform dances and chants to commune with the gods – sometimes even walking on sharp blades... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:20:27 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Kim Go-eun, Kim Jae-won Latest Nielsen rating: 1.7 per cent Almost four years after the second season of Yumi’s Cells, Kim Go-eun is back as Kim Yumi for a third helping of the partially animated adaptation of the hit webtoon of the same name, penned by Lee Dong-gun. In the intervening years, Yumi has risen in the world. No longer an employee of Daehan Noodles, she has realised her dormant passion for writing and has become a celebrated author of romance novels, which she writes in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350309/hbo-max-k-drama-yumis-cells-season-3-kim-go-eun-returns-final-romantic-chapter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3350309/hbo-max-k-drama-yumis-cells-season-3-kim-go-eun-returns-final-romantic-chapter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: IU, Byeon Woo-seok, Noh Sang-hyun, Gong Seung-yeon Latest Nielsen rating: 9.5 per cent With all its slow-motion close-ups, high-society razzle-dazzle and swoon-worthy stars, the new romantic vehicle Perfect Crown, starring IU (When Life Gives You Tangerines) and Byeon Woo-seok (Lovely Runner), has all the trappings of a classic Korean drama, an alternative-history fable the kind of which the industry has been routinely producing for 20 years. On paper, the concept is a winner. Imagine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349981/disney-k-drama-perfect-crown-iu-and-byeon-woo-seok-lead-fantasy-romance-far-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349981/disney-k-drama-perfect-crown-iu-and-byeon-woo-seok-lead-fantasy-romance-far-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Byeon Woo-seok’s star has been on a sharp rise over the past few years. After sitting out last year’s drama release schedules, he returns this weekend in what is arguably his most hotly anticipated role to date: Grand Prince Ian in the alternate-history fantasy romance Perfect Crown opposite K-pop idol IU (aka Lee Ji-eun). Born in Bucheon, a satellite city southwest of Seoul, in 1991, Byeon spent his early childhood there before relocating to the capital. Influenced by his older sister, he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran As the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, K-drama stars are busy signing on to a variety of coming projects, among them a period crime series, a fantasy romance, a mystery melodrama and a film-industry-set romantic drama. Read on for the latest casting news. Born Guilty Itaewon Class star Park Seo-joon is set to act opposite Uhm Tae-goo (My Sweet Mobster) and Jo Hye-joo (Dear Hyeri) in the coming Disney+ drama Born Guilty. Based on a webtoon of the same name, this crime-action series will be set in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348891/k-drama-casting-news-about-park-seo-joon-park-eun-bin-lee-young-ae-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348891/k-drama-casting-news-about-park-seo-joon-park-eun-bin-lee-young-ae-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times By Pyo Kyung-min On a recent weekend afternoon, Hwang In-woo, a university student in his 20s, found himself standing in line for something called “butter rice cakes” – yet another trending dessert he never intended to try. Hwang said he has been eating his way through South Korea’s latest food crazes largely at the urging of his girlfriend, who regularly discovers new items on social media and insists they try them together. “I wouldn’t usually go out of my way to buy these if it weren’t for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348793/crispy-chewy-soft-why-texture-not-taste-rules-south-koreas-current-viral-food-trends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348793/crispy-chewy-soft-why-texture-not-taste-rules-south-koreas-current-viral-food-trends?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Rain Woo Do-hwan (Mr. Plankton) and Lee Sang-yi (Spice Up Our Love) return as happy-go-lucky bruisers Gun-woo and Woo-jin in season two of the acclaimed Netflix action-drama Bloodhounds, directed by Kim Joo-hwan (also known as Jason Kim). The young boxers have trimmed their locks and risen up in the world, but their good intentions are once again thwarted by the arrival of a money-hungry villain, this time played by K-pop icon Rain (Red Swan). Following their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348869/netflix-k-drama-bloodhounds-season-2-k-pop-star-rain-joins-menacing-villain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348869/netflix-k-drama-bloodhounds-season-2-k-pop-star-rain-joins-menacing-villain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:15:12 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Meddlesome matchmaker Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) returns for her senior year at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (Kiss) in the third season of XO, Kitty, Netflix’s Korea-set spin-off series from Jenny Han’s hugely successful To All the Boys film franchise. Chief among Kitty’s goals this year is to define her long-running on-again, off-again “situationship” with wealthy hunk and classmate Min-ho (Sang-heon Lee), but showrunner and chief writer Valentina Garza ensures that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347968/netflix-drama-review-xo-kitty-season-3-all-boys-spin-picks-after-dip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347968/netflix-drama-review-xo-kitty-season-3-all-boys-spin-picks-after-dip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars The Russian city of Vladivostok provides the setting for Humint, the latest globe-trotting thriller from South Korean action specialist Ryoo Seung-wan. Set in the high-stakes world of international espionage, the film features Zo In-sung (Escape from Mogadishu) and Park Jeong-min (Uprising) as agents from South and North Korea, respectively, who attempt to foil a human trafficking ring. After opening in South Korean cinemas during the Lunar New Year holiday, Humint launches globally... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Spring is here and with it an all-new line-up of tantalising K-drama offerings, ranging from fantasy, action and animation to a wide variety of romance. 1. Bloodhounds season 2 Lead cast: Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Rain Following their first rip-roaring adventure, Gun-woo (Woo Do-hwan) and Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi) are back for a second helping of cathartic beatdowns in Bloodhounds 2. Jason Kim is once again at the helm, directing from his own scripts, while this season’s villain is the vicious... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348069/10-best-new-k-dramas-watch-april-2026-including-perfect-crown-disney?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3348069/10-best-new-k-dramas-watch-april-2026-including-perfect-crown-disney?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Since the pandemic, the once-mighty South Korean film industry has struggled to return to its former glory. The year 2025 proved particularly trying, as it failed to produce a large-scale breakout capable of reminding audiences what they were missing. That dry spell finally came to a decisive end over the past few weeks, thanks to the staggering success of the Lunar New Year holiday title The King’s Warden, a broadly appealing period drama that continues to defy expectations on its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran In this week’s K-drama production round-up, stars gravitate towards a corporate succession drama, an artificial intelligence-themed vigilante thriller, a heart-warming food-themed gangster comedy and a tale of long-term romance. Read on for the latest casting news. Another Romance Besides You Seo Kang-joon and Ahn Eun-jin have officially been cast in the coming KBS2 drama Another Romance Besides You, as a couple who have been together for 10 years. Despite their enduring loyalty, they are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3347255/k-drama-casting-news-about-seo-kang-joon-ju-ji-hoon-kim-nam-gil-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3347255/k-drama-casting-news-about-seo-kang-joon-ju-ji-hoon-kim-nam-gil-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Ha Ji-won, Nana, Cha Joo-young Latest Nielsen rating: 3.8 per cent Ju Ji-hoon returns to our screens following last year’s hit medical drama The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, once again playing the smartest man in the room. While his previous role used that intellect to save people, in the new ENA drama Climax, he plays a man who seeks only to serve himself. Co-starring Ha Ji-won (Curtain Call), Nana (Mask Girl) and Cha Joo-young (The Glory), this scheming tale of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3347143/k-drama-climax-ju-ji-hoon-covets-high-society-power-slick-and-juicy-prime-time-soap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3347143/k-drama-climax-ju-ji-hoon-covets-high-society-power-slick-and-juicy-prime-time-soap?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Ha Jung-woo, Lim Soo-jung, Kim Jun-han, Shim Eun-kyung, Krystal Jung Latest Nielsen rating: 4.5 per cent Ha Jung-woo (Narco-Saints) makes a rare appearance on the small screen in the blackly comic kidnap thriller Mad Concrete Dreams, the K-drama debut of cult genre filmmaker Yim Pil-sung (Hansel and Gretel). Ha heads an ensemble cast featuring Lim Soo-jung (Chicago Typewriter), Kim Jun-han (Newtopia), Shim Eun-kyung (Money Game) and Krystal Jung (Crazy Love) in this tale that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346897/hbo-max-k-drama-mad-concrete-dreams-ha-jung-woo-leads-tale-koreas-housing-nightmare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346897/hbo-max-k-drama-mad-concrete-dreams-ha-jung-woo-leads-tale-koreas-housing-nightmare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:15:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Yoo Yeon-seok, Esom Latest Nielsen rating: 8.7 per cent Following last year’s Oh My Ghost Clients with Jung Kyung-ho, the worlds of jurisprudence and the supernatural collide once more in Phantom Lawyer, a legal comedy about a lawyer who unwillingly takes on the cases – and occasionally the personalities – of the ghost clients that drift into his practice. Jung’s Hospital Playlist co-star Yoo Yeon-seok leads the series, while Esom (LTNS) co-stars as an ace lawyer at a larger firm who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346826/k-drama-phantom-lawyer-yoo-yeon-seok-represents-deceased-clients-jaunty-legal-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346826/k-drama-phantom-lawyer-yoo-yeon-seok-represents-deceased-clients-jaunty-legal-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Singer-turned-actor Seo In-guk is currently starring in Netflix’s high-concept workplace romantic comedy Boyfriend on Demand. The 38-year-old shares the screen with another performer who has recently traded the concert stage for sound stages: Blackpink’s Jisoo. Born in Ulsan in southeast South Korea, Seo grew up in a working-class household; his mother worked at a recycling centre and his father was a welder. Seo was athletic as a child, taking part in ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Park Jin-young, Kim Min-ju Latest Nielsen rating: 1.7 per cent Idol-turned-actors Park Jin-young and Kim Min-ju lead the slow-burn slice-of-life romance Still Shining, which chronicles the evolving relationship between two characters from their school days into their early thirties. Got7 member Park, who is fresh off the acclaimed Our Unwritten Seoul, plays Yeon Tae-seo, a school senior studying in Seoul with his brother Hui-seo (Sung Yoo-bin, Twelve). Tae-seo is a straight-A... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345950/netflix-k-drama-still-shining-park-jin-young-and-kim-min-ju-star-slow-burn-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345950/netflix-k-drama-still-shining-park-jin-young-and-kim-min-ju-star-slow-burn-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran In the latest round of casting announcements out of the K-drama industry, stars line up to lead connected dramas, characters swap emotions, and a pair of former screen lovers reunite for a new romance. Read on to find out more. Iseop’s Romance/A Casual Lie Lee Jong-suk (Big Mouth) and Lee Joon-hyuk (Love Scout) have been cast to headline separate dramas taking place in the same fictional universe, both drawing from web novels written by Kim Eon-hee. Recently seen in Law and the City and soon to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345654/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-jong-suk-song-kang-kim-so-hyun-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345654/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-jong-suk-song-kang-kim-so-hyun-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee At the bustling Han Market in central Da Nang, two Vietnamese vendors tease a middle-aged South Korean tourist by calling him harabeoji, or “grandfather” in Korean. “I’m offended!” he jokes. The women grab his arms and laugh. “It’s OK, it’s OK.” The man had returned to their stall after buying 200,000 dong (US$7.60) worth of macadamia nuts the day before. It is a small moment of banter, repeated dozens of times a day in a city that many people from South Korea jokingly call their own unofficial... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345771/da-nang-south-korean-province-why-coastal-city-hit-east-asian-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345771/da-nang-south-korean-province-why-coastal-city-hit-east-asian-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran 2.5/5 stars Lead cast: Jisoo, Seo In-guk Coming just two weeks after Love Phobia, Boyfriend on Demand is the second K-drama of the year to focus on AI dating. With Netflix behind it and the star wattage of Blackpink’s Jisoo (Newtopia) and Seo In-guk (Death’s Game) leading the cast, this new show is undoubtedly the bigger production, but it approaches its timely subject matter in a similarly muddled fashion. Though not based on a webtoon, the series takes place in the world of digital comics,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345647/netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand-review-ai-dating-romcom-jisoo-too-conventional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345647/netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand-review-ai-dating-romcom-jisoo-too-conventional?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:15 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Park Min-young, Wi Ha-joon Latest Nielsen rating: 4.6 per cent After appearing just five months ago in the con artist drama Confidence Queen, Park Min-young once again teams up with Prime Video for the soapy thriller Siren’s Kiss, sharing the screen with Wi Ha-joon (Squid Game). Set against a backdrop of fine art and insurance fraud, this adaptation of the 1999 Japanese series Ice World traces a series of mysterious deaths connected to the formidable auctioneer Han Seol-ah, played... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345561/prime-video-k-drama-sirens-kiss-wi-ha-joon-investigates-park-min-young-soapy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345561/prime-video-k-drama-sirens-kiss-wi-ha-joon-investigates-park-min-young-soapy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Han Ji-min, Park Sung-hoon, Lee Ki-taek Latest Nielsen rating: 3.3 per cent Following 2025’s Love Scout, Han Ji-min once again portrays a working professional balancing her career and romance in The Practical Guide to Love, an adaptation of the Efficient Dating for Singles webtoon by Tari. Han plays Lee Ui-yeong, a purchasing manager at a luxury hotel who begins the series with a spotty dating track record. Before long, however, two potential suitors enter her life, played by Park... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345544/hbo-max-k-drama-practical-guide-love-han-ji-min-park-sung-hoon-pragmatic-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3345544/hbo-max-k-drama-practical-guide-love-han-ji-min-park-sung-hoon-pragmatic-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A year after his work The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won the 2025 Laurence Olivier Award for best new musical, Jethro Compton has big Hollywood studios calling to ask for meetings. He declines them all. Instead, the British writer and director is working as dramaturge on an English adaptation of The Last Man, a South Korean one-person zombie musical set in a tiny bunker – and the last project most people would expect from the hottest name in West End theatre. “I’m saying, ‘No, no, I’m busy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344590/why-did-olivier-award-winner-jethro-compton-turn-down-hollywood-korean-zombie-musical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344590/why-did-olivier-award-winner-jethro-compton-turn-down-hollywood-korean-zombie-musical?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran With temperatures on the rise, the K-drama calendar is also heating up next month, as a mix of high-concept romance, thrills and even some supernatural lawyers get ready to meet audiences. Here are the highlights to watch over the coming weeks. 1. Siren’s Kiss Lead cast: Park Min-young, Wi Ha-joon Following last year’s Confidence Queen, Park Min-young is once again teaming up with Prime Video, which will stream the tvN thriller Siren’s Kiss globally. Based on the 1999 Japanese television... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344804/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-march-2026-including-netflixs-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344804/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-march-2026-including-netflixs-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran This article contains minor spoilers. Lead cast: Lee Sung-kyung, Chae Jong-hyeop Latest Nielsen rating: 3.5 per cent Wistful romance and post-traumatic healing form the emotional core of In Your Radiant Season, a new drama starring Lee Sung-kyung (Call It Love) and Chae Jong-hyeop (Serendipity’s Embrace) that combines workplace drama and chaebol (family-run conglomerate) dynamics. The series introduces us to the bright and bubbly Song Ha-ran (Lee), a design student from Seoul in love with her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344702/disney-k-drama-your-radiant-season-lee-sung-kyung-chae-jong-hyeop-romantic-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344702/disney-k-drama-your-radiant-season-lee-sung-kyung-chae-jong-hyeop-romantic-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:18 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Yeonwoo, Kim Hyun-jin Few countries have embraced artificial intelligence with as much enthusiasm and as few reservations as South Korea. Local citizens employ generative AI chatbots for a range of everyday tasks, while the government has fully adopted the technology. The new romantic comedy Love Phobia – unrelated to the 2006 film of the same name – explores a near-future Korean society even more beholden to AI than it already is, in which dating apps have been supplanted by a hugely... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344531/k-drama-love-phobia-romantic-comedy-series-takes-superficial-look-ai-dating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344531/k-drama-love-phobia-romantic-comedy-series-takes-superficial-look-ai-dating?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran With the Lunar New Year holiday behind us, the K-drama industry is setting its sights on its next big hits. A wide array of stars is currently circling an exciting slate of series in development. Read on for the latest casting news. There’s a Winning Chance Lee Je-hoon (Taxi Driver) and Ha Young (The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call) have been set as the leads of the legal drama There’s a Winning Chance. Fresh off the third season of Taxi Driver, Lee will inject his wily personality into Kwon Baek.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344064/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-je-hoon-ryoo-seung-ryong-jo-jung-suk-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344064/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-je-hoon-ryoo-seung-ryong-jo-jung-suk-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Versatile Korean actress Shin Hye-sun is currently displaying her range in Netflix’s twisty fashion-themed thriller The Art of Sarah, playing a wily woman of many identities. Few could navigate such a complex role, but Shin has a knack for portraying characters with steel in their spine – a trait she mirrors in her own determined approach to her career. Shin harboured ambitions of acting from a young age, ignited by watching Autumn in My Heart, a classic Korean drama starring Won Bin, which... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343323/who-shin-hye-sun-versatile-actress-k-dramas-mr-queen-and-art-sarah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343323/who-shin-hye-sun-versatile-actress-k-dramas-mr-queen-and-art-sarah?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran 3/5 stars Lead cast: Shin Hye-sun, Lee Joon-hyuk Luxury brands command dizzying prices the world over, but expert craftsmanship and rare materials account for only a fraction of the cost. For many people, the real value lies in the prestige of the brand names themselves, which act as symbols of wealth and class – wearable badges of social standing. But sometimes, a gilded handbag alone is not enough. Sarah Kim, the protagonist of Netflix’s twisty new mystery series The Art of Sarah, ups the ante... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343315/netflix-k-drama-art-sarah-review-shin-hye-sun-leads-glitzy-fashion-world-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343315/netflix-k-drama-art-sarah-review-shin-hye-sun-leads-glitzy-fashion-world-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:15 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Bae In-hyuk, Roh Jeong-eui Latest Nielsen Rating: 1.3 per cent A pair of attractive youths are thrust into adulthood when they are saddled with a cute toddler in Our Universe, a bubbly but cloying mash-up of romance, cohabitation drama and family comedy. Leading the series are Bae In-hyuk (Check-in Hanyang) and Roh Jeong-eui (Hierarchy) as two individuals trying to figure out their place in the world. Seon Tae-hyung (Bae) shows promise as an assistant photographer, but he is looked... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343137/hbo-max-k-drama-our-universe-roh-jeong-eui-and-bae-hyuk-woeful-baby-raising-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343137/hbo-max-k-drama-our-universe-roh-jeong-eui-and-bae-hyuk-woeful-baby-raising-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:15:12 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Ryeoun, Keum Sae-rok, Sung Dong-il The year 2026 welcomes its first serial killer K-drama with the high-concept Bloody Flower, a series that toys with whether a life can ever be taken in the name of the greater good. Leading the show are Ryeoun (Weak Hero Class 2) as a medically minded mass murderer, Keum Sae-rok (The Interest of Love) as the driven prosecutor gunning for the death sentence, and Sung Dong-il (Typhoon Family) as the wily lawyer trying to get him off the hook. Blending... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342999/k-drama-bloody-flower-serial-killer-drama-weighs-medical-prodigys-deadly-cure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342999/k-drama-bloody-flower-serial-killer-drama-weighs-medical-prodigys-deadly-cure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:15:15 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Spring is still a month away but love is already in the air as several stars weigh offers for a variety of romantic dramas on the horizon. Read on to find out more. Code: Faust Game Fans have been patiently awaiting the return of actor Nam Joo-hyuk, who has not been seen since 2023’s Vigilante, the last show he completed before starting his military service. He will make his grand return in the Netflix period drama East Palace later this year, and now reports are suggesting that he may quickly... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342580/k-drama-casting-news-about-nam-joo-hyuk-lee-dong-wook-shin-se-kyung-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342580/k-drama-casting-news-about-nam-joo-hyuk-lee-dong-wook-shin-se-kyung-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Like many other things in Korea, K-pop rarely pauses to explain itself. New groups debut, concepts cycle, controversies surface and fade. The industry absorbs the moment, recalibrates and quickly moves on. That forward momentum has long been part of its appeal. It is also what makes the system difficult to read from the outside. However, beneath the choreography and camera-ready polish, a quieter question persists: why does K-pop feel so engineered, not just in sound or style, but in how its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/bands/article/3342461/stray-kids-aespa-k-pop-loving-business-expert-breaks-down-industrys-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/bands/article/3342461/stray-kids-aespa-k-pop-loving-business-expert-breaks-down-industrys-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Lee Na-young, Jung Eun-chae, Lee Chung-ah Latest Nielsen rating: 3.3 per cent Three years after the quiet, contemplative One Day Off, Lee Na-young is back on screens in the high-stakes courtroom drama Honour. She plays the leader of a trio of legal eagles, alongside Jung Eun-chae (Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born) and Lee Chung-ah (Hide), who defend victims of sexual violence. The series begins with all three characters marching to appointments in court, a board meeting and a news studio,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342477/k-drama-honour-lee-na-young-fights-high-society-sex-crimes-courtroom-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3342477/k-drama-honour-lee-na-young-fights-high-society-sex-crimes-courtroom-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:16:39 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran The Lunar New Year is around the corner, and the K-drama industry is rolling out a varied line-up of new series just in time for the holidays, with genres ranging from romance and family comedy to legal thriller and dark mystery. Read on to find out what to catch over the next month. 1. Honour Lead cast: Lee Na-young, Jung Eun-chae, Lee Chung-ah Lee Na-young (Romance Is a Bonus Book) makes a rare screen appearance in the legal thriller Honour, starring alongside Jung Eun-chae (Jeongnyeon: The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3341755/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-february-2026-including-netflixs-art-sarah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3341755/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-february-2026-including-netflixs-art-sarah?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:15:09 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Yerin Ha may not be the “diamond of the season” in the upcoming highly anticipated fourth instalment of Netflix’s hit regency era series Bridgerton, but the Australian actress’ role as the mysterious “lady in silver”, aka Sophie Baek, has piqued the interest of long-time fans of the show. Online snoopers have already figured out that the 28-year-old actress comes from a family of actors – in fact, her maternal grandmother is award-winning veteran actress Son Sook who starred in The Glory... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341620/who-son-sook-bridgerton-star-yerin-has-grandmother-and-award-winning-actress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341620/who-son-sook-bridgerton-star-yerin-has-grandmother-and-award-winning-actress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran South Korea’s vibrant independent-film community produces waves of movies that travel to festivals around the world, delighting viewers, picking up awards and adding a social counterpoint to the broader pleasures of its mainstream counterparts. Even though most of these indie films struggle to find screens, and thus audiences at home, over the years, art-house breakouts have become more frequent. With Yoon Ga-eun’s The World of Love, the latest Korean indie to conquer the charts, set to hit Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3341326/10-most-successful-korean-art-house-films-all-time-including-world-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3341326/10-most-successful-korean-art-house-films-all-time-including-world-love?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Love appears to be in the air this week in the K-drama industry, with a spate of casting announcements for coming romance series making the rounds. Read on to find out more. Wed Thu Fri In what would be her first role following her marriage to Kim Woo-bin in December, Shin Min-a (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) is considering an offer for the drama Wed Thu Fri. Reports indicate that Lee Jin-wook has also been offered a part, though his agency has not yet confirmed. The title of the show refers to a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340960/k-drama-casting-news-about-shin-min-ha-ji-won-lee-yul-eum-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340960/k-drama-casting-news-about-shin-min-ha-ji-won-lee-yul-eum-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:15:07 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee In the predawn cold of a northern Seoul neighbourhood, hundreds of people line the street in padded coats, stamping their feet to keep warm. Adults, students and young children wait patiently for the same thing: a Dubai chewy cookie. Known in Korean as dujjonku, the dessert has triggered queues that begin before sunrise and sell out within minutes. At one bakery, demand grew so intense that sales were reportedly limited to certain days, before in-store purchases were halted altogether to keep... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340884/how-k-pop-post-sparked-south-koreas-viral-dujjonku-cookie-obsession?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340884/how-k-pop-post-sparked-south-koreas-viral-dujjonku-cookie-obsession?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Lomon Latest Nielsen rating: 2.7 per cent The nine-tailed-fox fantasy romcom template gets a lively workout in the bright and brisk No Tail to Tell, starring Kim Hye-yoon (Lovely Runner) as a jaded mythical being and Lomon (All of Us Are Dead) as a superstar football player whose destinies entwine. A fantastical creature from East Asian mythology, the nine-tailed fox – known in Korea as a gumiho – is an entity that typically takes on the appearance of a beautiful woman... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340767/netflix-k-drama-no-tail-tell-kim-hye-yoon-lomon-lead-lively-fantasy-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340767/netflix-k-drama-no-tail-tell-kim-hye-yoon-lomon-lead-lively-fantasy-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Park Shin-hye, Ko Kyung-pyo, Ha Yoon-kyung Latest Nielsen rating: 5.7 per cent Fresh from dispensing justice in The Judge from Hell, Park Shin-hye returns to screens to infiltrate a corrupt corporation in the 1990s-set workplace drama Undercover Miss Hong. Park plays dogged financial investigator Hong Keum-bo, who scores a big win at the opening of the series in a case that lands some of her colleagues in hot water. Keum-bo, who goes by nicknames such as “Pitbull” and “Witch of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340686/netflix-k-drama-undercover-miss-hong-park-shin-hye-tackles-corruption-workplace-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340686/netflix-k-drama-undercover-miss-hong-park-shin-hye-tackles-corruption-workplace-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Disney+’s new series Made in Korea dives deep into the dark underbelly of 1970s Korea, a decade that director Woo Min-ho calls an “age of barbarism”. Drawing from real events and personal ambition, the six-part drama follows the collision of two men: Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of money and power, and Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo-sung), a stubborn prosecutor determined to bring him to justice. Woo set out to explore how the hunger for power and a corrupt system... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340623/how-made-korea-disney-shows-countrys-dark-underbelly-1970s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340623/how-made-korea-disney-shows-countrys-dark-underbelly-1970s?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran This article contains minor spoilers. 3/5 stars Lead cast: Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung The Hong Sisters, the masterminds behind Hotel Del Luna and Alchemy of Souls, return with the first of their two new series this year, the globetrotting romance Can This Love Be Translated? Kim Seon-ho (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) is back in romance mode as an interpreter who crosses paths with a rising starlet, played by Go Youn-jung (Moving). The story opens in Japan, where talented polyglot Joo Ho-jin (Kim) bumps... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340549/netflix-k-drama-can-love-be-translated-review-kim-seon-ho-go-youn-jung-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340549/netflix-k-drama-can-love-be-translated-review-kim-seon-ho-go-youn-jung-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Six years after breaking out in the Netflix smash Sweet Home, Go Youn-jung has tackled just about every genre the K-drama world has to offer, save for the most classic of all: the romantic comedy. Go will finally remedy that this month when she returns to screens opposite Kim Seon-ho in Can This Love Be Translated?, a 12-part globe-trotting Netflix drama that reunites her with the Hong Sisters, the writing duo behind Alchemy of Souls. Why we love her Despite having blazed through all these... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340129/who-go-youn-jung-k-drama-actress-leading-netflixs-can-love-be-translated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3340129/who-go-youn-jung-k-drama-actress-leading-netflixs-can-love-be-translated?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000