https://www.scmp.com/rss/524095/feed Lee Jung-jae is a highly acclaimed South Korean actor, filmmaker, and businessman. He gained global recognition for his leading role as Seong Gi-hun in Netflix’s *Squid Game*, for which he made history as the first Asian actor to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 The year 2025 was another big one for Korean dramas, with a wide range of exciting new shows. While the industry may not have produced as many stand-outs as in previous years, the past 12 months still delivered emotional highs. Here is our pick of the top 15 Korean dramas of the year, from good to great. 15. Melo Movie Lead cast: Choi Woo-shik, Park Bo-young, Lee Jun-young, Jeon So-nee Our Beloved Summer scribe Lee Na-eun proved that she was no one-hit wonder with her second series Melo Movie,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3337569/15-best-k-dramas-2025-ranked-melo-movie-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3337569/15-best-k-dramas-2025-ranked-melo-movie-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 23:15:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A dating platform in Brazil that markets paid encounters with Korean men styled as K-drama “oppa” is under investigation for sexual exploitation, with the South Korean consulate in Sao Paulo appealing for potential victims to come forward. KDramaDate advertises itself as a service that lets women “relive the magic of K-dramas”, offering curated outings with Korean men at cafes, barbecue restaurants and popular city landmarks. One package includes what the site describes as an “intimate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335197/why-brazilian-k-drama-oppa-dating-service-being-investigated-sexual-exploitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335197/why-brazilian-k-drama-oppa-dating-service-being-investigated-sexual-exploitation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 09:05:21 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Ji-hoon, Seo Ji-hye Latest Nielsen rating: 4.8 per cent Following three zeitgeist-grabbing seasons of Squid Game and a Hollywood foray via the Star Wars series Acolyte, Korean superstar Lee Jung-jae scales things back in romcom Nice to Not Meet You, a far cry from the hard-nosed roles that have defined his screen persona over the past decade. Lee is joined by Lim Ji-yeon, who has gone from strength to strength in recent years, appearing as the villainess... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3331768/prime-video-k-drama-nice-not-meet-you-lee-jung-jae-switches-gears-breezy-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3331768/prime-video-k-drama-nice-not-meet-you-lee-jung-jae-switches-gears-breezy-romcom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran After a quiet October, the K-drama schedule is back on track for November, with a mix of new shows dropping just as cooler weather drives us to the comfort of our sofas. Read on to find out what to catch over the next month. 1. Last Summer Lead cast: Lee Jae-wook, Choi Sung-eun Lee Jae-wook (Alchemy of Stars) plays dual roles in the romantic comedy Last Summer, co-starring with Choi Sung-eun (The Sound of Magic). Lee plays twins Do-ha and Do-young, who have lived apart ever since their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3330854/11-best-new-k-dramas-watch-november-2025-including-nice-not-meet-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3330854/11-best-new-k-dramas-watch-november-2025-including-nice-not-meet-you?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:15:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Just six months into the year and our ranking of the best 2025 K-dramas to date could compete with the full annual rankings for many other years. It has been a strong and diverse few months for K-dramas, and thankfully there appears to be much more to look forward to in the coming months as well. Below are our picks of the 10 best K-dramas so far this year. 10. The Haunted Palace Lead cast: Bona, Yook Sung-jae Final Nielsen rating: 11 per cent In this breezy and entertaining period mystery... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316311/10-best-k-dramas-2025-so-far-squid-game-3-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316311/10-best-k-dramas-2025-so-far-squid-game-3-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Wi Ha-joon, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk’s death-game spectacle Squid Game returns for its third and reportedly final season with six new episodes that follow on directly from the mid-tournament cliffhanger at the conclusion of December’s season 2. We will steer clear of spoilers here, but this article does assume that readers are caught up until the end of season 2. It should also be noted that critics were able... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316053/squid-game-season-3-review-thrilling-conclusion-probes-humanitys-dark-depths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316053/squid-game-season-3-review-thrilling-conclusion-probes-humanitys-dark-depths?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:13 +0000