Articles by Lee Si-jin
Lee Si-jin
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com-
[Herald Interview] ‘Remarriage & Desires’ offers new look at society: Kim Hee-seon
Marriage, infidelity, divorce, low morals, social climbers, political and business feuds were some of the major setting and themes that captivated Korean TV viewers up until a few years ago. With their seemingly identical characters and implausible stories, such series were labeled “makjang dramas” and seen as trashy soap operas. But while Netflix’s latest presentation revolves around similar themes -- with an upper-class matchmaking company the central point of the drama --
Television July 20, 2022
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Tooniverse to air hit Nickelodeon animated series
Tooniverse, a leading South Korean animation channel and an affiliate of South Korea’s entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, will air Nickelodeon series starting in August. Titled “Nickelodeon Time,” Tooniverse will present hit American animated series daily from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The animated comedy series “SpongeBob SquarePants” is set to air at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 p.m. on weekends. The show, featuring a square yellow sponge character, ha
Television July 18, 2022
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Take a light walk, eat to beat the heat at Namhansanseong
SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- While most people try to fight to summer heat with indoor air conditioning and ice-cold drinks, some Koreans still hold on to the saying that you can beat the heat with heat -- like eating piping hot dishes or exercising outdoors in the hot, humid weather. If you want to test this maxim handed down through generations, consider walking Namhansanseong-gil in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Located just to the east of Seoul, Namhansanseong-gil is one of seven courses
Travel July 16, 2022
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Pinkfong to expand IP-based NFTs
Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is set to sell shark family-related non-fungible tokens on the digital art platform and marketplace MakersPlace in the third quarter of the year. According to the company, a total of 10,000 generative art NFTs, including the members of shark family -- Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, Alec (the grandfather shark) and Ollie, the Little Baby Shark -- and background images, will be produced for the upcoming projec
Cartoon July 15, 2022
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Vacation in Snoopy Garden The Vacation in Snoopy Garden is scheduled to run through Aug. 31 on Jeju Island. Held at Snoopy Garden in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup of Jeju City, on the western side of the island, the festival allows the visitors to stroll through Peanuts comics-themed gardens, featuring the major characters, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Ranging from a garden to a cafe and souvenir store, various sites in Snoopy Garden will entertain cartoon-lovers of all ages. Tickets cost 18
Travel July 15, 2022
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Netflix sees Korea as proving ground for hit content
Global streaming service Netflix seeks to catch the eyes of Korean viewers by strengthening its unscripted content lineup. “I personally think the Korean viewers have strict standards and high expectations of variety programs. Our team believes that winning the local audiences’ heart is important. This may lead the show to become a global hit like ‘Single’s Inferno,’” Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix’s manager of content, said in a press conference held at Communi
Television July 14, 2022
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Choi Dong-hoon hopes 'Alienoid' is as entertaining as 'The Avengers'
From a boomerang-shaped spaceship, an exoskeleton powered by a fictional source and a time-traveling vehicle to a dynamic gun fight and fan-wielding magician from the Goryeo period (918-1391), director Choi Dong-hoon’s latest sci-fi-action film “Alienoid” has many elements that connect past, present and future. “I wanted to make a movie as fun as Marvel‘s ’The Avengers,‘ but with a Korean twist. I really wanted the audience to enjoy ’Alienoid&lsq
Film July 14, 2022
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'Squid Game' nets 14 Emmy nominations
Netflix’s South Korean megahit “Squid Game” has been nominated for 14 awards at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first non-English best drama series nominee, the Academy of Television Arts and Science announced Tuesday. The 16-part “Squid Game” vies for the best drama series award with “Better Call Saul,” “Euphoria,” “Ozark,” “Stranger Things,” “Succession” and “Yellowjackets,” whi
Television July 13, 2022
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Korean dating reality shows have viewers hooked on romance
From terrestrial broadcasts to local streaming services, there seems to be no end to the amount of dating reality shows available to viewers. Cable channel MBN’s hard-hitting dating show “Love After Divorce” returned with season 3 on June 26, while “Singles Inferno,” the first-ever Korean reality show to soar to the No. 5 slot on Netflix’s most popular shows, is set to come back with a second season this December. Content creators of hit romance reality sh
Television July 12, 2022
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[Feature] LGBTQ streaming content influences Koreans' perception of sexual minorities
Two men fall into each other‘s arms on a bed. This scene, which might have been nearly unthinkable on Korean TV only a few years ago due to negative attitudes toward homosexuality, was part of the first episode of Korean streaming service Wavve’s new reality show “Merry Queer,” starring gay, lesbian and transgender couples. The co-hosts of the show, famous comedian Shin Dong-yup and TV personality and restaurateur Hong Seok-cheon, who came out as gay several years ago,
Television July 11, 2022
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Jang Hyuk, Ryu Seung-ryong win awards at NY film fest
Acclaimed Korean stars and content creators are set to take center stage at the upcoming New York Asian Film Festival 2022, with actors Jang Hyuk and Ryu Seung-ryong, among others, winning awards at the fest. According to NYAFF, Jang won the Daniel A. Craft Award for excellence in action cinema for his roles in “The Swordsman” (2020) and “The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die,” which will be shown during a special screening at NYAFF. Ryu will receive the inaugural Bes
Film July 10, 2022
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Suwon Culture Night Suwon Culture Night will take place in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 12-14. Held at Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Temporary Palace, the areas are decorated with media art installations, titled “Eight Nights.” Every corner of the fortress offers a historical and cultural experience to visitors. Admission fees vary by program, including the docent-led tour, augmented reality experience, talk show, cooking program, bike taxi tour and more. More informati
Travel July 8, 2022
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‘The Roundup’ banned in Vietnam
“The Roundup,” a Korean action comedy that topped 10 million admissions in local theaters, will not be screened in Vietnam, officially because the film is considered “too violent.” Looking to distribute the film in the Southeast Asian country, Korea’s leading entertainment company Lotte Entertainment had applied for film certification for “The Roundup” from the Vietnamese Film Department, an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports
Film July 7, 2022
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Actor Nam Joo-hyuk denies new school bullying rumors
Actor Nam Joo-hyuk has denied another round of bullying allegations raised against him. Management Soop, Nam’s agency, said Wednesday that they had sought to verify the facts through various channels after the rumors were raised and found that such allegations were “not true.” The controversy erupted on Tuesday last week when a local media outlet ran a report alleging that Nam had bullied a classmate in high school. The article was based on a tip-off from an anonymous pers
People July 7, 2022
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ENA’s ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ to become webtoon series
Television channel ENA’s courtroom series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” will be adapted into a webtoon, media content company Astory announced Tuesday, unveiling a cartoon image of the lead character Woo Young-woo. According to the production company, the webtoon “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” will be serialized in 60 episodes, drawn by illustrator HwaUmJo and written by Yuil. The webtoon will be serviced in four languages -- Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, t
Cartoon July 6, 2022
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