South Korea Showbiz Latest News and Updates

BLACKPINK singer Jisoo has officially launched her own solo label, named Blissoo.BLACKPINK’s Jisoo revealed that she has started her own label, called Blisso. In a statement on Instagram Stories, the singer described the launch of Blissoo as her “new start”.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Piper Perabo has been cast in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video spy series “Butterfly,” Variety has learned exclusively. Perabo joins previously announced series lead Daniel Dae Kim in the series along with cast members Reina Hardesty, Park Hae-soo, Kim Tae-hee, and Nayoon Kim.

There’s some unfortunate news for South Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho’s upcoming sci-fi film, “Mickey 17,” which was delayed earlier this year. Warner Bros.

Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet are wearing matching looks for their latest Dune: Part Two press stop!

BtoB have reached an agreement with their former K-pop agency CUBE Entertainment over the use of the group’s name.BtoB members Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Hyunsik and Peniel have launched their own label, called BTOB Company. It will be a subsidiary of DOD, which the four K-pop idols previously signed with in December 2023.BTOB Company has “reached an agreement” with CUBE Entertainment over the trademark right for the group’s name in order to continue using the moniker for future activities, DOD told South Korean news outlet News1, via Soompi. “[We] will spare no effort to support Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Hyunsik and Peniel as well as BtoB’s future activities so that they can be more active in various fields,” a representative fo BTOB Company added.All six members of BtoB – completed by Yook Sung-jae and Changsub – left their longtime label CUBE Entertainment in November last year following the expiration of their exclusive contracts.Changsub has since signed to Fantagio, which also manages K-pop acts such as ASTRO, Weki Meki and more.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief North American digital distributor Echelon Studios has come on board “12.12: The Day,” the highest grossing film from Korea last year. The film has been on theatrical release in North America, through 815 Pictures since last year and grossed over $1 million.

EXCLUSIVE: Manta is transporting its K-drama platform into the French-speaking world.

Marry My Husband actress Song Ha-yoon has revealed why she isolated herself on the set of the hit Prime Video K-drama series.Marry My Husband follows ordinary office worker Kang Ji-won (Park Min-young), who gets a second chance at life after she dies at the hands of her cheating husband Park Min-hwan (Lee Yi-kyung) and treacherous best friend Jung Soo-min (Song Ha-yoon).In a new interview with South Korean media, Song Ha-yoon says that because of the villainous nature of her role, she “usually kept to myself while on set”, per SBS Star. The actress explained that it “didn’t feel right to form close relationships with other actors while playing the character”.“It was necessary because when actors are close to each other, it is noticeable in a scene.

Warner Bros has dated Mickey 17 for Jan. 31, 2025 — a very odd date for a highly anticipated follow-up from Oscar and Cannes Palme d’Or winning Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.

Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are a winning team and they will be continuing their collaborations!

Well, that certainly didn’t take long. Yesterday, it was announced that Greek weird wave filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos would be directing a remake of the South Korean sci-fi black comedy “Save The Green Planet.” And we speculated within, based on comments that the filmmaker and actress had already made, that Emma Stone could star, and well, yep, she is.

Emma Stone, who just won a BAFTA for her performance in “Poor Things” and is nominated for an Oscar, is in talks to reunite with Yorgos Lanthimos on his remake of South Korean fantasy comedy “Save the Green Planet.” The project, which is expected to start shooting in the summer in the U.K. and New York, has been in the works for several years. Jang Joon-hwan, who directed the original South Korean movie, was previously attached to helm the English-language remake, based on a screenplay by Will Tracy, whose credits include HBO’s “Succession” and Searchlight’s “The Menu.” An eccentric black comedy, the story of “Save the Green Planet” revolves around a disillusioned young man who captures and tortures a businessman whom he believes to be part of an alien invasion.

MAY 202402: Seoul, South Korea03: Seoul, South Korea04: Seoul, South Korea11: Osaka, Japan12: Osaka, Japan18: Jakarta, Indonesia25: Tokyo, Japan26: Tokyo, JapanJUNE 202402: Nagoya, Japan15: Hong Kong, China16: Hong Kong, China22: Bangkok, Thailand23: Bangkok, Thailand29: Singapore, Singapore30: Singapore, SingaporeAUGUST 202410: Manila, the Philippines11: Manila, the PhilippinesTBALatin America: August to September 2024US: September 2024Europe: October to November 20242024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3>SEOUL ➫ 2024.05.02-04OSAKA ➫ 2024.05.11-12JAKARTA ➫ 2024.05.18TOKYO ➫ 2024.05.25-26NAGOYA ➫ 2024.06.02HONG KONG ➫ 2024.06.15-16BANGKOK ➫ 2024.06.22-23SINGAPORE ➫ 2024.06.29-30MANILA ➫ 2024.08.10-11LATAM ➫… pic.twitter.com/L6FeXT8dVS— NCT DREAM (@NCTsmtown_DREAM) February 20, 2024In other touring news, K-pop girl group aespa have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Streaming platform Disney+ will add four new Korean-language original series to its 2024 lineup. Its “Blood Free,” “Unmasked,” “The Tyrant” and “Gangnam B-Side” land in addition to a third season of “The Zone: Survival Mission” and the previously announced “Uncle Samsik” and “Light Shop” from webtoon pioneer and creator of the platform’s 2023 series hit “Moving.” “Blood Free,” which is to star Ju Jihoon (“Kingdom”) and Han Hyojoo (“Moving”), follows a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past. He finds himself recruited to protect the CEO of a controversial lab-grown meat company who is also a survivor of the fateful attack that changed his life. Set in modern-day Seoul, “Unmasked” follows a group of investigative journalists who are fighting for their careers after broadcasting a controversial story.

“This might sound very irresponsible, but I don’t know what I’m doing,” South Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo told a Berlinale presser this afternoon when quizzed on his unique directing style. 

Disney+ has unveiled a slate of Korean originals, as the streaming platform opts for a more targeted strategy in Asia.

Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos will reteam with Element Pictures on a remake of South Korean fantasy comedy “Save the Green Planet,” Variety has learned. Lanthimos — whose latest film, “Poor Things,” is nominated for 11 Oscars and just won five BAFTAs (including best actress for Emma Stone) — is expected to start shooting the movie in the U.K. and New York this summer.

LE SSERAFIM have dropped their third mini-album ‘Easy’, alongside a music video for its title track.The five-piece released both the record and music video today (February 19) at 6pm KST, marking their first new music of 2024. It also marks their first body of work since they released their first full album ‘Unforgiven’ in May last year.In the video treatment for title track ‘Easy’, the five members of LE SSERAFIM strut into what looks like a church, empty aside from overgrowth and trippy neon lights as they begin to perform the choreography for the song.“I could get hurt but keep on walking, kiss me / If it’s hard then I make it easy / Up on the stage, sparks fly off my body / Pull up and I rip it up like ballet,” the group sing on the song’s trap-infused chorus.According to a statement from Source Music, the new album “[enhances] the authenticity of the album’s theme surrounding anxiety and vulnerability beneath a confident exterior”.

Unmasked, Blood Free, The Tyrant, Gangnam B-Side, Uncle Samsik and Light Shop, as well as the long-awaited third season of reality programme The Zone: Survival Mission. Blood Free will star Ju Ji-hoon (Kingdom) and Han Hyo-joo (Moving) in a tale of a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past, Meawhile, Unmasked, set in contemporary Seoul, follows a team of investigative journalists fighting for their careers as they reckon with the aftermath of broadcasting a controversial story.

Squid Game.Sarandos recently visited the headquarters of Netflix Korea, located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. During a press conference held during his visit, the Netflix CEO shut down rumours that an American remake of Squid Game is in the works.“That’s just a rumour,” he said, according to South Korean news outlet SBS Star.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent This year, Spain has more titles at the Berlinale’s two TV showcases, Co-Pro Series and Berlinale Market Selects, than any other country in the world— a total of four shows, beating the U.S. with one, and even Germany, which has three. On top of that, running Feb.

NCT Dream, SEVENTEEN and more taking home the biggest prizes – view the full list of winners below.The 2024 Hanteo Music Awards took place over the past weekend from February 17 to 18 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, South Korea. The two-day affair was hosted by TVXQ’s Changmin, and saw the presentation of the ceremony’s four Daesangs (grand prizes).The Hanteo Music Awards are presented primarily based on the global Hanteo Charts from January 1 to December 31, 2023, accounting for up to 50% of the criteria, while global voting scores and judging scores also contributed to the determination of winners.The four biggest trophies of the ceremony were presented on the ceremony’s second day, which saw NCT Dream take home the award for Best Artist, while the Best Album and Best Performance trophies were given to SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids respectively.The fourth grand prize for Best Song was awarded to IVE, for ‘I AM’.

aespa have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.Today (February 19), the K-pop girl group announced their new tour, titled ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’, on their official Weverse artist page. aespa’s 2024 tour currently features 19 concerts across 13 different cities in Asia and Australia from June to September 2024.The tour will kick off at the end of June with a two-night concert in Seoul, South Korea.

Daniel Dae Kim is opening up about the end of The Good Doctor.

Daniel Dae Kim is sharing his thoughts about the upcoming seventh and final season of The Good Doctor, on which he serves as an executive producer. “It’s been a wonderful ride”, he told Deadline in an interview on the red carpet Thursday night at the premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Kim portrays Fire Lord Ozai in the Netflix live-action series.

On her first feature film try, Celine Song struck gold with the time-hopping romantic drama Past Lives.

(G)I-DLE have dropped a music video for ‘Revenge’, a cut from their most recent studio album ‘[2]’.Released on February 15, (G)I-DLE’s new visual for ‘Revenges’ marks the third track from ‘[2]’ to receive a video treatment following pre-release single ‘Wife’ and title track ‘Super Lady’.In the music video for ‘Revenge’, the five K-pop idols come together to plot a murder and get their revenge on an unseen person. It all culminates in a hotel, where the quintet, in various disguises, carry out their plan in fiery fashion.“Meaningless pleasure at that kind of ordinary life / Struggling to get paid at priceless price / Nevertheless, the obvious reason why I can’t give up / Your pain is the only medicine for this scar,” Soyeon sings on ‘Revenge’.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taipei and Los Angeles-based Organic Media Group has picked up rights to U.S.-produced classical music documentary title “Crescendo” and will be launching it at the European Film Market, which accompanies the Berlin Film Festival. The picture had its first commercial release in South Korea in December and became the highest grossing foreign documentary in the last three years.

Past Lives, the Oscar-nominated Korean drama, is now available to stream on Netflix UK.READ MORE: Oscars 2024 nominations – see the full listKorean-Canadian writer and director Celine Song’s debut movie is nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at next month’s Academy Awards.The widely acclaimed film was released in UK cinemas in September, but is now available to watch on Netflix at no extra cost for subscribers in the UK and Ireland.Starring Greta Lee (The Morning Show) and Teo Yoo, Past Lives follows the characters of Nora and Hae Sung, two childhood friends in South Korea who are torn apart when Nora’s family moves to Canada. Decades later, the pair reconnect via social media and, after meeting up in New York, ponder their romantic compatibility.NME named Past Lives as its top film of 2023, placing it above Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer.In a glowing five-star review, we wrote: “Past Lives possesses quiet power.

ASTRO singer Cha Eun-woo has made his solo debut with his first mini-album, ‘Entity’.ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo co-wrote all six songs on ‘Entity’, which is led by the single ‘Stay’. Along with the release of the project, the K-pop idol also dropped a cinematic music video for ‘Stay’.According to a statement by his label Fantagio, ‘Entity’ is meant to represent Cha Eun-woo’s resolve to “live honestly while accepting all of [him]self”, per Korea JoongAng Daily.This weekend, Cha Eun-woo will kick-off his solo 2024 ‘Just One 10 Minute: Mystery Elevator’ tour with a show in Seoul, South Korea.

Apink, has teased new solo music.Yesterday (February 14), Apink’s Kim Nam-joo released a new official logo through the K-pop girl group’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account. The post feature a symbol that’s a combination of her initials, alongside several hashtags.The K-pop singer’s label Choi Creative Lab has since confirmed that she will release new solo music sometimes this year, according to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A three-year run of poor box office performances is sure to hurt the South Korean sales companies touting their new titles at the European Film Market — but not by that much. Certainly, the box office malaise undermines the ability to market some titles on the strength of their theatrical earnings back home. But the Korean film industry still has numerous other calling cards.

Paramount+ has set Thursday, April 4 for the premiere of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery. The first two episodes of the 10-episode final season will debut exclusively on the service in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. It will also premiere on April 4 on P+ in Canada. New episodes will drop weekly following the premiere. The streamer also released key art for the final season (see below).

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Star Trek: Discovery” has a premiere date for Season 5, which will also be the show’s last. The fifth and final season of the series will premiere with two episodes on April 4 on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Austria, and Canada. New episodes will then drop weekly on Thursdays.

BOYNEXTDOOR are set to release new music this April, as confirmed by their label KOZ Entertainment.The confirmation was made to South Korean news outlet Ilgan Sports on February 13. KOZ Entertainment – founded and led by Zico – shared a brief statement, as translated by Soompi: “BOYNEXTDOOR is preparing with the goal of making their comeback in April.