Category: Entertainment Files

I ended up finishing up watching Squid Game on Netflix and it was pretty good, but the violence in the drama was a bit over the top. This is definitely not a series for kids to watch:

A pop-up replica set of Netflix’s original Korean series “Squid Game,” which was set up at Itaewon Station in central Seoul, closed down earlier than scheduled due to mounting concerns over a spike in COVID-19 infections here.

According to Seoul Metro, the pop-up set, operated by Netflix Korea, closed on Friday after drawing large crowds on the back of the growing popularity of the Korean drama.

The set was scheduled to be open until Sunday. 

“The operator of the set made the decision as concerns over violations of social distancing rules have been raised,” a Seoul Metro official said. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I actually yesterday watched the first episode of this series on Netflix, it is a pretty crazy show with hundreds of people getting killed in the very first episode:

 Netflix’s original Korean series “Squid Game” ranked first on the U.S. top 10 TV show list of the video streaming platform, a chart has showed, becoming the first Korean drama to reach the milestone.

The thriller, featuring South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, made it to the top on the U.S. chart, as of Tuesday, according to streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol. (………….)

“Squid Game,” released on Sept. 17, is a thriller series about a group of people who risk their lives in a mysterious survival game to secure the prize money of 45.6 billion won (US$38.5 million).

You can read more at the link.

Here is an interesting video from the Korea Times of a Filipina who has appeared in over 60 K-dramas as a weekend gig job:

The producers must have been paid quite a bit to put this Chinese ad into this drama knowing the blow back it might get from viewers:

Producers of the popular Korean TV series “Vincenzo” said Wednesday that they will remove the controversial scene featuring a Chinese product from overseas streaming services amid rising domestic anger over Chinese sponsorship.

In the eighth episode of the dark comedy that aired on March 14 on tvN, an instant Chinese bibimbap brand was exposed while the lead characters Vincenzo (Song Joong-ki) and Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-bin) have a meal.

Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish consisting of a bowl of warm white rice topped with seasoned vegetables and chili pepper paste.

Korean viewers frowned upon the fact that Chinese bibimbap appeared on a Korean drama amid the recent Chinese claims that some elements of Korean culture, including kimchi, originated from China.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Has anyone seen this new Netflix series? Is it any good?:

Meet Lee Si-young, the badass South Korean actress from the hit Netflix series “Sweet Home.” The 38-year-old plays the role of retired firefighter Seo Yi-kyung, according to Forbes. Seo is also one of the residents of Green Home, an apartment building where humans turn into monsters.   “I am a retired firefighter in the series so I tend to protect people from danger,” the actress told Forbes. “When you have to confront monsters, it has to be me. Everyone encounters the monsters and so do I.”

Yahoo News

You can read more about the series at the link or by watching the trailer below:

China’s 50 Cent Army is getting their citizens riled up to go after BTS for not thanking Chinese for invading and attempting to destroy the Republic of Korea during the Korean War:

Fans of K-pop superstar BTS on Tuesday voiced frustration over the social media storm in China that has erupted over member RM’s recent remarks honoring those sacrificed during the Korean War.

In an Oct. 7 ceremony hosted by the U.S.-based nonprofit organization The Korea Society, RM, who spoke on behalf of the group that received an award for its contributions to Seoul-Washington ties, referred to the 1950-53 war where the two countries fought together.

“We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifice of countless men and women,” the BTS rapper said on the fighting that remains one of the most significant events in the country’s modern history. (…………….)

The comment, however, stirred up a controversy in China after some people took issue with it for not acknowledging the sacrifice of Chinese people who also fought ― on North Korea’s side ― during the war.

In a story filed with the headline “BTS hurts the feelings of Chinese netizens and fans during a speech on the Korean War,” the Chinese state daily tabloid Global Times called the remark one that “reflected a one-sided attitude.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but could you imagine what would happen if BTS recognized Chinese and Japanese troops that fought in World War II in China. The 50 Cent Army would be attacking BTS for recognizing the Japanese troops that tried to destroy China, which is the same thing the Chinese troops during the Korean War tried to do to the ROK.

It is pretty clear that the Chinese propaganda apparatus is trying to put BTS in its place and letting them know they better always talk positively about China or else. This usually works with most companies, players, and entertainers, but will it work BTS? I suspect they will probably get in line with Chinese propaganda to maintain access to the Chinese market.

I will be surprised if this NGO gets much traction with this boycott:

Boycotts against Disney’s live-action remake film “Mulan” are spreading online in Korea once again before its release on Thursday after the film’s final credits expressed gratitude to government entities in Xinjiang, China, which is accused of human rights abuses against ethnic minorities.

The Declaration of Global Citizen in Korea, an NGO working for solidarity with Hong Kong citizens, launched an online boycott campaign last Friday, urging social media users to share images calling for the boycott of the Disney film to raise awareness. 

On the NGO’s website, it said the film overlooked the violence in Xinjiang, where the film was shot, by thanking it, claiming that the Chinese government has been suspected of forcibly detaining as many as a million Uighur people, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in the region, in prison camps in recent years. It cited the final credits of the film which thank local government entities and a local publicity department of China for being cooperative with the filming.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Popular South Korean entertainer, Lee Hyo-ri has decided to give up on Instagram:

Singer and entertainer Lee Hyo-ri is leaving social media, she announced on Instagram Wednesday morning, following a wave of criticism from people claiming they were offended by a comment she made on an MBC show.  
   
“In the next three days or so, I will no longer be on Instagram,” she wrote. “It’s not because of the recent event (although of course I can’t say that it hasn’t been entirely irrelevant). I hoped this could have been the gateway for me to interact with fans who were always thirsty for my news, but this is more than what I’ve bargained for and it’s not easy.”

In an Aug. 22 episode of “Hangout with Yoo,” a reality show on MBC, she suggested that she take the stage name “Mao.” That resulted in a barrage of negative posts on Instagram by those who interpreted the comment as a slight toward Mao Zedong, the Chinese communist leader.  
   
“Hangout with Yoo” staff insisted in online posts that the name “Mao” was suggested generically and was not meant to make any sort of connection to the party leader. They also said that a different name has been chosen, while the scene has been deleted from the episode. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but Lee Hyo-ri was attacked by Chinese social media users after joking about the Mao name. It makes me wonder if this is another 50 Cent Army operation?