The Netflix original Goodbye Earth is gearing up for release.  

Goodbye Earth tells the story of people living in a world that is headed towards destruction, with only 200 days left until the collision of Earth and an asteroid. Yoo Ah In, along with Ahn Eun Jin, Jeon Sung Woo, Kim Yoon Hye, and others, are cast in the series. 

The K-drama is based on the novel “Shumatsu no Furu” by Japanese author Kotaro Isaka. Originally scheduled to be released last year, it was postponed due to actor Yoo Ah In’s drug scandal.

Commenting on Yoo Ah In‘s appearance in the K-drama, a Netflix official stated to Maeil Business Newspaper on March 29, “The issue arose not during filming but during the post-production process. Actor Yoo Ah In will inevitably appear because he is a major character who shapes the story. To minimize disruption of the flow of the work, the director, writer, and production team conducted ample discussions to proceed with re-editing [the drama] in the later stages of production.”  

The teaser poster of Goodbye Earth vividly captures the chaos engulfing the Korean Peninsula, with only 200 days left until the asteroid hits. South Korea is the center of the impact of the impending disaster.

The ongoing coverage of disaster news and citizens’ protests surrounding buildings gives a glimpse of various issues plaguing the Korean Peninsula, including conflicts among people regarding the collision, those hoping to escape to safety zones, and various crimes happening everywhere.

The text on the poster reads, “We await the end to come.”

Director Kim Jin Min commented, “It’s a story not about a completely destroyed Earth but about the time just before such a world arrives. It endeavors to explore how humanity will manifest itself when such a day arrives.” 

Writer Jung Sung Joo conveyed, “It’s the story of people who survive the horrors of riots, looting, and civil war that began with the announcement of the asteroid collision.” 

Actress Ahn Eun Jin takes on the role of Jin Se Gyeong, a middle school teacher who protects children in danger by volunteering at a child and youth division in Woongchun City Hall. 

Yoo Ah In plays Ha Yoon Sang, Se Kyung’s longtime lover and a researcher at a biotechnology institute in the United States. He rushes back to the dangerous region of Korea from the safety of the United States, within a month, to stay by Se Kyung’s side. 

Jeon Sung Woo will be seen as Woo Sung Jae, an assistant priest who takes care of the parishioners in place of the chief priest, who disappeared after the news of the impending disaster was announced. 

Kim Yoon Hye portrays Kang In Ah, a company commander of a combat service support battalion who patrols the ruined city of Woongchun to transport supplies and maintain public order.

Goodbye Earth will be released on Netflix on April 26.

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Released on March 19, the survival show Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground ranked first on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list (non-English) from March 18-24. It was spotted trending in numerous countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Sequel to Physical: 100, Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground is a Korean survival game show where 100 individuals, boasting the strongest physique, compete to claim the title of having the best body and win an enticing cash prize, regardless of age, weight, gender, or nationality.

Where to watch Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground?

Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground is available to stream on Netflix.

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tvN’s Queen of Tears scored ratings of 12.83% (nationwide) and 14.04% (metropolitan) for episode 7, a decent improvement from its previous week’s Saturday episode’s viewership of 10.96% (nationwide) and 12.19% (metropolitan). The K-drama, however, observed a slight decline from episode 6’s viewership of 14.06% (nationwide) and 15.22% (metropolitan), its highest to date. 

Despite retaining its popularity domestically, Queen of Tears went from ranking third (March 11-17) to ranking fourth (March 18-24) on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list (non-English). The K-drama is trending predominantly in Asian and South American countries. 

When and where to watch the K-drama Queen of Tears?

Episode 8 of Queen of Tears will air on March 31 (Sunday). The K-drama is available to stream on Netflix.

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MBC’s Wonderful World dropped to ratings of 9.2% (nationwide) and 9.7% (metropolitan) for episode 10 from its previous episode’s viewership of 11.4% (nationwide) and 11.7% (metropolitan), its highest so far. 

The K-drama fell to single digits after episode 9 broke the streak. However, Wonderful World managed to achieve a higher rating than the nationwide rating of 6.3% from the previous Saturday.

When and where to watch the K-drama Wonderful World?

Episode 11 of Wonderful World will air on April 5 (Friday). The K-drama is available to stream on Disney+.

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Coupang Play’s mystery thriller Hide scored its highest ratings of 4.33% (nationwide) and 5.04% (metropolitan) for episode 3. The K-drama has maintained a streak of 4% nationwide ratings since its premiere.

When and where to watch the K-drama Hide?

Episode 4 of Hide will air on March 31 (Sunday). The K-drama is available to stream on Viki.

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SBS’s The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2 achieved 3.2% (nationwide) and 3.7% (metropolitan) for episode 2, dropping from its premiere ratings of 4.4% (nationwide) and 5% (metropolitan). 

When and where to watch the K-drama The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2?

Episode 3 of The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2 will air on April 5 (Friday). The K-drama is available to stream on Viki and Kocowa.

Disney+ unveiled character posters featuring Ju Ji Hoon, Han Hyo Joo, Lee Hee Joon, and Lee Moo Saeng for its upcoming original series Blood Free. Character teasers were also released, highlighting Woo Chae Woon (Ju Ji Hoon) and Yoon Ja Yoo (Han Hyo Joo).  

The character poster of Woo Chae Woon portrays him as a resolute individual, a characteristic befitting a former military officer. The text on his poster reads, “A bodyguard is the most dangerous when he turns rogue,” piquing curiosity about his secret intentions as he deliberately approaches BF Group’s CEO, Yoon Ja Yoo, to chase down the mastermind behind the terrorist attack.

The character poster of Yoon Ja Yoo shows her exuding a strong aura fitting her image as the CEO of the world’s leading biotechnology company, BF Group. The text “Don’t you want to become the absolute dominant species?” expresses her clear conviction, raising curiosity about her story of creating the groundbreaking technology that revolutionized the meat market.

Next, the character poster of Seon Woo Jae (Lee Hee Joon) portrays him in his relaxed demeanor as the respected and beloved Prime Minister. However, the text “Hold on to me before you shed tears of blood” hints at his hidden desires and immense sense of confidence.

Lastly, On San (Lee Moo Saeng), Yoon Ja Yoo’s friend for 20 years and the head of BF Group’s research center, who also co-founded the company, is depicted wearing a white gown. The text “At least we’re not doing this for the money” indicates his sincere intentions behind developing BF Group’s technology, for which he dedicated his life to research. However, his cold gaze adds to the curiosity about his role amidst the mysterious events surrounding BF Group.

Blood Free will premiere on April 10. It will be available for streaming exclusively on Disney+. Watch the character teasers here and here. 

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Actress Song Ha Yoon gets embroiled in bullying allegations. 

On April 1, in the episode of JTBC’s current affairs program Scandal Supervisor, an anonymous informant accused the actress of bullying. It was mentioned, that “S, who recently played a villain in a famous drama that ended [Marry My Husband], achieved her dream through the drama and said she would work hard in acting from now on.” 

However, shocking information came in, accusing the actress of being a bully during her school days, with the victim having suffered severe beatings and received no apology. The incident is alleged to have taken place in 2004 when the actress called the involved individual to a playground near a neighborhood apartment. The informant claimed to have gone to the same high school as the actor.

The informant stated during the conversation with Scandal Supervisor, “S and I had the relationship of senior and junior with S being in the 3rd year and I in the 2nd year of high school. One day, she suddenly called me and started hitting me as soon as I arrived. I don’t know why I was hit, but I was slapped for about an hour and a half.”

The victim did not reveal the actor’s name, but the program Scandal Supervisor released a blurred photo of “an actress who left a deep impression on the audience with her villain role.” With this hint, netizens have speculated the accused one to be Song Ha Yoon. 

The informant conveyed that S couldn’t be opposed because she had an influential boyfriend at school. S then got involved in another school violence incident and ended up transferring schools. 

Subsequently, My Daily reported that a representative from the actress’s agency stated, “It is true that Song Ha Yoon transferred schools due to a school violence-related case at Banpo High School.” But the agency denies that the transfer has anything to do with the bullying accusations that have surfaced recently. 

The informant currently resides in the United States and decided to expose the incident after seeing a video of her recently appearing on a variety show. A representative from Scandal Supervisor explained that the informant doesn’t seek compensation but wants to know the reason for the assault and receive an apology.

The informant reportedly said that the actor became involved in a second incident of bullying, which resulted in her transfer to a different high school. 

King Kong by Starship, Song Hayoon’s agency, stated, “We are aware of the seriousness of this matter and after receiving the initial report, we contacted the informant to confirm the facts. Subsequently, we requested a meeting through messenger to know the exact truth, but the informant expressed refusal. Therefore, we requested a call, but did not receive a response.”

They further stated, “After confirming the facts with the actress regarding the informant’s claims, we found that the actress and the informant are strangers, and all the relevant information is not true,” and added, “Due to the informant’s unilateral claims, indiscriminate speculation and speculative reports are spreading. We earnestly request refraining from unconfirmed facts and speculative reporting.”

On April 2, a representative from King Kong by Starship, Song Ha Yoon’s agency released an official statement which is as follows:

Hello. This is King Kong by Starship.

Regarding the content broadcast on JTBC’s Scandal Supervisor about our actress Song Ha Yoon and subsequent reports, we once again emphasize that all the mentioned content is not true.

We are considering all necessary measures, including verifying the facts and legal review through a law firm regarding this matter in the future, as well as civil and criminal actions against the informant and requesting broadcast prohibition measures against JTBC’s Scandal Supervisor.  

We kindly request [everyone] to refrain from reporting speculative reports based on unilateral claims of the informant and facts that have not been confirmed.

Thank you. 

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The upcoming action fantasy K-drama Although I Am Not a Hero will officially premiere this May.

On April 3, JTBC released the teaser poster for the upcoming K-drama Although I Am Not a Hero. Through the poster, it was also confirmed that the K-drama will premiere on May 4, 2024. It will be part of the Saturday and Sunday K-drama timeslot of JTBC. 

Although I Am Not a Hero will be led by Jang Ki Yong, Chun Woo Hee, Go Doo Shim, Kim Su Hyun, Park So Yi, and Oh Man Seok. 

The upcoming K-drama will tell the story of a suspicious woman who suddenly appears in front of a family who secretly has superpowers but lost their abilities due to chronic diseases. 

The K-drama is the collaboration work of director Jo Hyun Taek (Snowdrop, SKY Castle, and Mirror of the Witch), and scriptwriter Joo Hwa Mi (Meow, the Secret Boy, Introverted Boss, and Marriage, Not Dating).

In the released teaser poster, the superpower family is hiding behind the curtains while the suspicious woman is in front of them. Attention arises to what secrets and stories will be revealed about the extraordinary family and the woman who suddenly appeared.

Although I Am Not a Hero will air at 10:30 PM KST. It will exclusively air on JTBC.

Jang Ki Yong will give life to the character named Bok Gwi Joo. He lost his ability to time slip because of his depression. His unhappy life will have a transformation after she meets Do Da Hae. 

Chun Woo Hee will portray the character named Do Da Hae. She is the mysterious woman who suddenly appeared in the life of the Bok family with hidden superpowers. 

Go Doo Shim will play the role of Bok Man Heum. She is the pillar of the Bok family. She is a visionary dreamer and currently suffers from insomnia.

Kim Su Hyun will be the oldest sister in the Bok Family. She is Bok Dong Hee and has the special ability to fly.

Park So Yi will be Bok In Ah in the series. She is expressionless and her family cannot read her emotions. 

Lastly, Oh Man Seok will play the role of Eom Soon Gu. He is the housekeeper who takes care of the Bok Family. 

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Are you excited to know the stories and secrets of the Bok Family in the upcoming K-drama Although I Am Not a Hero?

Kang Ha Neul, Yeom Hye Ran, and Seo Hyun Woo were reportedly selected to lead the upcoming Netflix original film 84 Square Meter (working title).

According to media outlet Star News on April 4, Kang Ha Neul, Yeom Hye Ran, and Seo Hyun Woo will lead the upcoming Netflix movie 84 Square Meter. Representatives of the actors haven’t responded to the casting reports. 

84 Square Meter will tell the happenings caused by noise between floors in an apartment building. 

Kang Ha Neul will reportedly portray the role of an apartment youngchuljok(영끌족). Yeom Hye Ran will act as the representative of the apartment building. Seo Hyun Woo on the other hand will portray the role of a journalist who also resides in the same apartment. 

 The Unlocked director, Kim Tae Joon will reportedly work on the upcoming film 84 Square Meter.

The upcoming Netflix original movie is scheduled to begin filming in the first half of 2024. 

If Kang Ha Neul and Yeom Hye Ran confirm their casting, this will be their reunion after four years. The two worked together in the hit K-drama When the Camellia Blooms. 

The upcoming movie will also be added to the several upcoming projects of Kang Ha Neul. The actor is also expected to lead the upcoming movies Opposition and Streaming. Kang Ha Neul is also set to make his Netflix original K-drama debut through the highly anticipated series Squid Game Season 2.

84 Square Meter will possibly be the third upcoming film of actress Yeom Hye Ran. The actress will also join the cast of the new films Archers of Amazon and Citizen of a Kind. 

Meanwhile, Seo Hyun Woo impressed viewers earlier this year with his performance in the hit Disney+ series A Shop for Killers and the Netflix film My Name Is Loh Kiwan. He will also join the upcoming K-dramas Not Very Powerful, but Attractive and Uncle Samsik.

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Do you wish to see the reunion of Kang Ha Neul and Yeom Hye Ran in a new project?

tvN’s Queen of Tears scored ratings of 15.57% (nationwide) and 17.23% (metropolitan) for episode 9, scoring higher than its previous Saturday episode, which garnered ratings of 12.83% (nationwide) and 14.04% (metropolitan). 

However, episode 9 observed a slight decline from episode 8’s viewership of 16.14% (nationwide) and 17.88% (metropolitan).

Moreover, Queen of Tears ranked first on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list (non-English) as of March 31. The K-drama is predominantly trending in Latin American and Asian countries. 

When and where to watch the K-drama Queen of Tears?

Episode 10 of Queen of Tears will air on April 7 (Sunday). The K-drama is available to stream on Netflix.

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MBC’s Wonderful World scored ratings of 6.8% (nationwide) and 6.3% (metropolitan) for episode 12, dropping from its previous Saturday episode’s viewership of 9.2% (nationwide) and 9.7% (metropolitan). Episode 11 of the K-drama achieved 11.4% (nationwide) and 11.2% (metropolitan). 

When and where to watch the K-drama Wonderful World?

Episode 13 of Wonderful World will air on April 12 (Friday). The K-drama is available to stream on Disney+.

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Coupang Play’s mystery thriller Hide achieved ratings of 4.46% (nationwide) and 5.31% (metropolitan) for episode 5, a decent improvement from the K-drama’s previous Saturday ratings of 4.33% (nationwide) and 5.04% (metropolitan). However, episode 5 scored lower than episode 4’s viewership of 5.97% (nationwide) and 6.60% (metropolitan). 

When and where to watch the K-drama Hide?

Episode 6 of Hide will air on April 7 (Sunday). The K-drama is available to stream on Viki.

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SBS’s The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2 dropped to its lowest ratings of 2.7% (nationwide) and 3.2% (metropolitan) for episode 4. The K-drama commenced with a nationwide rating of 4.4% and scored 3.2% and 3.8% for episodes 2 and 3, respectively. 

When and where to watch the K-drama The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2?

Episode 5 of The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival Season 2 will air on April 12 (Friday). The K-drama is available to stream on Viki and Kocowa.

The upcoming K-drama DNA Lover reveals its official main leads.

On April 8, TV Chosun announced that Jung In Sun, Super Junior’s Choi Si Won, Lee Tae Hwan, and Jung Eugene will lead the upcoming weekend K-drama  DNA Lover. 

The upcoming K-drama DNA Lover will tell the romance story of a genetic researcher who always ends up in failed relationships, and tries to look for her destined partner through genes.

Director Sung Chi Wook (Tomorrow and Kairos) and writer Jung Soo Mi (Born Again) will collaborate to create the romantic comedy K-drama.

The production team of the K-drama shared, “Please look forward to the great performance of the four actors in DNA Lover. The story will include elements like romantic comedy, family, healing, mystery, and more that are suitable for all genders and ages. 

DNA Lover will officially premiere in June. It will have a total of 16 episodes. 

Jung In Sun will portray the role of Han So Jin. She is a researcher at the Beneficial Gene Center. She is obsessed with finding a partner that has the best genetic match with her. This will be her comeback K-drama after almost three years. 

Choi Si Won will portray the role of an obstetrician and gynecologist at Shim Hospital named Shim Yeon Woo. He always wins the hearts of women but when his partner becomes obsessed or controlling over him, he ends the relationship abruptly. This will be the first K-drama of Choi Si Won for 2024. He was last seen in the TVING K-drama Death’s Game where he made a special cameo appearance. 

Meanwhile, this K-drama will be Lee Tae Hwan’s grand comeback after he was discharged from the military. In the series, he will play the role of  Seo Kang Hoon. He is a good-looking firefighter whose top priority is Han So Jin. If Han So Jin calls him, he will answer it within a second. 

Lastly, Jung Eugene will portray the role of Jang Mi Eun. She was the ex-girlfriend of Shim Yeon Woo. She currently works as a columnist. Aside from this upcoming K-drama, Jung Eugene will also star in the upcoming films A Desperate Pursuit and Boss. 

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Are you going to watch the premiere of DNA Lover this June?

On April 8, a press conference was held for Disney+’s Blood Free, which was attended by Ju Ji Hoon, Han Hyo Joo, Lee Hee Joon, Lee Moo Saeng, and director Park Cheol Hwan.

Blood Free is set in an era where meat is genetically engineered. BF Group is the company leading the genetically engineered meat market. 

BF’s CEO, Yoon Ja Yoo (Han Hyo Joo), and Woo Chae Woon (Ju Ji Hoon), a former soldier working as a bodyguard, get entangled in mysterious incidents and pursue the truth behind them.

Han Hyo Joo, who plays the role of BF Group’s CEO Yoon Ja Yoo, talked about the reason behind choosing the drama, saying, “When I first read the script, I thought it was a smart theme and a drama perfect for a time like now. So I read the script for parts 1 and 2 in one go. I was so happy that day that I wrote in my diary. It was a script that made my heart race, and made me excited, so much so that I could say, ‘A script as good as this has finally found its way to me.'” 

She also shared behind-the-scenes stories of the presentation scene that opens the K-drama. Han Hyo Joo said, “Since it the scene opening the door to the drama, I thought I had to do well, so I watched many TED talks and looked for lectures that could be used as references and practiced a lot. I usually don’t practice well because I like to act with the feeling of going live [acting impromptu on set], but I practiced a lot and memorized all the lines for this scene. Although I could have read from the teleprompter and didn’t need to memorize, I wanted to implement it perfectly, so I went to the set after memorizing everything.”

Talking about her character, Yoon Ja Yoo, Han Hyo Joo commented, “She is a character who doesn’t express emotions to the point where it was unclear whether she is evil or good. … I even changed my voice tone and things like that, and [while speaking dialogues] I spoke with less volume than I usually do.”

Ju Ji Hoon also shared his experiences. During the press conference, it was revealed that the Kingdom actor successfully performed a 17 vs 1 action scene.  

The actor said, “Since it [the drama] is set in the near future, there were some difficult aspects. I thought that to reach the audience [better], it’s better to be realistic rather than giving a futuristic feel.” He continued, “Instead of flashy action scenes with a lot of effects, we focused on creating actions that felt realistic.”

The host, Park Kyung Rim, asked “Don’t you have gout?” To this, Ju Ji Hoon chuckled and said, “My uric acid level is a bit high,” and expressed, “It’s a shame I couldn’t show everything [various aspects of my skills], but I had fun filming. I’m satisfied.”

Blood Free will be available on Disney+ starting April 10.

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The Atypical Family lead, Jang Ki Yong, transforms into a time traveler who loses his abilities due to depression.

JTBC’s upcoming weekend drama The Atypical Family unveiled stills of Bok Gwi Joo (Jang Ki Yong), who wishes to go back in time.

The Atypical Family tells the story of a family with superpowers who have lost their abilities due to chronic diseases common to modern-day people and a woman who becomes involved with them. 

Expectations and interest are high as this is Jang Ki Yong’s first comeback project after his discharge from the military. The character stills of Bok Gwi Joo raise anticipation for Jang Ki Yong’s transformation.

Bok Gwi Ju can only time travel to happy moments. But since he cannot change the past, there is nothing he can do other than brood over his happiness alone. The reason he became a firefighter is also because he wanted to use his abilities to save someone other than himself. His unwavering sense of duty as a firefighter is evident in his solid appearance when dressed in uniform.

However, the next still hints at a drastic change in his life. His face, devoid of a smile, is filled with an indescribable sadness. The empty gaze and scattered bottles suggest he has endured devastating hardships. Struggling with depression and losing his abilities, he can no longer return to happier times.

Jang Ki Yong, who expressed that the script was as enjoyable as its title, The Atypical Family, said, “The setting of a superpowered family losing their abilities due to [chronic] diseases common to modern-day people appealed to me.” He also shared, “I approached it with half excitement and half anticipation as it’s been a while since I’ve worked on a project.”  

He further raised expectations by adding, “Although it’s a story based on superpowers, it’s also a story about a ‘family’ with superpowers. The story of Bok Gwi Joo and the Bok family will bring laughter and emotion, so please look forward to it.” 

The Atypical Family will premiere on May 4. More news about the K-drama’s OTT streaming service is yet to come.

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