#67 | "Mercy For None" tops non-English titles

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Series charting: ”Good Boy,” “Mercy For None”

• Korean TV industry stands at a ‘critical juncture’

• Border loudspeakers turned off - after over six decades

• Labubu fever hits the globe - including Korean hip hop artists

PREMIERES

• June 20 “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)[animated feature]

• June 23 “Head Over Heels” (tvN)(Amazon Prime Video)

Latest premieres A very K-pop-infused, (very Korean-looking) animated feature film “KPop Demon Hunters” premieres tomorrow.

Since it’s a US-based production from Sony, I wouldn’t call this a Korean film. Its voice-over cast, however, is an impressive roster of Korean and Korean American actors. (With the film’s themes so deeply intertwined in K-pop it feels remiss not to include - and who knows? It may provide a lens on how the West views Korean entertainment).

Youthful romance, but make it “Love Potion”-y A teenage shaman (Cho Yi-hyun, “All Of Us Are Dead”) pursues her crush (Choo Yeong-woo, “The Trauma Code”) in “Head Over Heels.”

What I’m watching “The First Night With The Duke” is chalking up to be a ‘cozy’ content watch.

Wednesday-Thursday June 18-19
“Spring Of Youth” (SBS)(Viki)
“The First Night With The Duke” (KBS)(Viki)

Friday-Saturday June 20-21
“Oh My Ghost Clients” (MBC)(Viki)

Saturday-Sunday June 21-22
“For Eagle Brothers” (KBS)(Viki)
“Our Unwritten Seoul” (tvN)(Netflix)
“Good Boy” (JTBC)(Amazon Prime Video)

Monday-Tuesday June 23-24
“Second Shot At Love” (tvN)(Viki)

(*Streaming platforms shown are for U.S. only; distributors vary by country.)

KDRAMA/FILM/TV/ETC.

Among Top 10 Global Titles Today (6/19/25) 🌎 “Good Boy,” “Mercy For None,” “Our Unwritten Seoul.” FlixPatrol 

Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV (June 9-15) “Mercy For None” (#1), “Tastefully Yours” (#3), “Our Unwritten Seoul” (#6).

Korea’s watching: 📺 (June 9-15) “For Eagle Brothers,” “Our Unwritten Seoul,” “Good Boy,” “Oh My Ghost Clients.” dramabeans

🇰🇷 box office 🍿: “How To Train Your Dragon,” “Hi-Five,” “The Pact.” Variety

Webtoon-to-Kdrama “The Remarried Empress” Disney+ is greenlighting the live action series starring Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, and Lee Jong-suk. Variety

“Nine Puzzles” dominates APAC viewing The thriller from Disney+ is its most watched title, and was especially popular in the Asia-Pacific. THR

“Night Fishing” awarded at Cannes Lions The sci-fi short film co-produced by and starring Son Suk-ku took home the Grand Prix at the annual festival for advertising and creative communications. The thriller, which was both a scripted narrative and marketing piece for Hyundai, was previously released theatrically. (Sidenote: perhaps a hint to what the theatrical success and  business model could look like for short films, yeah?)

OTT NEWS ETC.

Streaming beats cable+broadcast, combined At 44.8%, TV viewing via streaming in the US has surpassed cable and broadcast audiences combined. Nielsen

Kdrama industry ‘on the verge of collapse’ is how one official described it in a forum held by KOCCA this week. Its precarity has been exacerbated by ballooning production costs and the loss of creative ownership - the lion’s share of IP getting snapped up by global streamers. TKH

SOUTH KOREA NEWS 🇰🇷

Diplomatic mingling 🤝 Pres. Lee Jae-myung attended G7; one of his first global forum visits since taking office. Lee engaged in talks with leaders from Canada, Japan, Brazil, Britain, and Mexico, among others (except the US).

Quiet(er) neighbors 🤫 Both Koreas have turned off their respective loudspeakers at the border, ending over six decades of blasting propaganda and K-pop. The move, first made by Pres. Lee, was in efforts to reduce tension and restore inter-Korea relations. NPR

The other Korea’s pandemic report: false North Korea’s claims of defeating the pandemic were found to be false; a report by two research organizations cited widespread misinformation and misreporting by health officials. NYT

$22B budget A new budget proposal to boost the domestic economy, including distributing a cash stimulus to the general population, goes to the parliament for approval. Bloomberg

Seven-year prison term A former member of K-pop band NCT, along with two other individuals, may be facing prison time after admitting to charges of sexual assault.

Time to suit up 🩳🩱 Seoul’s popular public swimming pools alongside the Han River are set to open Friday (tomorrow) for the summer season. (Sidenote: For when that one family member refuses to turn on the AC... you know who you are.) KJD

Rappers love Labubu, too The dolls sold via blind boxes have been trending worldwide. Its latest fans? Hip hop trio EPIK HIGH shared an unboxing on YouTube.

Korea’s last circus 🎪  is 100 years old. Dongchoon Circus Troupe still draws a regular crowd in Ansan. KVNU

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