ktown konnection #8 | Disney unveils 2024 slate, "Marry My Husband" finishes strong

This week’s Top 10 “Marry My Husband” finishes strong, topping the global Top 10 on Amazon Prime Video, “Doctor Slump” holds at #9 on Netflix. FlixPatrol (a/o 2/22/24)

“A Killer Paradox” hits Top 10 The kdrama thriller topped Netflix’s’ non-English Top 10 last week. The Korea Times

New titles from Disney+ The studio unveiled more Korean titles for 2024 including Song Kang-ho (“Parasite”), Byun Yo-han (“Mr. Sunshine”), Ju Ji-hoon (“Kingdom”), and Lee Jung-eun (“Parasite”); “Moving” was its most successful original Korean series last year. THR

PREMIERES

• February 26 “Wedding Impossible” (tvN) (Viki)

• February 28 “The Impossible Heir” (Disney+)

Lee Jae-wook (“Death’s Game”) returns in revenge drama “The Impossible Heir,” Jun Jong-seo (“Ballerina”) plays a struggling thespian hired to play a chaebol heir’s wife in “Wedding Impossible.” (“Curtain Call” and “Love in Contract” vibes, anyone?)

Wednesday-Thursday Feb 21-22
“Queen of Divorce” (JTBC) (Viki)

Friday-Saturday Feb 23-24
“Flex x Cop” (SBS) (Disney+,Hulu)

Saturday-Sunday Feb 24-25
“Captivating The King” (tvN) (Netflix)
“Doctor Slump” (JTBC) (Netflix)

Monday-Tuesday Feb 26-27
“Love Song For Illusion” (Viki)
“Wedding Impossible” (tvN) (Viki)

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

The Lookahead March brings us new titles with Song Joong-ki, Kim Ji-won, Kim Soo-hyun, and Cha Eun-woo. And a weird looking show about a character turned into a chicken nugget. (Yeah, you read that right.)

KDRAMA INTERVIEWS

Actor profile: Son Suk-ku The star from “A Killer Paradox” is making moves. Before acting, Son’s background spent time in Canada as well as the U.S.; offscreen, his activities include directing as well as launching a production company. SCMP

IN SOUTH KOREA

Teammate scuffle An altercation among Korean soccer players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in has lingered in the news for weeks, an incident which resulted in an injured finger for Son and harsh backlash against Lee. The issue has deflected attention away from criticism surrounding coach Jurgen Klinsmann; Son even took to social media to urge the public to forgive Lee.

Distressed healthcare A strike among doctors triggered by a med student quota has resulted in a huge staff shortage and reduced number of surgeries. A NYT story, however, takes a deeper dive into low salaries and harsh working conditions. The Korea Herald 

Crowd crush verdict Officers were found guilty of destroying evidence in the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy in the latest court proceedings. NYT

Crypto fraud extradition Kwon Do-hyung, who has been indicted for securities fraud in the Terra-Luna cryptocurrency crash, will be extradited to the U.S. The Chosun Daily

Star-studded politics President Yoon Suk-yeol met with actor Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”) and Netflix chief Ted Sarandos in Korea. The streamer had announced last year that it would invest $2.5B USD in Korean content. The Korea Herald

Strong female fanbase Did you know? “Women Outnumber Men in South Korea’s Sports Stadiums.” NYT

Wonka watching Korean theater audiences mostly attended “Wonka,” over the Lunar New Year holiday. “Citizen of a Kind” and “Dog Days” were among top box office releases. Variety

Paternity leave on the rise More men are staying at home for paternity leave; Statistics Korea cited an increase of 37.4 % more men taking leave in 2023 than the prior year. Korea’s low birth rate, however, still has a long way to go. The Korea Herald

Stiff competition Foreign bakery brands have struggles in sales against Korea’s domestic brands. Korean bakeries with french names grew while French chains have withdrawn from the Korean market. KED Global

Buldak ramen’s global empire Ramen-maker Samyang, famous for its spicy Buldak ramen products, builds a new factory as it continues to expand globally. New deals with Costco and Walmart look to bring more ramen to American shelves; its impact on the Japanese market has been very successful via Don Quijote and Seiyu. Nikkei Asia

Vegan Korean food, anyone? A travel company is promoting vegan tourism in Korea. The pricey itinerary includes Gwangjang Market, a temple stay, and stops in Jeonju, Busan, and Seoul. Green Queen

Less whiskey, foreign beers Koreans’ declining taste for foreign beers and whiskey has led to rounds of layoffs at liquor importers. The top foreign beers? Asahi (Japan) and Tsingtao (China). KED Global

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