TIME Magazine, a famous American weekly, has named the tvN drama 'Lovely Runner' as "the best K-drama of the year."

On May 30, TIME Magazine wrote on their website, "Even though 2024 isn't over yet, 'Lovely Runner' will be hard to beat as the best K-drama of the year."

'Lovely Runner' is a romance drama about a time-traveling K-pop star, Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), and his fan, Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon). TIME Magazine praised the show for its "satisfying love story that goes beyond time and destiny."

TIME Magazine also liked how Im Sol got her happy ending with Ryu Sun Jae and reached her dream of becoming a director.

However, they were disappointed that the show portrayed Im Sol's lower-body disability as something that had to be overcome for her to be truly happy. TIME Magazine said, "If Im Sol's happy ending included her disability, it would have been groundbreaking."

'Lovely Runner', which starred Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok, ended on May 28. According to Good Data Corporation's FUNdex platform, it was the most talked-about TV-OTT drama for three weeks in May. Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon were also the top performers in TV-OTT buzz for three weeks straight.

'Lovely Runner' was the top-rated show for viewers aged 20-49 for seven weeks, especially popular among women in their 20s.

The show's OST 'Shower' hit 5th place on the Melon TOP 100 chart on May 24. It got 570 million views by the 10th episode and had a 94% real-time viewing share on TVing, showing its huge popularity.

Source[1]

Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

Source (1)