Fans are in for a treat as former Wonder Girls members Sunye and Sunmi are set to make a special appearance on KBS’s highly-anticipated project, 'KBS Special Project - 30th Anniversary Ddan Dda La JYP.'

KBS made the exciting announcement on the 9th, confirming that Sunye and Sunmi will be guest stars on the upcoming show, which celebrates Park Jin Young's incredible 30-year journey in the music industry. A teaser for the episode, which has already begun circulating on KBS 2TV and the KBS Kpop YouTube channel, kicks off with the iconic Wonder Girls' hit "So Hot" playing in the background, instantly sparking nostalgia and excitement among fans.

Wonder Girls, who debuted back in 2007, hold a special place in JYP Entertainment’s history as its first-ever girl group. With smash hits like "Tell Me," "So Hot," and the unforgettable "Nobody"—all produced by Park Jin Young—the group solidified their place as one of the most beloved girl groups of the second generation.

Sunmi, who has since established herself as a solo artist, last teamed up with Park Jin Young in 2020 for their duet "When We Disco," a collaboration that showcased their undeniable chemistry. The same year, they sent fans into a frenzy with a special performance of "Nobody" at the '2020 KBS Song Festival.'

Sunye, who made her return to the music scene in 2022 on the tvN variety show 'Mom is an Idol,' also had a memorable moment with Park Jin-young and Sunmi during a heartfelt performance. With Park’s encouragement, she later dropped her first solo album, 'Genuine,' marking her official comeback as a singer.

With other major acts like TWICE, god, 2PM, Rain, and the rest of Wonder Girls also set to appear, 'Ddan Dda La JYP' is shaping up to be an unforgettable celebration of Park Jin Young's legendary career.

The recording for this special episode is scheduled to take place on the 30th at 7 PM at KBS Hall, and fans are already counting down the days.

Source(1)

The highly criticized When the Stars Gossip, known as a "50 billion won failure," has finally ended, but its shadow still looms over tvN's new drama The Potato Lab.

According to Nielsen Korea on March 2, the first episode of The Potato Lab recorded a 1.7% viewership rating.

In comparison, When the Stars Gossip started at 3.3%, dropped to a record low of 1.8%, and barely managed to end at 2.6%. With such a shaky start, can The Potato Lab break free from its predecessor’s unfortunate fate?

The Potato Lab is a healing romantic comedy that takes place in, well, a potato lab! The story follows Mikyung (played by Lee Sun Bin), a woman whose life revolves around potatoes, and Baek Ho (played by Kang Tae Oh), a cold-hearted perfectionist who suddenly enters her world.

Their whirlwind romance, much like a spiral potato skewer, brings unexpected twists. The cast also includes Lee Hak Joo, Kim Ga Eun, and Shin Hyun Seung.

The drama has gained attention as Kang Tae Oh’s comeback project after his military discharge. Since completing his service in March last year, Kang carefully chose The Potato Lab from multiple offers, taking on the role of So Baek Ho, the director of organizational innovation at Wonhan Retail and the temporary head of the potato lab.

Meanwhile, its predecessor When the Stars Gossip was supposed to be a massive hit with its grand-scale space romance featuring Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho.

The drama, which took five years to prepare and cost over 50 billion won, was filmed over a year from 2022 to 2023. But despite the hype, the outcome was disastrous.

The ratings started at 3.3% and peaked at 3.9% in episode 2, only to plummet to 2.2% by episode 3. It reached an all-time low of 1.8% in episodes 5 and 7. Even the second-to-last episode struggled with just 1.8%, and the finale barely recovered to 2.6%.

Because of this, The Potato Lab now faces an uphill battle. When the Stars Gossip struggled against competing dramas like SBS’s Love Scout and JTBC’s The Tale of Lady Ok, as well as their successors Buried Hearts and Undercover High School. The new drama has inherited this tough time slot, making things even more difficult.

But there’s still hope! tvN’s weekend dramas often see a viewership boost on Sundays, and fans are already loving the refreshing chemistry between Kang Tae Oh and Lee Sun Bin. Plus, Kang Tae Oh’s return with a more mature image and refined acting is expected to attract more viewers.

The big question is—can The Potato Lab create its own success, or will it be another victim of When the Stars Gossip’s curse? Only time will tell!

Source: [1]