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Pierce Conran
Journalist, producer and consultant Pierce Conran has been based in Seoul since 2012, where he served as the Korea Executive for LA-based production company and sales agent XYZ Films and as a long-time editor of the Korean Film Council’s English website KoBiz until 2021. Born in Ireland and raised in Switzerland, he received an MA in Film from Trinity College Dublin and is currently the Korean drama critic for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, as well as a programming adviser for the Fribourg International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest in the United States.
Ju Ji-hoon was a successful model, then actor, before a scandal brought him down. He fought his way back, and today his talent is in demand.
Given recent events in South Korea, a K-drama about investigative-news journalism may appear timely. Unmasked mixes the heavy with the light.
Netflix period drama about trainees at a prestigious guest house is shifting focus towards political intrigue and a royal backstory.
K-pop stars IU and Jisoo, and actress Kim Min-ha, are among the stars of 2025’s most anticipated K-dramas, from Way Back Love to Newtopia.
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One of South Korea’s best headhunters hires an unflappable secretary in this romcom. It is frothy and fun, but will there be any substance?
This Netflix series slavishly sticks to Korean-drama stereotypes while including a clumsy, unnecessary allusion to the Israel-Gaza war.
Do they look familiar? From Park Sung-hoon to Kang Ha-neul, we look at films new Squid Game actors were in before entering the deadly arena.
A hackneyed melodrama dressed up as sci-fi, Netflix romantic comedy set aboard a space station is so silly the writer may be in on the joke.
Jung So-min and Choi Woo-shik are considering roles in Would You Marry Me, while Ahn Jae-hong was approached for Signal season 2.
While the drama set in Korea’s Joseon dynasty continues to impress with its fresh story, it’s the protagonist’s evolution that is compelling.
The strict adherence to the genre blueprint in this romcom starring Ju Ji-hoon and Jung Yu-mi makes this Korean drama easy to watch.
While not as well acted as the original Miss Granny film by Squid Game’s Hwang Dong-hyuk, fantasy comedy Who Is She is an engaging watch.
The main characters from season 1 return in crime-fighting comedy sequel that is hit and miss, the jokes not making up for its inane story.
Lee Min-ho leads Netflix’s space romance When the Stars Gossip, Kim Hye-soo is an investigative journalist in Disney+’s Unmasked, and more.
Neither lead character is who they appear to be in this tale set in the past but tapping themes usually seen in contemporary dramas.
Richer, deeper, more cohesive, with familiar characters like Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun and new ones, and kinetic camerawork, Squid Game is back.
From a vigilante thriller to a period political drama, and Korea’s most awaited sequel, here is our pick of the top 15 K-dramas of 2024.
Despite some clever subterfuge on the part of its creator Kang Full, and some affecting scenes, the show’s narrative lacks proper exposition.
Lim found fame in steamy drama Obsessed, stopped being typecast after her role in The Glory, and has not looked back since.
K-pop star IU is rejoining Byeon Woo-seok for a royal romcom, while Park Shin-hye is looking at playing a dental genius.
This tale of customers at a mysterious shop that only opens at night is based on a story by webtoon author Kang Full.
Slapstick humour and ludicrous scenarios take over as Kim Nam-gil fights a drug lord, in a series that has become funnier but less coherent.
Lim Ji-yeon plays a humble servant who pretends to be a noblewoman, in this period K-drama set in the era of Joseon dynastic rule in Korea.
A woman leaves her wealthy husband and sets him up with another woman. Meanwhile a suitcase hides a mystery in atmospheric Netflix series.
Ji Chang-wook’s Seoul pimp and Bibi’s escort fail to surprise us in this drama with gratuitous violence inflicted on badly-drawn characters.
Squid Game returns for season 2 with Lee Jung-jae and Wi Ha-joon, Park Bo-young leads a supernatural mystery on Disney+, and more.
This story, which follows a selective mute (played by Chae Soo-bin) and her public speaker husband (Yoo Yeon-seok), lacks substance.
A man and woman from two feuding families are reunited after 18 years in this romcom set around a high school.
The latest news sees offers for Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, The Glory’s Lim Ji-yeon, Seohyun of Girls’ Generation and 2PM’s Ok Taec-yeon.
The Korean series on Netflix, which follows women who sell lingerie and adult toys, forgets its original message but is still a good watch.
