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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.
The Korean series on Netflix, which follows women who sell lingerie and adult toys, forgets its original message but is still a good watch.
Kim Tae-ri shines as a gifted singer who overcomes hardships in a story that has some good ideas but fails to follow through on them.
Jung Yu-mi has appeared in films such as Train to Busan, Korean dramas including The School Nurse Files, and reality TV show Youn’s Kitchen.
Korea’s most temperamental priest returns for a second outing, this time delivering his unique brand of divine justice to criminals in Busan.
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A wealth of big names are being considered for coming projects, from Jeon Yeo-been for a romcom to Ahn Hyo-seop for a crime-mystery drama.
Kim Tae-ri’s troubled stage singer outshines her rival, played by Shin Ye-eun, in stunning performances. There is the odd far-fetched moment.
A confusing start to this Korean series and a lack of chemistry between the leads makes Mr. Plankton on Netflix a far from riveting watch.
Kim So-yeon’s rural adult-toys seller overcomes personal struggles to make inroads in conservative 1990s Korea. But what is her endgame?
Park Shin-hye’s spirited turn as a demon who develops human feelings is failed by unconvincing characters and inconsequential twists.
Starring Lee Se-young and Kentaro Sakaguchi, this Korean romantic drama isn’t terrible but suffers from languid pacing and repetitive themes.
Crime series Gangnam B-Side, road trip drama Mr Plankton, comedy crime drama Face Me and romcom Marry You are among our Korean drama picks.
The Atypical Family’s Jang Ki-yong may return in a romantic drama, while Shin Hye-sun is being considered for a crime mystery drama.
Yeon Sang-ho’s second season of Hellbound is a fun, pulpy ride that reminds us why we got excited about Korean dystopias in the first place.
Kim Tae-ri burst onto the scene in acclaimed 2016 erotic thriller The Handmaiden, and she has only gone from strength to strength since.
An aloof criminal profiler finds out his daughter is involved in a case he is investigating in this immersive, psychological Korean series.
Kim Tae-ri stars as talented young singer Yoon Jeong-nyeon whose mother (Moon So-ri) tries to stop her singing, in this Disney+ period drama.
As demon Kang Bit-na, Park Shin-hye struggles to control her body and emotions in The Judge from Hell as she sends murderers’ souls to hell.
This 1990s-set drama sees a group of women begin selling racy lingerie and adult toys door to door, shaking up their quiet rural town.
The seedy underbelly of Seoul’s most glam neighbourhood is laid bare in this stylish thriller starring Ji Chang-wook as a pimp on the run.
Our pick of Korean movies that premiered at the film festival, from crime comedy collection The Killers to period action thriller Uprising.
High-flyer Baek Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) disappoints her parents by becoming a chef and falling for the boy next door in this meandering tale.
This fantasy drama follows an erotic-novel author who turns into the lead character from one of her web stories, both played by Han Ji-hyun.
Ji Chang-wook and Exo’s D.O. are set to lead Sculpture City, while Girls’ Generation’s Im Yoon-ah has been offered a time-travelling role.
With stand-out performances and strong direction, Way Back Love is in the running to be one of the best Korean high-school romcoms ever.
Lee Joon-hyuk stars as prosecutor Seo Dong-jae, repeatedly looked over for promotion and given drudge work, who stumbles upon a big case.
The cult-horror thriller is back, and some of those who were dragged to hell in season 1 are starting to return, as Korean society fragments.
There are big emotions and charming lead performances from Shin Min-a and Kim Young-dae, but No Gain No Love stumbles somewhat in its finale.
Lee Se-young plays a South Korean student who has a romance in Tokyo with Kentaro Sakaguchi’s aspiring writer. They part, then reconnect.
Lee Sang-yi and Han Ji-hyun spice things up in a spin-off show, four women sell adult products door-to-door in A Virtuous Business, and more.
Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon return in season two of Gyeongseong Creature, but Netflix’s new Korean drama series fails in many ways.
