Kim Hye-yoon on horror film 'Salmokji': 'I want to be called a horror queen' Known for romantic comedies such as the dramas "Lovely Runner" and "Extraordinary You," actor Kim Hye-yoon is taking a sharp turn with the horror film "Salmokji," trading her bright image for a more worn, drained presence. "It’s a genre I love, and as a horror fan, I was excited to take on a horror project," Kim said. "When I first read the script, it was really fun, and the water ghost concept felt fresh. I also liked that Su-in is restrained and looks kind of worn down, different from April 13, 2026

Veteran Actors Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung Back Youth Theater Project in Seoul "Theater is about people, and it’s our story," said 90-year-old actor Shin Goo, speaking April 7 to young actors gathered at Daehangno Arts Theater in Seoul. He described theater as work that expresses what happens in relationships and stressed that the expression "must be honest." Without that, he said, the effort becomes meaningless, urging the actors to keep making strong work. That day, 30 young actors in the Theater Tomorrow Project presented key scenes from three original produc April 13, 2026

National Theater Company, LG Arts Center to Stage Rival Takes on Chekhov’s 'Uncle Vanya' in May Two big-budget productions based on Anton Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” will go head-to-head on Seoul stages in May, with the National Theater Company of Korea and LG Arts Center each unveiling a new version. The source material is the same, but the two productions signal different approaches, starting with their titles. According to the theater community, the National Theater Company of Korea will present “Banya Ajae,” while LG Arts Center will stage “Uncle Vanya.” Both will be mounted i April 13, 2026

An Se-young wins first Asian Championships title to complete career Grand Slam An Se-young of Samsung Life won the Asian Badminton Championships for the first time, completing a career "Grand Slam" by winning the Olympics, world championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships. The world No. 1 beat China’s Wang Zhiyi (No. 2) 2-1 (21-12, 17-21, 21-18) in the women’s singles final on 12 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Ningbo, China. The Asian Championships had long eluded An. She lost to Wang in the semifinals in Manila in 2022, then finished runner-up in Dub April 12, 2026

Korea’s Biopharma CDMO Exports Hit Record Q1 High Despite Mideast Risks South Korea’s biopharmaceutical exports posted a record first-quarter total despite prolonged Middle East risks, led by contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) firms, regulators said. At the same time, domestically focused drugmakers are moving to emergency measures as uncertainty grows over supplies of packaging-related materials. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said April 12 that biopharmaceutical exports in the first quarter totaled $2.0 billion (about 2.96 trillion won), up April 12, 2026

Singer Lee Hyo-ri’s Father Dies; She and Husband Lee Sang-soon Keep Vigil Singer Lee Hyo-ri is mourning the death of her father. Her agency, Antenna, said April 12 that her father, Lee Jung-kwang, died that day. A wake has been set up in Room 1 of the funeral hall at Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul. The funeral procession is scheduled for 7 a.m. April 14. Lee and her husband, Lee Sang-soon, are listed as chief mourners and have been keeping vigil at the wake. Lee has spoken publicly about her father on several occasions. She included family stories in April 12, 2026

MBC’s ‘21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ hits 10% in Seoul area by Episode 2 MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife” crossed into double-digit ratings in the Seoul metropolitan area by its second episode. Nielsen Korea said Saturday that Episode 2, aired Friday, drew a nationwide rating of 9.5% and 10.1% among households in the Seoul area, ranking No. 1 in its time slot. Its 20-49 rating was 5.3%, the highest among all Saturday programming. The minute-by-minute peak reached 11.1%. The top moments were a scene in which Seong Hui-ju wins a to April 12, 2026

Rookie Kim Min-sol wins wire-to-wire at KLPGA iM Financial Open for third career title Kim Min-sol, billed as a “super rookie,” captured her third career title on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour on April 12 with a wire-to-wire victory at the iM Financial Open. Kim shot a 1-under 71 in the final round at Golfzon County Sunsan (par 72) in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, with four birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. She finished at 11-under 277, winning by four strokes over the trio tied for second at 7-under 281: Kim Si-hyeon, Jeon Ye-seong and Ahn April 12, 2026

Kakao VX Partners With Ourhome to Expand Food and Beverage at Screen Golf Sites Kakao VX, a sports platform company, has partnered with food service company Ourhome to expand food and beverage operations at screen golf venues. Kakao VX said it signed a memorandum of understanding on April 9 at Ourhome’s headquarters to promote food and beverage business tailored to screen golf sites. Attendees included Choi Gwang-ok, a director in charge of Kakao VX’s golf business, along with Shin Su-jin, head of Ourhome’s product business division, and Jeon Jun-beom, head of Ourhome April 12, 2026

Xdinary Heroes Unveil Track Sneak Peeks for New EP 'Dead and' Ahead of Release JYP Entertainment boy band Xdinary Heroes has released all track sneak peeks for its upcoming album, building anticipation for its return. The band is set to release its eighth EP, "Dead and (DEAD AND)," on April 17. Ahead of the release, it has been rolling out short previews of songs on its official social media channels. On April 11, it shared snippets of "No Cool Kids Zone" and the title track, "Voyager." On April 12, it unveiled part of the opening track, "Helium Balloon." In the "N April 12, 2026