Kim Seon Ho, Go Youn Jung introduce Netflix rom-com 'Can This Love Be Translated?' SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - The Hong sisters - Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran -, the popular writing duo behind fantasy hit series such as "Hotel Del Luna" are returning with a straight romantic comedy, teaming up with actors Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung for Netflix’s upcoming series “Can This Love Be Translated?” Anticipation is building over whether the series, which explores romance through the gap between language and emotion, will resonate with global audiences and revive the lackluster performance of K-drama on Netflix. A production presentation for the series was held Tuesday morning at Josun Palace Seoul Gangnam in Seoul. Director Yoo Young-eun attended the event alongside Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung, sharing insights into the project. "Can This Love Be Translated?” follows Ju Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter who is assigned to work for Cha Mu-hee, a global top star with an unpredictable charm. The Hong sisters, known for blending fantasy with emotional depth in “Alchemy of Souls” and “Hotel Del Luna,” return to the romantic comedy genre with Yoo, the director of “The Red Sleeve,” at the helm. “The biggest appeal was doing a pure romantic comedy with the Hong sisters’ writing,” Director Yoo Young-eun said. “I was fascinated by the emotional dilemmas that arise from the profession of interpretation — words you have to convey even when you don’t want to, and moments when you wish someone else’s words could become your own.” Yoo added that the story begins with the premise that people use different “languages” and styles of expression when it comes to love. Ho-jin speaks in a direct, straight-line manner, while Mu-hee tends to express her emotions in a roundabout way. Their repeated misunderstandings, she said, will form a key point of empathy and humor for viewers. Kim Seon-ho plays Ho-jin, an interpreter fluent in Italian, English, Japanese, Chinese and French. “He works with multiple languages, but he’s clumsy when it comes to expressing his own feelings,” Kim said. “Because I had to deliver the dialogue accurately while carrying the character’s emotions, I spent about four months before filming practicing both language and emotional expression.” The director described Ho-jin as a “neat and understated” character, noting that delicate emotional acting was essential. “It’s a role that carries the added burden of language, but I knew I could trust Kim Seon-ho,” she said, calling him an irreplaceable choice capable of handling both romance and comedy. Go Youn-jung portrays Cha Mu-hee, an actor who becomes a global top star overnight. “Mu-hee doesn’t hide her emotions — she expresses them transparently,” Go said. “I felt that making the lines ambiguous would weaken the character’s appeal, so I tried to stay faithful to the script. That alone was enough to make Mu-hee a fun and layered character.” The director also praised Go Youn-jung’s casting, saying her sense of purity and toughness aligned well with the role. She described Mu-hee as a character requiring significant movement and action, adding that viewers would discover a new side of Go by the end of the series. The production filmed on location in several countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada and Italy. The director explained that each setting was designed to function as a character reflecting emotional shifts within the story. “Japan represents the freshness of their first meeting, Canada captures the more dramatic moments as emotions deepen, and Italy was placed with the balance of the latter half of the story in mind,” Yoo said. Kim spoke highly of his on-screen chemistry with Go, noting that her dynamic portrayal naturally drew out his reactions. “She’s very quick to absorb her scene partner’s lines, and I learned a lot from her on set,” he said. The director echoed the sentiment, saying she was confident the two shared “the best” chemistry. Moreover, the director revealed that each episode will feature different cameo appearances. To make Mu-hee’s status as a global star feel more realistic, familiar faces will appear throughout the series, adding fresh moments to each episode. “Love is a universal emotion, and we placed it against landscapes from different countries,” Yoo said. “I hope it becomes a story people can relate to, even if the language is different.” She added that she hoped the series would deliver positive energy for the new year, likening it to the aurora she witnessed while filming. Go asked viewers to watch the series with a warm, fairy-tale-like perspective. Kim described the production as feeling like a gift, adding that he was happy to pass that gift on to audiences. “Can This Love Be Translated?” will be released worldwide on Netflix at 5 p.m. on Jan. 16. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily and edited by AJP. 2026-01-13 13:23:37

Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon sweep top honors at 40th Golden Disc Awards SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) - Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon took home the top honors at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, held Friday at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, as the ceremony marked its four-decade milestone with an expanded grand prize lineup. Stray Kids won the Album of the Year (Daesang), G-Dragon claimed Digital Song of the Year, and Jennie became the first recipient of the newly introduced Artist of the Year Daesang. Stray Kids earned their first grand prize seven years after winning Rookie of the Year at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards. Their fourth full-length album, KARMA, recorded triple-million first-week sales, securing both the album Daesang and an Album Bonsang. “We’ve been running toward the main prize, and we’re grateful to receive such a big award,” the group said. “Every moment with Stay has been precious, and we want to keep setting more records together.” G-Dragon marked a major comeback with his third full-length album Übermensch, released after an 11-year, five-month hiatus. His track HOME SWEET HOME won the Digital Song Daesang, while he also collected Digital and Album Bonsangs, taking home three awards. In a video message, G-Dragon said it was “especially meaningful” to receive his first award of the year at the Golden Disc Awards’ 40th anniversary, adding that he plans to return this year with fellow BigBang members. “Receiving this award in my 10th year since debut means a lot,” Jennie said. “I’ll repay you with good music.” Other Album and Digital Bonsang winners included Riize, Seventeen, Ive, Ateez and Enhypen. All Day Project and Cortis won Rookie of the Year, while Monsta X was named Best Group. The Upbit Popularity Award, decided entirely by fan voting, went to BTS’ Jin and Hearts2Hearts. This year marked the first time the Golden Disc Awards presented three Daesang categories — Album, Digital Song and Artist — in the ceremony’s history. According to organizer HLL JoongAng, the Artist Daesang was determined by a weighted system of 60% quantitative data, including global chart performance and sales, and 40% evaluation by a panel of judges. The 40th Golden Disc Awards recognized music released between early November 2024 and early November 2025, with nominees announced in late November across album, digital and rookie categories. 2026-01-11 11:12:53

Stray Kids to perform at star-studded charity concert in France later this month SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids will attend at a charity concert in France later this month. The eight-member band will perform along with global stars such as American singer-songwriter and actress Christina Aguilera, American rapper A$AP Rocky, and South Korean rapper G-Dragon at Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, also known as the Yellow Coins Gala, slated to be held at a multipurpose indoor arena in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris on Jan. 22. Organized by a charity foundation run by France's first lady Brigitte Macron, the concert has been held almost annually since 1989 to raise funds for children with illnesses and young people in need. It will be Stray Kids' second consecutive appearance at the event, after stopping in Paris as part of their world tour in July last year, which drew 120,000 fans. 2026-01-08 16:37:13

South Korea among top markets for highest-grossing 'Avatar' franchise SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - "Fire and Ash," the third installment in director James Cameron's epic "Avatar" franchise, dominated the South Korean box office during the holiday season, making the country one of the film's top five global markets. According to Box Office Mojo, an American-operated website that tracks box-office revenues, South Korea ranked among the global top five markets for the CGI-heavy spectacular, earning US$44.12 million, just behind North America ($311.33 million), China ($137.92 million), France ($82.16 million), and Germany ($64.09 million). The second installment, "Avatar: The Way of Water," was also a box-office hit when it was released here in 2022, drawing a record 10.8 million viewers. The latest installment of the highest-grossing series departs from its previous serene setting of fictional planet Pandora to explore a fiery, ash-covered world, encountering new tribes along the way. 2026-01-08 10:40:49

Actor Lee Hee-jun's directorial feature set for release later this month SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Actor Lee Hee-jun's directorial debut feature is set to be released later this month. "Rectangle, Triangle," slated to hit local theaters on Jan. 21, tells the story of a family gathering meant to be pleasant but instead brings long-simmering conflicts to the surface. Beneath its comic setup, the film lays bare the emotional rifts that have built up under the name of family, leaving a lasting impression. The 46-minute film starring Jin Sun-kyu was also invited to this year's Jeonju International Film Festival, which will be held this spring in the southwestern city. Lee's upcoming film comes after his directorial debut with his 2018 short film, "Mad Rush." 2026-01-07 09:28:38

Excitement builds ahead of BTS' full-group comeback SEOUL, January 6 (AJP) - Excitement is building for K-pop juggernaut BTS' full-group comeback in late March, with pre-events and other promotional activities already underway in Seoul. Promotional displays for the septet's fifth album, set for release on March 20, covered the staircases to the main hall of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on Monday. In a press release, their management agency Big Hit Music said, "BTS began in Seoul and have since expanded their presence globally. As they reunite as a full group after a long time, we arranged some offline events in the heart of Seoul, where their cultural roots are." The agency also plans to set up similar outdoor promotional installations and activities in major cities around the world including London, New York, and Tokyo. After completing their mandatory military service, the seven members of BTS will return with a new album after nearly four years of hiatus and embark on a large-scale world tour to promote the album, which contains 14 tracks. 2026-01-06 10:50:22

Final season of 'Squid Game' wins Critics Choice award again SEOUL, January 5 (AJP) - Netflix's hit South Korean series "Squid Game" won an award for the Best Foreign Language Series at the annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California on Sunday. The third and final season of the dystopian thriller beat Apple TV's comedy "Acapulco" and Netflix's Japanese series "Last Samurai Standing" to claim its third Critics Choice honor, having previously won for its first season in 2022 and its second season in 2025. The latest series with six episodes continues the deadly, high-stakes saga that began with its first season in September 2021, once again revolving around hundreds of cash-strapped players who "accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games" for a tempting prize. Earlier in the day, Netflix's hit South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" also won two prizes at the 31st prestigious awards which "honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement." 2026-01-05 15:37:19

Actor Ahn Hyo-seop to appear on US talk show SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Actor Ahn Hyo-seop will ring in the new year with an appearance on a popular U.S. talk show. He is set to appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Jan. 12, riding the wave of popularity from Netflix's hit South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters," in which he lent his voice. The 100-minute K-pop-themed anime became one of Netflix's most popular films, accumulating 500 million views worldwide within about 27 weeks of its June release, and also earned multiple nominations from the prestigious Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards, which are set to be presented early next month in the U.S. The soundtrack from the anime he participated in is also up for prizes at the annual Grammy Awards, slated to be held in February next year. Ahn is also gaining global recognition with the release of his latest film "Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy," which has been sold to some 113 countries around the world. 2025-12-31 17:10:12

Veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki in critical condition after collapsing at home SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki was rushed to a hospital in Seoul after his health suddenly deteriorated, his agency said on Wednesday. According to his management agency Artist Company, he was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest after collapsing at home from choking on food the previous day. He is reportedly in critical condition. Making his debut in 1957 with director Kim Ki-young's "Twilight Train," he has appeared in more than 150 films over a career spanning roughly 60 years. He has been receiving treatment for blood cancer since 2019. 2025-12-31 10:56:51

New year to bring box-office hope for domestic films SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - As the Year of the Snake draws to a close, a slew of domestic films stands ready to usher in the new year, after Hollywood blockbusters dominated the year-end box office. With no single standout hit seen among domestic films, "Zootopia 2," Disney's sequel to the 2016 hit animated film, and "Fire and Ash," the third installment in director James Cameron's epic "Avatar" franchise, have dominated the holiday season, drawing cumulative attendances of 7 million and 4 million respectively since their releases in late November and mid-December. But expectations are building for the new year, as a slate of domestic films such as "Once We Were Us," "Heartman," and "Project Y" awaits moviegoers. Released on the eve of the Year of the Horse, "Once We Were Us" starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, tells a nostalgic love story of a couple who reunite by chance after 10 years, retracing their past memories. Set for release on Jan. 14, Romantic comedy "Heartman" starring Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Chae-won revolves around a man who bumps into his first love and tries to win her back until a life-altering secret throws him into unexpected chaos. Following their releases, heist flick "Project Y" is set to arrive on Jan. 21 to keep the momentum. Much anticipation has been building for the female buddy movie starring Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo, which was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival last fall, and also won the top prize at the London Asian Film Festival last month. 2025-12-31 10:31:06