Journalist

Lee Soo-jin
  • Review: Project Hail Mary Weighs Sacrifice vs. Survival Without Judgment
    Review: 'Project Hail Mary' Weighs Sacrifice vs. Survival Without Judgment * This article contains major spoilers for the film. The film ‘Project Hail Mary’ includes a scene in which three crew members — a pilot, an engineer and a scientist — talk before boarding a spacecraft meant to save Earth as the sun dies. Grace, the scientist, suddenly realizes he is the only scientist assigned and protests: “I get motion sickness even in an elevator.” Yao, the pilot, replies, “That’s good. There are no elevators on the ship.” Grace answers, “No. This is a suicide mission.” Ilyukhina, the engineer, adds, “We’re perfect friends to die together.” The pilot and engineer have already agreed to go. Grace has not — and never intended to. The mission is one-way: once they leave Earth, they are expected to carry out their task at the destination and then die, unable to return. Grace is a middle school science teacher ostracized in academia for challenging the theory that all life requires water. That work leads to a request that he analyze a sun-dwelling microbe called ‘Astrophage,’ pulling him into the Hail Mary project. He expects to handle research and analysis, not fly into space. But an accident kills the scientist originally slated to go, leaving Grace as the only option. Stratt, the project’s hard-driving leader, tells Grace he will be given time to decide whether to die for the mission: three hours. After agonizing, Grace answers through tears, “I can’t go.” Earth may be in trouble, he notes, but there is said to be about 30 years left. Stratt refuses to accept his decision. She stops the fleeing Grace, renders him unconscious and puts him on the ship anyway — a blunt choice of sacrificing one for the many. The film asks whether that decision gives Earth a chance to recover. Set against Grace are Yao and Ilyukhina. Unlike Grace, who has no family or pets, they have loved ones and wide circles of friends. The two appear to have accepted death long ago, even discussing what kind of death would be most tolerable. The review recalls a line from the film ‘Deep Impact,’ when astronauts face a final self-sacrifice: “A high school will be named after us.” In ‘Project Hail Mary,’ Yao and Ilyukhina’s willingness to die is portrayed with a light touch, but the stakes remain stark. Even if the number of people they might save amounts to a quarter of humanity, the film suggests, that does not make any single life insignificant. Still, Yao, Ilyukhina and Stratt move forward, executing the logic of a few dying for the overwhelming majority — grimly, calmly and at times with humor. Grace, by contrast, cries that he would rather live on Earth a little longer, even if only for a few more years. He sobs in front of Stratt. Even without anyone depending on him, the film treats his desire to keep living as a choice that is hard to condemn. The film does not rule on which side is right. It presents, on equal terms, those who want to stay and those who choose to leave to die, emphasizing that different people make different decisions. The review argues that the film’s gaze is warm in the way it acknowledges and contains those competing human impulses. It even invites viewers to understand Stratt, who forces Grace onto the ship, as someone acting from her own position and sense of necessity. The review concludes that the film leaves an additional, lingering impression: people pursuing what they believe is the best choice, from where they stand, can appear admirable even when their decisions collide. * ‘Leftover review’: A review of the smaller impressions that remain after the main takeaways from cultural content. 2026-03-31 18:04:14
  • World Cup Rights Talks Stall in South Korea, Raising Concerns Over Public Access
    World Cup Rights Talks Stall in South Korea, Raising Concerns Over Public Access With about 70 days left until the 2026 North America World Cup, South Korea’s three terrestrial broadcasters and JTBC held talks over broadcast rights but failed to narrow their differences. The meeting on March 30 was chaired by Kim Jong-cheol, chairman of the Broadcasting Media Communications Commission, and attended by KBS President Park Jang-beom, MBC President Ahn Hyeong-jun, SBS President Bang Moon-shin and JTBC President Jeon Jin-bae. The two sides did not reach an agreement. JTBC said it had presented a final proposal on March 23, suggesting that the remaining rights fee — after subtracting revenue from digital resales — be split evenly between JungAng Group, which includes JTBC, and the three broadcasters. JTBC added that the three broadcasters’ “Korea Pool” has previously shared international sports rights costs at the same ratio, and said its proposal was a last offer made despite the prospect of “a large deficit,” citing concerns about universal viewing rights. A terrestrial broadcaster official who attended the March 30 meeting said there was “no progress” in negotiations for the 2026 World Cup rights. The official said the three broadcasters’ CEOs are demanding a “responsible position statement” from JTBC, which they say triggered the dispute. JTBC secured exclusive rights to the 2026-2032 Summer and Winter Olympics and the 2025-2030 World Cups in 2019, the report said, bypassing the Korea Pool consortium of MBC, KBS and SBS. It later sought to resell the rights to the three broadcasters, but the effort fell through. As a result, JTBC exclusively aired the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, but drew low ratings due to limited channels, fueling controversy over whether it infringed on the public’s universal right to watch major events. To protect that right, Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jeong-ae introduced an amendment to the Broadcasting Act on March 16 to guarantee universal viewing rights for events including the Olympics and the World Cup. The commission has also tried to mediate as negotiations have repeatedly stalled, including by holding an open public forum under the theme, “2026 North America World Cup broadcasts, listening to the public,” but has struggled to break the deadlock. While the March 30 meeting failed to bridge the gap, the terrestrial broadcaster official said working-level talks would continue, leaving open the possibility of a final deal. 2026-03-30 17:21:00
  • South Korean Actor Lee Sang-bo Found Dead at 45; Agency Says It Is Checking
    South Korean Actor Lee Sang-bo Found Dead at 45; Agency Says It Is Checking Actor Lee Sang-bo has died, South Korean media reported. He was 45. The Hankook Ilbo reported on the 27th that Lee was found dead on the 26th. Police who responded after a report from his family are investigating the exact circumstances of his death, the newspaper said. His agency, Korea Management Group (KMG), told multiple media outlets it was checking the report. Born in 1981, Lee debuted in the 2006 KBS drama “The Invisible Man Choi Jang-soo.” He appeared in dramas including “Miss Monte-Cristo” and “Elegant Empire,” and in films including “Secretly, Greatly” and “Mephisto.” Lee drew public attention in 2022 after police detained him following a report of a man who appeared to be under the influence walking around in public. It was later found to be a misunderstanding linked to his taking prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, according to the report. In media interviews at the time, Lee said he felt wronged but called the incident a turning point, adding that he wanted to be remembered for his acting. He signed an exclusive contract with his current agency earlier this year and had signaled plans for more active work. Reports also said all posts on the social media account he ran during his lifetime have been deleted. 2026-03-27 18:18:19
  • OTT Platforms Move Into Live Sports, Challenging Traditional TV Broadcasters
    OTT Platforms Move Into Live Sports, Challenging Traditional TV Broadcasters Live broadcasting has long been considered the crown jewel of TV networks. Traditional live coverage typically requires expensive equipment and highly trained crews, including outside broadcast trucks that send signals by satellite back to a station for transmission. For decades, broadcasters with deep capital and specialized staff — and, in some cases, public funding — have carried major events as part of their role as large news organizations. But broadcasters have already been losing ground to over-the-top, or OTT, platforms in dramas and entertainment. Now, OTT services are moving aggressively into live programming as well. Netflix, which recently live-streamed BTS' comeback performance at Gwanghwamun, has built a track record in live events. After testing live-streaming technology with a U.S. comedy show in 2023, it aired an unconventional golf event featuring Formula One figures and professional golfers, marking a push into sports coverage. Netflix later signed an exclusive deal for WWE Raw and has offered live streams since 2025. In January, it also live-streamed “Skyscraper Live,” featuring a climb up a 101-story building in Taiwan without ropes, drawing global attention. Netflix Live has now moved into Major League Baseball. Netflix said on the 25th it will broadcast the 2026 season opener between San Francisco and the New York Yankees. Netflix said it will work with the Emmy-winning MLB Network production team to live-stream key MLB games. It said the broadcasts will be available in five languages: English, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese. Netflix is not alone. Coupang Play said it will live-stream two international soccer friendlies: a match against Cote d'Ivoire on the 28th and a match against Austria on April 1, described as the national team's final A matches before its final roster is set as it targets a World Cup quarterfinal run. TVING recently exclusively live-streamed every game from the start of the World Baseball Classic main tournament. It also holds exclusive rights for Korean professional baseball live streams on mobile and PC, meaning those broadcasts can be watched only through TVING. With OTT platforms expanding into real-time programming, major terrestrial broadcasters appear to be feeling a sharper sense of threat. If OTT services come to dominate live content, the article asks, what role will remain for free-to-air networks? In Netflix's case, an estimated 19,000 servers deployed worldwide have lowered barriers that once made live broadcasting difficult. Backed by vast capital, Netflix has built infrastructure that can deliver live content directly to viewers around the world. That scale is fueled by subscription fees paid each month by hundreds of millions of people. Traditional media organizations — sometimes labeled “old-fashioned” — face shrinking influence and declining advertising revenue. The article says concerns are growing that legacy media could weaken further as capital tightens and talent leaves. Still, terrestrial broadcasting continues to function as public infrastructure closely tied to daily life, providing news, local information, and programming such as variety shows and daily dramas that reach multiple generations. Its reach, however, is largely limited to local audiences. Korean content is widely favored globally under the banner of K-content, but the article argues that trend can also work against traditional TV broadcasters. It says a local market that once looked solid for decades is shrinking as capital becomes less available. The article concludes by questioning whether legacy media has the tools to compete with global OTT platforms, saying those tools are hard to see even as the pressure intensifies.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-26 16:57:18
  • Govt mulls export restrictions on naphtha amid supply disruptions
    Gov't mulls export restrictions on naphtha amid supply disruptions SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - The government is considering imposing restrictions on exports of naphtha amid supply shortages as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East drags on. At a press briefing at the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong on Tuesday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "We are discussing with relevant ministries steps to take, which would include restrictions on exports and a ban on hoarding." Naphtha, a primary raw material for petrochemical products, is produced domestically by refiners, accounting for about 55 percent of domestic supply, with the remainder imported. Disruptions to supply chains in the Middle East have prompted some petrochemical companies to halt operations. The remarks came just a day after LG Chem decided to halt operations at its plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, which has an annual ethylene capacity of 800,000 tons. Yeochun NCC, an industrial complex in the same southern province, also halted its olefin conversion process to adjust output after the operating rate of its naphtha cracker declined. The ministry said, "Export restrictions alone would not be enough to resolve the shortage, so we are also preparing emergency supplies through a supplementary budget, as well as importing substitutes." But it added, "Exports of naphtha are not that large in volume, so we may prioritize supplies for petrochemical companies to help them maintain operations while restricting others." Despite rising prices of naphtha, the ministry said it has no plans to directly control prices, adding that any increase would have a limited impact on consumers. 2026-03-24 14:57:27
  • Lee Young-ae, Yoo Ji-tae to Reunite in New Drama 25 Years After One Fine Spring Day
    Lee Young-ae, Yoo Ji-tae to Reunite in New Drama 25 Years After 'One Fine Spring Day' Actors Lee Young-ae and Yoo Ji-tae will reunite in a drama series for the first time in 25 years since the film ‘One Fine Spring Day.’ Production company IWill Media said on the 23rd that it has cast Lee and Yoo as the leads of its new drama ‘Jaei’s Youngin.’ The two previously starred in ‘One Fine Spring Day,’ released in 2001, a film long regarded as one of South Korea’s signature romance movies. ‘Jaei’s Youngin’ is a mystery melodrama about two people left alone in the world. After they fall in love, a tangled past and hidden truths come to light. Lee will play Joo Youngin, an art teacher and painter who has lost her son. Yoo will play Shin Jaei, the head of an architecture firm who lives with dissociative amnesia. The series will be directed by Oh Gi-hwan, who previously worked with Lee on the film ‘Gift.’ The script is by Cho Eun-jung, whose credits include ‘Hotel King’ and ‘Feast of the Gods.’ Expectations are building over whether Lee, who chose her next project about five months after the well-reviewed drama ‘Eunsu’s Good Day,’ and Yoo, who recently became a “10 million actor” with the film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King,’ will deliver strong on-screen chemistry again. 2026-03-23 17:48:17
  • BTS Returns as Full Group After 3 Years, 5 Months; Fans Sing Along to Arirang in Seoul
    BTS Returns as Full Group After 3 Years, 5 Months; Fans Sing Along to 'Arirang' in Seoul BTS returned as a full seven-member group for the first time in about 3 years and 5 months, since its October 2022 “Yet to Come in Busan” concert. As the clock struck 8 p.m. on Saturday and the seven members appeared on a frame-shaped stage set up at Gwanghwamun Square, about 40,000 fans roared and chanted “BTS.” The show opened with “Body to Body,” a track from the group’s new full-length album, “Arirang.” When five traditional vocalists and a Korean traditional music ensemble performed the folk song “Arirang” live, ARMY members answered with a mass singalong. Attendance was estimated at 104,000 by organizers, while Seoul’s real-time city data put the figure at 42,000. That fell well short of the roughly 260,000 initially expected, but fans from around the world raised light sticks and turned the square purple, the group’s signature color. Many fans also watched from outside fences surrounding the 22,000 official seats, following the concert on large screens. Others streamed the live broadcast on smartphones to share in the comeback. Midway through the concert, the members shared how it felt to perform again and introduced the album’s title track, “Swim.” V said, “What we can do is not stop — to release music step by step and keep performing,” adding, “If we show ARMY a good side like this, I think we’ll move forward.” He said he hoped the song would offer listeners “even a little comfort and strength.” The members also spoke about the hiatus, saying they worried, “Would we be forgotten? Would you remember us?” RM said he had thought hard about what kind of artists they wanted to be “at this turning point,” and described the album’s goal as listening to their own voices and openly capturing “worries, anxiety and wandering.” Jimin said he feels fear every time, including for this show, but added he firmly believes that if they “Keep Swimming,” they will find answers someday. The Gwanghwamun comeback concert ended with “Dynamite” and “Mikrokosmos.” Fans lingered afterward, taking photos with the stage behind them before leaving. 2026-03-21 22:06:19
  • Foreign Media Cover BTS Comeback Concert Live, Call Group a K-Pop Powerhouse
    Foreign Media Cover BTS Comeback Concert Live, Call Group a K-Pop Powerhouse As BTS’ comeback concert began at 8 p.m. on the 21st, international media outlets delivered real-time coverage to audiences worldwide. The New York Times created a separate online live page to report on the “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang” concert held at Gwanghwamun in Seoul, providing continuous updates from the event. The newspaper also detailed the atmosphere among fans in the Gwanghwamun area, safety measures put in place, and reactions from nearby businesses. AFP, in a breaking news alert, described the event as the start of a “massive comeback concert” by “K-pop powerhouse BTS,” reporting that the South Korean megastar group took the stage for the first time in about four years and thrilled large crowds in Seoul. Foreign outlets also focused on reactions from ARMY, BTS’ global fan base. The New York Times cited interviews with fans of various nationalities, including a woman who traveled from Brazil, while emphasizing the group’s global reach. In addition, reports noted that BTS members fulfilled mandatory military service, described what security steps the Seoul city government took for the concert, and highlighted the historical backdrop of Gwanghwamun, the venue for the performance. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-21 21:09:15
  • More Than 30,000 Gather Near Gwanghwamun Ahead of BTS Comeback Show
    More Than 30,000 Gather Near Gwanghwamun Ahead of BTS Comeback Show Standing-room entry began at 5 p.m. Saturday ahead of BTS’ comeback concert scheduled for 8 p.m. Fans known as ARMY streamed in from around the world, and some foreign fans were seen wearing hanbok. The Seoul city government said more than 30,000 people had gathered near Gwanghwamun as of 6 p.m. It rated crowding as “slightly busy,” adding that the number was rising quickly as entry to the area began. Entry is set to close at 7 p.m. Organizers prepared 22,000 official seats for the show, with additional standing areas and reserved seating nearby. Others can watch from around the plaza. Police estimated the crowd could reach up to 260,000 around the stage, though some projections said the turnout as of 6 p.m. could fall short of that figure. Yonhap News reported that people who failed to get tickets were competing for “best spots” around the plaza. In front of the KT building, where there is no place to sit, fans have been standing for hours while waiting for the concert to start. Authorities set up near-complete barriers in the area as an anti-terror measure. Barricades and police buses formed a perimeter to block vehicle-ramming attempts, and access routes to the stage were sealed off with multiple layers of fencing. In some standing zones, reports said bringing in newspapers, including a special BTS edition, was banned, prompting complaints. Officials cited the risk of flammable material. To prevent accidents — including blocking detours, rooftop viewing and falls — access to 31 nearby buildings was restricted. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History closed temporarily, and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts canceled its events for the day. 2026-03-21 19:09:19
  • Val Kilmer to Appear in New Film Using AI a Year After His Death
    Val Kilmer to Appear in New Film Using AI a Year After His Death Actor Val Kilmer is set to return to the screen in a new film, recreated through artificial intelligence technology. On March 18 (local time), The Associated Press reported that Kilmer will appear via AI in the independent film “As Deep as the Grave,” due for release this year. The report said it comes a year after his death. According to AP, the film’s producers said Kilmer had signed on before he died, but health problems prevented him from taking part. After his death, his family approved a digital replica of the actor, the producers said, and the family is being compensated for its use. In a statement, Kilmer’s daughter said her father had long viewed new technology as a tool that could expand the possibilities of storytelling, and she expressed hope that the film would respect that potential through his role. Kilmer had previously used AI assistance during his lifetime. Before dying of pneumonia, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent a tracheotomy that left him without his voice. In his final film, “Top Gun: Maverick,” AI was used to recreate his voice. Still, the use of AI in Hollywood has become one of the industry’s most contentious issues. One of the main drivers of the 2023 U.S. actors union strike was concern over AI, after studios proposed digitally scanning background and minor performers and reusing those images across productions. That dispute eased after post-strike negotiations between the actors union and producers led to contract language requiring performers’ consent and appropriate compensation. The agreement, however, did not bar digital scanning itself. The prospect of seeing a globally popular star in new work even after death is now a reality. But Kilmer’s AI-assisted return is also a reminder that audiences, like the industry, are being pressed to decide how far they are willing to accept AI-generated stand-ins for human performers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 15:24:38