Korean films reach Ivory Coast cinemas in rare west African expansion SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Two South Korean films have entered commercial release in Ivory Coast, marking the first time Korean historical and horror films have received regular theatrical releases in the West African country, the South Korean Embassy in Abidjan said Monday. The release represents a rare expansion of Korean cinema into sub-Saharan Africa, where commercial screenings of Korean films have remained limited despite the global rise of Korean popular culture. While Korean f July 20, 2026

Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller attracts over 2 million moviegoers in less than a week SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Director Na Hong-jin's latest film "Hope" has attracted over 2 million moviegoers less than a week after its release. According to ticket sales data released by the Korean Film Council on Monday, the sci-fi film drew 1.50 million moviegoers over the weekend to top the domestic box office chart, bringing its cumulative attendance to 2.13 million. The impressive start came after the film drew about 330,000 moviegoers last Wednesday, markin July 20, 2026

Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller off to good box-office start SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Director Na Hong-jin's return to the big screen got off to a strong start, as his sci-fi thriller "Hope" topped the South Korean box office, attracting more than 330,000 moviegoers on its opening day. According to ticket sales data released by the Korean Film Council on Thursday, "Hope" drew about 333,000 moviegoers the previous day, marking the strongest opening of any Korean film released this year. The impressive start surpassed d July 16, 2026

Netflix says viewer engagement matters more than ad exposure SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - Global streaming giant Netflix told roughly 600 advertisers and marketing officials in Seoul that viewer engagement matters more than simple ad exposure, as it seeks to attract more advertising spending to its platform. The company laid out the case Tuesday at "Behind The Streams," an event held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas. Citing its own 2025 survey, Netflix said 74 percent of viewers who saw ads on the platform later took a related July 8, 2026

Nam Joo-hyuk set to return with Netflix series after completing military service SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - Actor Nam Joo-hyuk was still serving in the military when the script for The East Palace landed in his hands. Reading it inside the barracks, he found himself drawn to an unusual idea: a swordsman who hunts ghosts by crossing between the worlds of the living and the dead. That script has now become his first project since completing military service. Set for release on July 17, Netflix's eight-episode series "The East Palace" blends palace intrigu July 8, 2026

Korean titles crowd Netflix charts as 'Agent Kim Reactivated' joins SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Korean titles filled several top spots on Netflix's global charts last week, led by action drama "Mr. Kim," which climbed to No. 1 on the platform's non-English TV chart in its second week of release. "Agent Kim Reactivated" logged 10.5 million views for the week of June 29 to July 5, according to Netflix's official Top 10 data. Netflix calculates views by dividing total viewing hours by a title's running time. The se July 8, 2026

Annual film fest in Bucheon set to kick off in celebration of its 30th anniversary SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - The annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is set to kick off with a red carpet event in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. South Korea's largest genre film festival, now in its 30th year, will showcase a record 321 films from about 50 countries, with an expanded lineup and a greater focus on artificial intelligence. Among them, about 93 films will have their world premieres during the festival, which runs until July 12. The curtain July 2, 2026

'Teach You a Lesson' Holds No. 1 on Netflix's Non-English Chart for 4th week SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) - "Teach You a Lesson" remained the No. 1 non-English TV show on Netflix's global charts this week, marking its fourth consecutive week atop the ranking as Korean titles continued to dominate the platform's non-English lists. The series, which follows a fictional agency that intervenes in schools to protect teachers' rights and restore order, made the Top 10 in 75 countries, including markets in Asia and Europe. Several other Korean ti July 1, 2026

Netflix viewers are becoming Korea's newest tourists, data shows SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - South Korea's tourism boom in 2026 is increasingly being linked to something outside the traditional travel industry, what foreign viewers are watching at home. Foreign visitor arrivals surpassed 10 million by the third week of June, about a month earlier than 2025, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Arrivals from January through May totaled 8.72 million, up 21 percent from the same period in 2025. May alone brought 1.95 million visi June 30, 2026

Netflix to stream entire Korea's Mise-en-scène festival films SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Netflix will stream all 44 competition films from the 22nd Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival in South Korea for two weeks beginning Wednesday. The films will be available through July 7, following the festival's six-day theatrical run at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, which ended Tuesday. Selected award winners will remain on the platform longer, with availability varying by title. The festival received 1,667 submissions this year before June 24, 2026