The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has drawn record crowds and major global star power at its midpoint, cementing its position as Asia's premier film event. On Sunday, the festival organizer said attendance at BIFF’s official program events, such as outdoor stage greetings, Master Classes Actors House sessions and Open Talks, surpassed 50,000 visitors within its first five days through Saturday. This figure already exceeds the total attendance recorded across all program events during last year’s full festival run, they added. This highlights a sharp increase in public engagement outside movie theaters. The surging interest comes as BIFF celebrates its first edition since being elevated to the International Federation of Film Producers Associations A-List status, solidifying its standing alongside premier global film festivals. By shifting its opening day to Tuesday and adding extra weekend screenings, the festival made it much easier for both movie fans and industry officials to attend. At Tuesday's opening ceremony, the festival brought together world-renowned filmmak

BTS’s first performances in Peru drew more than 150,000 fans to Lima and are projected to generate about 25.1 billion won ($19 million) in tourism-related economic benefits for the country, according to a forecast by Peru’s tourism ministry. The group’s agency, BigHit Music, said Sunday that roughly 151,500 fans attended the three shows at Estadio San Marcos on Oct. 7, 9 and 10 — part of the group’s ongoing “Arirang” world tour. The attendance figure far exceeded the ministry’s pre-concert projection of 50,000 visitors to the capital. The Lima concerts marked BTS’ first performances in Peru since the group’s debut in 2013. The members acknowledged the wait from the stage. “We wonder why it took us so long to come to Peru,” they said to the fans during one of the shows. Member V commemorated Hangeul Day, a statutory holiday in Korea celebrating creation of the Korean alphabet, by wearing a specially designed T-shirt bearing handwritten messages during the concerts. The front displayed the name of the host city and his real name, Kim Tae-hyung, in Korean. On the bac

Dame Judi Dench drove without a licence for 30 years before finally passing her driving test.

Kelly Clarkson has blasted a New York store for allegedly treating her "like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman".

Lance Bass made "hardly any money" from *NSYNC and the group received just $35 a day in their early years.

Holly Madison has thrown her support behind the controversial Playmates movie, days after Crystal Harris urged Jessica Biel to pull out of the project.

Ethan Hawke spent a decade waiting for a "great" movie-making experience after Dead Poets Society before realising it had been a rare event.

Sam Fender is set to headline Glastonbury next year.

Barry Manilow has contracted bronchitis, forcing him to cut short one concert and pull out of another.

Oliver Stark and three others have reportedly been injured while working on stunts on the set of 9-1-1.

Olivia Culpo has given birth to her second child, a baby boy.

British acting icon Judi Dench isn't happy to rest on her laurels, insisting she isn't retiring and revealing she "loathes" being called a "national treasure".

Thousands of cyclists on bikes of all shapes and sizes have gathered on city streets to raise vital funds for mental health.

Billie Lourd spoke about her feelings surrounding her two kids growing up in such a technologically advanced world.

Thousands of the Ella Langley's fans were left disappointed when she announced she’d made the decision to axe the gig at the BOK Center on Friday night (09.10.26).

The Game of Thrones star told Marie Claire UK magazine that when it comes to social media, she’s very much a “post and ghost” kind of person.

Spotlight will be airing a special program to celebrate 70 years of Seven to recognise Australia’s most memorable television moments on the network since 1956, featuring WA’s own Michael Usher and Natalie Barr.

Hannah Waddingham starred in Ride or Die alongside Octavia Spencer but, despite of the positive reaction from viewers, it was axed after just one season.

Luke Evans has starred in movies from Fast and the Furious 6 to Beauty and the Beast, after landing his breakout role in 2010 film Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll.

Jessica Biel takes on an action-packed role in Matchbox: The Movie, and also has the opportunity to show off her incredible figure in one particular scene.

I don’t say this lightly: these are two of the very best shows of the past decade — this drama, which packs one heck of a punch, is right up there with them.

Michael Douglas made the admission in his new memoir, titled One Helluva Ride.

Jethro Sheeran insisted he would be "more than happy to move on" and apologise if Ed does the same.

Sienna Miller has urged people to "free the nipple" while defending her "bohemian" approach to breastfeeding.

Tving’s “Enemies in the Outfield” is carving out a niche with a novel format that combines baseball and romance. The dating reality show brings together singles who support rival professional baseball teams and has them watch actual games at the ballpark. The Hankook Ilbo spoke with the show’s producers and hosts about what sets the program apart and what viewers can expect as the season unfolds. A roundtable interview for the Tving original variety show was held at a cafe in Seoul’s Seodaemun District on Wednesday afternoon. It was attended by producer Lee Ki-yeon and hosts Lee Yong-jin, Hwang Jae-gyun and Jung Ye-in. First released on Sept. 14, “Enemies in the Outfield” follows men and women who support different Korean baseball league teams as they watch games together at actual stadiums while looking for romance. The show has drawn attention for incorporating real league games into its romantic storyline. It also adds a love triangle involving a third participant, as well as choices between romance and season tickets. Meanwhile, the experienced hosts, who are well verse

Actress Choi Yu-hwa has shared an update on breastfeeding her baby for six months after giving birth, expressing pride in reaching her goal and offering words of encouragement to mothers everywhere. On Monday, Choi posted photos on social media, writing, "The day my baby turned six months old was also the day I successfully reached my goal of breastfeeding for six months." The photos offer a glimpse into Choi's daily life as a mother. In particular, they show her breastfeeding her baby in public places, including restaurants and cafes. "I worked really hard," Choi said. "Taking care of a baby through the night is difficult, but traveling without having to carry extra things is convenient, so I've decided to keep breastfeeding a little longer." She added, "To all the mothers in the world, keep going!" Choi made her acting debut in 2010 in the KBS2 one-act drama "The Great Gye Choon-bin." She later appeared in TV series including "Suits," "Life," "Class of Lies" and "River Where the Moon Rises," as well as films such as "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" and "The Truth Beneath." In December last year, C

“My name is Minamida Minami. Whether you read it forward or backward, it’s Minamida Minami. Kitsusuki (woodpecker), tomato, Swiss, koneko (kitten), Minamida Minami.” The line comes from “Extraordinary Attorney Minami,” the Japanese adaptation of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” In the original series, protagonist Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) introduces herself using words that read the same forward and backward, such as “gireogi (wild goose), tomato, Swiss and Indo-in (Indian).” The Japanese remake recreates the wordplay in Japanese. Around the same time, a genius surgeon who swept Japan is moving the setting to a Korean hospital. Two representative legal and medical dramas from Korea and Japan are switching home turfs as they seek viewers across the sea. Kansai TV and Fuji TV will premiere “Extraordinary Attorney Minami” on Oct. 19. Like the original “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” which aired on ENA in 2022, the series follows the growth of a rookie lawyer on the autism spectrum. “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” made history by remaining in Netflix’s global Top

An animated film made by a father who burst into tears while reading his elementary school-aged daughter's book has been invited to the competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. “Long Long Night” is the only animated film among the 13 competition titles. Based on author Ru Ri's 2021 children's book of the same name, the film follows the journey of Norden, the last white rock rhinoceros on Earth, and a young penguin born from an abandoned egg. The original book has sold more than 800,000 copies, becoming a megahit in children's literature and a rare children's story that has also won enthusiastic support from adults. Director Youm Kyu-bock and producer Jung Kyoung-hee discussed the film's four-year journey to the screen at a press conference held Friday at the Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae District. The project began with a book Youm's daughter brought home. Youm said he cried uncontrollably while reading "Long Long Night" to his daughter and became captivated by the friendship between the aging rhinoceros and the young penguin. "I felt I had to ma

“Doctor X” took aim at doctors chasing power and personal interests within the hospital, delivering a satisfying blow against corruption from its very first episode. At the center is Gye Su-jeong, a brilliant surgeon played by Kim Ji-won, in a rare female lead role for a medical drama. SBS' "Doctor X: Mafia in White," which premiered Friday, is a medical drama centered on Gye, also known as Doctor X, who takes on deeply rooted corruption with exceptional surgical skills and a refusal to accept failure or compromise. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode recorded nationwide viewership of 11.4 percent and 11.2 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area, peaking at 12.9 percent. It was the highest-rated premiere among miniseries that debuted in 2026, giving "Doctor X" a double-digit start. The premiere introduced Gye, a temporary doctor dispatched to Guseo University Hospital, as she confronted the institution's hierarchy and corruption while demonstrating her surgical prowess. Gye and Jang Hee-sook, played by Lee Jung-eun, encountered a customer who suddenly collapsed in pain at a b