Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a special episode that serves as an origin story and shows audiences how the undead plague in the first two seasons of Kingdom came about. As a standalone prequel, you can watch it either before or after watching the two seasons. However, the experience is that much better once you have viewed all of the parts in order to better understand and enjoy the Kingdom universe. Check out some of the most striking revelations of Kingdom: Ashin of the North and how they tie into the greater story here.

Watch it first if you want to avoid seeing any spoilers! Spoilers below!

1. Min Chi-rok’s Lies
Min Chi-rok (Park Byung-eun) appeared in season 2 as the Head of the Royal Commandery. His character was much loved for being a righteous investigator who discovers the queen’s secret. He’s smart, brave, and intent on uncovering the truth. Therefore, it comes as a surprise when we see Min Chi-rok in Kingdom: Ashin of the North lying to the Pajeowi tribe about the deaths of their tribesmen and pinning the blame on the innocent Seongjeoyains. While we understand that Min Chi-rok did this in order to avoid a war from beginning, it is clear that he and other characters are not all morally black and white.

2. Ashin’s Trauma
We are first introduced to Ashin at the end of season 2 and it is obvious that she is responsible for spreading the resurrection plant all over the kingdom and contributing to the undead plague that ravaged the kingdom. However, as we get to know more about her childhood and life prior to these events, it becomes clear that Ashin is also a victim. Her family and everyone she grew up around get killed when her village is massacred by the Pajeowi. She becomes completely alone and vulnerable to mistreatment and sexual assault.

3. Ashin’s Heartbreaking Reunion
As if all of that wasn’t traumatic enough, Ashin realizes her father had been alive all along upon finding him during a spy mission. After a tearful reunion, Ashin relieves her father of his misery and sets out to find out the truth. Upon viewing official records, she realizes that Min Chi-rok had ordered her father to lie about a tiger being responsible for the death of the Pajeowi men. Min Chi-rok’s actions led to her village being massacred and her father being chained and tortured for all these years. This revelation instigates Ashin’s plans for bloody vengeance.

4. The Beginning of Ashin’s Revenge
Ashin quickly moves into action by killing and infecting unsuspecting soldiers. The infected soldiers help her swiftly achieve her goal of killing every soldier in the camp. Ashin definitely looks badass, deftly using her bow and arrows to kill any survivors trying to escape. While we can empathize with her character in desiring revenge after experiencing those traumatic events, it’s clear that she’s neither a hero nor completely a villain. Ashin is on a warpath and is determined to take everyone down, including innocent people.

5. The Extent of Ashin’s Revenge
It is revealed that Ashin used the resurrection plant on the deceased village members. Over the years she fed them animals, but now she promises to feed them more delicious food (humans). She vows to kill everyone and to join them once she has done so. Her plan begins when she intentionally shares the resurrection plant with physician Lee Seung-hui after finding him in Uiju. This ties into how Prime Minister Cho and Lord Ahn Hyeon utilized the plant to create zombies and win the battle against the Japanese.

Furthermore, this knowledge is used to resurrect the king later which leads to the undead plague. It all started with Ashin.

What’s Next
The special episode ends with Ashin facing Aidagan, the leader of the Pajeowi. We see Ashin shoot an arrow towards the group, but we don’t know what will happen yet. Considering Ashin’s hunger for revenge, it’s clear that she probably has a master plan in mind. Also, we know that Joseon is not actually safe since the new crown prince is infected. We can expect some major battles ahead as Ashin strives for annihilation while others will fight for survival.

While we “patiently” wait for what’s next in the Kingdom universe, be awed by the intricately woven plot as you rewatch the first two seasons and Kingdom: Ashin of the North, only on Netflix.

Image courtesy of Netflix

tvN's ongoing drama series 'The Devil Judge' has created buzz on social media for the past few weeks - with interesting storyline, pairing with the casts' brilliant acting! 

'The Devil Judge' set in a dystopian version of present-day Korea where daily life is one of chaos and society has collapsed to the point people openly voice their distrust and hatred for their leaders. The entire nations can participates in trial through a live broadcast courtroom show lead by the head judge, Kang Yo Han (starring Jisung). His mysterious intentions brings the assumption to the public on whether he is a true hero or just a devil wearing the mask of law. 

Check out our exclusive interview with the cast - GOT7's Jinyoung, Kim Min Jung and Park Gyu Young where they talked about their characters and shared their favourite scenes of the show. 

Q: It’s your first time playing the character as a judge, any challenges that you faced when playing the character?

Jin-young: The writer was a former judge, so I talked to him a lot. Other than that, I thought that the answer would lie within the script, so I read the script diligently and made the character. 

Q: Just from the teaser itself, we can see a great chemistry between you and Jisung. Are there any traits that you have discovered while working with him? 

Kim Min Jung: Both of us grew, matured and became more considerate of each other. It certainly led to good teamwork.

Q: How was it like to work with the co-stars in ‘The Devil Judge’? 

Park Gyu-Young: The actor I worked with the most is Jinyoung. As I worked with actor Jinyoung for a long time and built up emotions, (my) feelings for protecting Gaon naturally deepened and became more sincere. Actor Jinyoung is really good at remaining focused, worries a lot and gives good energy, so I'm still thankful for his help. During the second half of the drama shooting, I was able to empathize just by looking at actor jinyoung’s eyes. There are many memorable scenes. I really appreciate it.

Q: Which scene of 'The Devil Judge' do you recommend the most so far? 

Kim Min Jung: I really love this scene in episode 7 where Seo Jung-hak was killed to gain power. I could feel Sunah's heartbreaking past through her lines and I filmed it while feeling the instinctive animal act to survive.

Jin-young: The church scene in episode 4 is memorable to me. As viewers learn about Yohan's past, I think they could be more immersed in the show.

Q: How did you approach your character as a detective? Do you take any reference from other films or dramas?

Park Gyu-Young: I remember going on a field trip to the police station during the preparation period, checking the atmosphere, meeting detectives, and asking questions and interviewing them. Yoon Soo-hyun is an ace detective who graduated from a police university. I think I asked them a lot of questions, such as learning and training at a police university, the reason they dreamt of becoming a police officer and their mindset in the field etc. From practical questions to questions close to the heart. Although appearance and actions shown are very important, it seems that the way the mind deals with the event, the object, and the situation is also largely important. Thankfully, I think I learned a lot of points from the long interview. I didn't refer to the characters of other dramas or movies because I wanted to express myself as much as I could. I think I focused mostly on the character’s story and the script.

Q: Could you tell us the reason why ‘The Devil Judge’ is a must to watch? 

Kim Min Jung: I think the rather sharp senses of "coexistence between good and evil" and "evil against evil" live in the world. (The drama) can share a pleasant and bitter message, like the present world we live in.

Consisting of four members—JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ, and LISA—BLACKPINK’s debut song reached the top of every record chart in Korea within only four hours of its release, announcing a splendid arrival of “the monster rookie.” Five years later, BLACKPINK has risen to worldwide stardom thanks to its members’ exceptional talents and performance far beyond the realms of “K-POP” and “Girl Group.” Each member of BLACKPINK possesses distinctive talent such as vocal, dancing, rapping, and musical skills while boasting perfect chemistry among the members. Naturally, BLACKPINK radiates infinite charms flashy as “Pink” and intense as “Black.”

One of the most anticipated dramas of the year - THE ROAD: THE TRAGEDY OF ONE starring Ji Jin Hee, Yoon Se Ah, and Kim Hye Eun as main leads together with supporting cast members like Cheon Ho Jin, Kim Sung Soo, Kyeong Heon Kang etc. is premiering on tvN starting this Thursday (05 August).

Based on the 1996 novel Ichi no Higeki (The Tragedy of One) by Rintaro Norizuki, it is a crime, mystery, thriller drama of a tragedy between two families of the high society following a murder case that exposed ugly desires, secrets and ambitions of residents of “Royal the Hill”, where only the top 1% elites reside.

Baek Soo Hyeon (Ji Jin Hee) is one of Korea’s best journalist and popular and respected anchorman. On camera, he lives by his strong beliefs, reporting only the truth to his audience but off camera, he is a cold-hearted man who does not see anything but his goal and will do anything to reach it. He is married to Seo Eun Soo (Yoon Se Ah), daughter of the chairman of Jegang Group, one of the most powerful companies in the country. She is famously known to be a miniature artist but always dotes over her family. She does everything in her power to maintain the dignity of herself and her family but an incident unravelled all her hard work. Cha Seo Young (Kim Hye Eun) is a news anchor who has everything: from a prestigious job, exemplary education background and a beautiful appearance yet her list of desires keeps growing and have a dark secret.

The secrets surrounding them, the entangled relationship, and the mystery that blossomed everywhere around the one incident that started with a mistake, announced the birth of the tragedy which will provide a breath-taking tension.

THE ROAD: THE TRAGEDY OF ONE (Express from Korea) Premieres 05 August, Every Thurs and Fri 9.15pm on tvN (Astro CH395 (HD) and Astro GO | unifi tv CH211 (HD) and unifi playTV).

Music fans all over Malaysia were able to let their voices be heard as they picked their most favourite local and international artists and songs in the JOOX Top Music Awards Malaysia (Mid Year) 2021, presented by JOOX, Asia’s most dedicated streaming platform.

As music fans used their power to put their favourite rising stars in the spotlight, this year’s big winners were determined from 126 million votes and streaming counts in JOOX from all over the country – a tenfold increase from 2020. Also this year, 22 JOOX ROOMS were made active by fans and artists to talk about the awards and voting in real-time.

tvN Movies newly release thriller movie 'Midnight' is now on Astro and unifi TV. If you're a fan of thriller genre then 'Midnight' is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire duration. 

Starring Jin Ki-Joo, Wi Ha-Joon, Kim Hye-Yoon and Park Hoon, 'Midnight' revolves around a life-threatening hide and seek story between Kyung Mi who has hearing disabilities and the psychopathic killer Do-Sik. One night, murderer Do-sik spots Kyung Mi's mother waiting for her daughter who went to park her car but his target changed when the high school student So Jung bump into him. Kyung-mi's mother managed to escape from being murdered but So Jung became the victim and being stabbed by Do-sik at the alley. 

After parked her car, Kyung-mi walks to meet her mother but accidentally found So Jung-eun laying on a dark alley and covered with blood. Kyung-mi tries to call for help but sadly she can't speak and come across the serial killer Do-sik and set off a terrifying chase. 

'Midnight' marks actress Jin Ki-Joo first lead role in a movie and her role Kyung Mi does not have any dialogue in the film and she communicates through sign language and texts on her phone but we could feel the fear and tense through her actions and facial expressions. Wi Ha-Joon, however, takes on a bold new challenge as the serial killer Do-sik. At night he attacks women and men indiscriminately but during the day he portrays a warm image. When you watch the scenes, you definitely get the chilly and creepy feel. 

Rising actress Kim Hye Yoon casted as high school student So Jung who is the last person bump into Do Sik before Kyung Mi. Park Hoon plays Jong Tak, So Jung's older brother, a former officer in the Marine Corps and currently works at a security company. The tension raised when Jong Tak comes into play. Gil Hae Yeon plays Kyung Mi’s mother, who is also hearing-impaired. 

The actors are perfect in their respective roles and the story has been constantly delivering the thrills and the suspense until the very end. Put on your comfiest pyjamas, get some popcorn going and get set to watch it on Astro and unifi TV  on 1 August.  

Storyline: 8/10

Worth-watching: 7/10

Netflix has released a feel-good teaser trailer for upcoming Netflix series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha teasing a beautiful rom-com story we’re all going to fall in love with.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha depicts a back-and-forth, up-and-down, yet heartwarming romance between pragmatic dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) and unemployed jack-of-all-trades Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) in the seaside town of Gongjin where human warmth and the salty scent of sea linger on.

The series features the detailed artistry and vision of Director Yu Je-won who has helmed Oh My Ghost and Tomorrow With You, and the casting news of Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho already has countless drama fans eagerly waiting. The special collaboration among the trio, each a heavyweight in the romance genre, has garnered much attention.

The first teaser trailer for Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha features encounters between the two main characters played by Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho, both kicking their on-screen chemistry up a notch beyond the usual expectations in stirring up viewer anticipation. The drama brings together two people from two extreme walks of life - sophisticated urbanite Hye-jin (Shin Min-a), who jogs along the Hangang River against the backdrop of skyscrapers, and seaside villager Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), who leisurely surfs the emerald ocean waves of his hometown.

An exciting rom-com is in store as we see their stories unfold. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha will be released worldwide on 28 August, only on Netflix.

Production Information
Title: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Directed by: Yu Je-won
Written by: Shin Ha-eun
Starring: Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi
Produced by: Studio Dragon and GTist
Distributed by: Netflix

Kiehl’s Malaysia is once again proud to announce SUPER JUNIOR's Siwon as Kiehl’s Future Made Better Advocate. After having Siwon launch the programme in Malaysia in 2019, he is back again sharing his passion for philanthropy and environmental sustainability virtually with us. Siwon will be featured on an exclusive live session with Kiehl's on 7 August, 3PM at Kiehl's Malaysia official Instagram - to discuss Kiehl’s Future Made Better manifesto and his journey to living sustainably. Exciting giveaway will be announced during the Instagram live too!In campaign for a Future Made Better, Kiehl’s invites the community at large to join the movement through a fun, interactive virtual world, with the aim of increasing awareness towards our environmental impact, sustainable living and beauty among Malaysians.Best experienced on mobile, the Kiehl’s World Made Better campaign will go LIVE on 27 July – 10 September 2021 at worldmadebetter.kiehls.com.my with an arena of fun exploration, games and generous offerings up for grabs! Kiehl’s makes environmental sustainability education exciting and rewarding at the same time while we are all staying at home. Start by personalizing a nature-powered avatar, discover all things Kiehl’s in the World, and complete 4 simple tasks to unlock a reward promo code to enable redemption upon checkout online.1) Kiehl’s Quiz – Put your Kiehl’s knowledge to the test Users can unlock a variety of rewards to be enjoyed: This year, Kiehl’s Malaysia partners with Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) in efforts to rewild the wildlife corridor at Sungai Yu Eco Viaduct, Kuala Lipis.  FUTURE MADE BETTER is our journey toward reducing environmental impact and improving the communities we serve. Working toward a healthier planet means creating more responsible formulas with renewable ingredients and sustainable packaging, while improving the materials we use in our stores. Kiehl’s Does is more than a mission, it is our responsibility in action.

South Korea's most popular variety TV Show, "Running Man", will hold an online fan meeting via TikTok on 5 September, 6PM (MYT). 6 of 7 Fixed Running Man Members, Haha, Ji Sukjin, Kim Jongkook, Song Jihyo, Jeon Somin, and Yang Sechan will be on the show.

SBS variety show, "Running Man", has gained massive popularity worldwide since its first broadcast in 2010. Since 2013, Running Man members have been visiting their fans overseas and presenting various performances.

Running Man's overseas fan meetings and performances have been popular in many regions like China and Southeast Asia, including their last fanmeeting on Malaysia shores in 2017 where they wowed over 6,000 fans.

Previously, the Vietnam stop of this fan meeting was successfully held in Ho Chi Minh in December 2019. The Manila fan meeting which was scheduled to be held in February 2020 was delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the Manila fan meeting is still recognised as one of the best performing Korean shows in the country, where the planned show was sold out within one hour of tickets on sale.

The "Running Man 2021 Online Fan Meeting" will be planned and produced by NP C&C, a subsidiary of NPInc., a brand experience content solution company, and will be held at NP XR STAGE. The fan meeting will be broadcast live on the global short-form mobile video platform, TikTok.

Jay Bae, Head of Global Business Development at TikTok Korea said, "TikTok's paid live feature was first introduced in May and we have received positive feedback as well as meaningful results afterwards, including Lotte Duty Free Online Family Concert, Beautiful Mint Life 2021, and the FOREST 21 Epik High Concert. TikTok will continue to make efforts to provide better customer experiences to domestic and foreign users."

Fans who are interested in attending the "Running Man 2021 Online Fan Meeting" can get tickets through Global Interpark starting 12PM (MYT) on 16 July. The show will be broadcast live to global audiences in six different languages for subtitle options: Korean, English, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian at 6PM (MYT) on 5 September.

Netflix has confirmed 28 August 2021 as the worldwide release date for new romance series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. The series, starring Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho, depicts lives and romantic stories in the seaside following a woman from the city and a man who is a professional at everything. The series is helmed by director Yu Je-won who previously worked on Oh My Ghost and Tomorrow With You, alongside writer Shin Ha-eun who wrote The Crowned Clown.

Yoon Hye-jin opens up a dental clinic in the seaside village of Gongjin. She’s got beauty and brains, but also a clumsy side to her. While being strict and a perfectionist, she’s got a warm heart deep inside.

Hong Du-sik is technically unemployed but takes on odd jobs and helps everyone in the village. From delivering food to working at a convenience store, he’s a master of all trades. Smart and caring, he’s the hero of the village you can count on whenever you need assistance.

The pair meet in the beautiful seaside village and they feel attracted to each other despite being complete opposites. An exciting rom-com is in store as we see their stories unfold. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha will be released worldwide on 28 August, only on Netflix.

Production Information
Title: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Directed by: Yu Je-won
Written by: Shin Ha-eun
Starring: Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi
Produced by: Studio Dragon and GTist
Distributed by: Netflix

(Left to Right) Director Kim Seong-hun | Kim Roi-ha | Kim Si-a | Gianna Jun | Park Byung-eun | Kim Eun-hee | Koo Kyo-hwan

Korea zombie series, Kingdom returns with a 92-minute special episode - 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' featuring Jun Ji-hyun, Park Byung-eon, Kim Si-a, Kim Roi-ha and Koo Kyo-hwan. The series talks about the story of Ashin and the origins of the resurrection plant that gave rise to the spread of the infected throughout Joseon.

Kingdom Season 1 began with the uncontrollable spread of the infected, who were neither alive nor dead, in the southern end of Dongnae (present-day known as Busan). In Season 2, the story moved up north to the royal palace in the capital city of Hanyang. 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' continues their journey to northern regions to unveil the mysterious behind Ashin (starring Jun Ji-hyun).

Actor Kim Roi-ha, Kim Si-a, Jun Ji-hyun, Park Byung-eun & Koo Kyo-hwan at Kingdom: North Of Ashin Press Conference this morning

Earlier this afternoon, director Kim Seong-hun, writer Kim Eun-hee and the main cast Jun Ji-hyun and Park Byung-eun sat down with the APAC press and talked about their characters and their reunion in this special episode.

Q: What led to the creation of this special episode?

Writer Kim Eun-hee: The setting of Kingdom: Ashin of the North takes place before the events of Kingdom Season 1. This story is about the beginnings, and I wanted to set things right from the starting point. In my discussions with Netflix, the idea of a special episode dealing with such content was suggested, and I agreed to it wholeheartedly.

Q: What's the strong point about your character, Royal Commandery Min in this special episode?

Park Byung-eun: Unlike season 2 which has many action scenes such as using archery, killing the zombies. However, this special episode will not focus much on action but more on relationship between Royal Commandery Min and Ashin. I think this is the strong point that you can look forward to.

Q: Previously both of you starred in 'Assassination' so how do you feel being able to work together again? 

Jun Ji-hyun: Obviously I'm really happy to see him again and one thing for sure, he's getting better in fishing. Back then, when we were shooting for 'Assassination', he said he's really good in fishing and has been posting alot but I have never tried the fish that he caught. And so, this time we asked for it (almost like bagging ><) and he fed us with lots of food when we were in Jeju Island. 

Park Byung-eun: That was my first time meeting Jun Ji-hyun at 'Assassination'. We were not that close and it was kinda awkward between us. But when I heard of we'll be working together for this special episode, I really look forward to the chemistry that we could create for this. I think she's an amazing actor and is such an honour for me to work with her. 

When Park Byung-eun trying to explain about his fishing skills, Jun Ji-hyun then started to ask Park Byung-eun to send more fish or squid that he caught. "I should be focusing on my acting but these people out here have driven me to go out for fishing. And I remember they really enjoyed the meal when we were shooting at Jeju Island," said Park Byung-eun. 

Q: Were you scared of the zombies on set?

Jun Ji-hyun: No, not at all. Actually before the shooting, I am excited to meet the actors face-to-face. Upon meeting them, I am surprised that how much efforts they put in for the preparations of the zombie look. I even asked for a picture and brag to my friends.

Park Byung-eun: There was one thing that I went through when working for season 2. We were working late night for the shooting in the forest and the actors were on zombie makeup and even had fake blood all over their bodies. And I spot them having meals under the tree with their zombie make-up at the late night, so you can imagine how stunned I was when saw the scene. This time, I already had experience. I saw those actors wearing full zombies makeup and talking over the phones. It was so realistic, just like daily conversation. Seeing all of that really makes me think about how on the verge of life and death is. This is kinda unfamiliar and new experience to me. 

Q. What conversations have you shared with Jun Ji-hyun about Ashin?

Director Kim Seong-hun: I considered Ashin to be a character harboring unspeakable pain and suffering deep inside. Before filming began, Jun Ji-hyun and I talked a great deal in sharing our thoughts about the role. On set, she performed and portrayed emotions so efficiently and expertly that I could just stand by and watch.

'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' is a story about the beginning of Kingdom and story about Ashin who accidentally and fatefully comes across the resurrection plant has viewers awaiting in great anticipation. Don't forget to watch the special episode on Netflix on 23 July. 

photo credit to Netflix

Avid Korean drama fans will soon be able to cozy up with the perfect binge-watching companion. From July 12 to August 1, Viu Singapore will be launching Take Your Stars Home – a three-week campaign aimed at giving viewers a chance to take home limited edition, one-of-a-kind 60cm giant plushies featuring their favourite Korean celebrities. A total of five plushie designs will be available over the three weeks, with different designs released for purchase weekly. Viu-ers can score a giant plushie of their choice when they purchase a 180 Days Viu Premium Subscription. The subscription is priced at $33.51, and eager fans can click-in and make their purchase at Viu Singapore’s official store on Shopee. The plushies are available in limited quantities, while stocks last.
Ms. Cheryl Lim, Country Head of Brand, Marketing & Communications, Viu Singapore, said, “We are always looking into our data to uncover insights that would elevate the experience of our Viu-ers. There is just something about Korean dramas that gets our adrenaline pumping, tears flowing and hearts fluttering. Whether you have had a stressful work day or are simply looking to unwind over the weekend, there is nothing like a relaxingly good binge-watching session on Viu to relieve some pressure from your everyday life. And what is better than having the perfect drama watching companion to accompany you through your laughter and tears?