News bites: March 25, 2025

17 March 25, 2025March 25, 2025

by tccolb

Lee Jae-in, Park Bo-young

Lee Jae-in (Night Has Come) has confirmed casting for tvN’s upcoming Unknown Seoul, taking on the part of two twin sisters during the teenage years – later played by Park Bo-young (Melo Movie) when the characters are adults. At some point, though, circumstances will lead our two sisters to switch lives. With Park acting opposite Got7’s Jinyoung (The Witch), the romance is expected to release later this year. [MBN]

JTBC continues promos with a grim teaser for Heavenly Ever After, yanking Kim Hye-ja (Our Blues) out from the pearly gates and perching her before a fiery hell. Making us ponder on what lies beyond that rainbow bridge, the fantasy will begin its tale on April 19, together with Sohn Seok-gu (A Killer’s Paradox), Han Ji-min (Love Scout), and Lee Jung-eun (Light Shop) among other talents. [MBC]
SBS dropped new stills for Haunted Palace, where the bickering-to-love journey is in full swing for the imoogi-possessed Yook Sung-jae (The Golden Spoon) and shaman Bona (Pyramid Game). The supernatural sageuk will be coming to our screens in April, with production led by PD Yoon Sung-shik (Cleaning Up, Mr. Queen) and writer Yoon Soo-jung (Sassy Go Go, King’s Face). [SBS]

Lee Dong-wook (A Shop for Killers) has been busy on tvN, desperately pitching his new project, The Divorce Insurance in the office comedy’s latest preview. Forming a team with Lee Joo-bin (Tarot), Lee Kwang-soo (No Way Out – The Roulette), and Lee Da-hee (Island), the series is set to premiere on March 31 and will be streaming internationally on Amazon Prime. [MBC]
Reportedly, tvN’s The Divorce Insurance has also lined up a special guest appearance by Jo Boa (Destined With You). Although the details are not yet known, my hope is that she’ll be playing one of Lee Dong-wook’s three ex-wives as a fun callback to Tale of the Nine Tailed. [TV Report]
KBS has put together a kit of new stills for Pump Up the Healthy Love (previously 24-Hour Health Club), swooping Lee Jun-young (When Life Gives You Tangerines) off his feet to fall head-over-heels for Jung Eun-ji (Miss Night and Day). Also starring Lee Mi-do (Jeongnyeon – The Star is Born) and Lee Seung-woo (Face Me), the sports rom-com will begin their workout routine on April 30. [MBC, MBN]

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1 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)

March 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM

"two twin sisters... switch lives"
Isn't that a bit redundant? What else are twins for in Kdramaland?
Also, School 2015.

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Since there wasn’t any hint yet about a streaming provider considering PUMP UP THE HEALTH LOVE (here we go again with the titles 🤪), I really do hope Viki will pick this up. On paper, it’s not even very appealing to me (if they make this solely about her losing weight then 🙄), but I’d love to see Jung Eun-ji in a proper romcom. I didn’t finish MISS NIGHT & DAY but really loved her there. And of course, there’s Jun. Could be a good pairing!

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bong-soo

March 26, 2025 at 4:10 AM

Fingers crossed that Kocowa will deign to pass PUMP UP on to Viki.

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3 🌸 Seeker 🌸

March 26, 2025 at 2:15 AM

1. Curiouser and curiouser ... and pray who is the young Jinyoung, now that he is old enough to have others play the younger version of his character. 🤔

2. 😱😱😱🙈 Omo, Omo, Omona!!

3. Lol at the "bickering-to-love" story. Bring it on. 🫰🏻

4. *Bookmarked* By the way, why does a search for The Divorce Insurance also throw up a prompt for Seven Brides For Seven Brother!? 🙃😂

5. So can we also expect a cameo from a tub of mint-choco ice cream. 🍨😋

6. Okay so I guess I'll just go with The Jun Show, very kamsa. 🙏🏻

PS - The Currently Airing Dramas section mentions that episodes 9-12 of When Life Gives You 🍊 Tangerines 🍊 will be streaming this week but wasn't that last week. We have Episodes 13 to 16 i.e. Volume 4 airing this week on March 28, 2025 (Friday).

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4 🌸 Seeker 🌸

March 26, 2025 at 4:48 AM

In other news - no Fan Space or Squee this week!? 🤷‍♀️

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5 Unaspirated

March 26, 2025 at 4:59 AM

I’m sorry, they changed the title of 24-Hour Health Club to what now? There are plenty of Kdramas that have English titles that are borderline embarrassing to say out loud but this one might lead the pack.

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Midnight

March 26, 2025 at 5:32 AM

Definitely takes the cake!

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🌸 Seeker 🌸

March 26, 2025 at 6:00 AM

I would say this one has crossed the border. 🙈😂

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Midnight

March 26, 2025 at 6:25 AM

🤣

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Kodra aka Qanon something

March 26, 2025 at 7:27 AM

Can't get out of my head the song "Pump up the Jam" after reading your comment.
Made my day, made my day....

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hacja

March 26, 2025 at 5:23 PM

This title has already led to a joke with my wife that I will repeat ad infinitum to her until she threatens to divorce me: that tomorrow I'll be going to the gym to "Pump up my healthy Love." I know there have been several songs entitled "Pump Up Your (or My) Love" but somehow its the addition of "healthy" that makes it a comic gem--at least I think so. We'll see how long that lasts for my wife!

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bunnylita

March 27, 2025 at 8:28 PM

24-Hour Health Club wasn't the best English title for a romcom, but the new one is TERRIBLE.

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6 redfox

March 26, 2025 at 5:53 AM

I guess they though 24 hour gym club would attract too many calls from people actually looking to sign up to a gym

if this is an idealisation of oh look he doesnt care she is has 2-3 millimeters more on her waist than an average garden rake then no thanks. and I dont like Jung Eun Ji. but I so like Jun...

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7 Procrasti-NationFirstCitizen

March 26, 2025 at 12:37 PM

Like, what in the what is that Pump title?!
I now have Pump Up the Jam playing on loop in my head, and that's one of the most irritating earworm songs ever. Help!

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hacja

March 26, 2025 at 5:49 PM

I too had exactly that response, and that prompted me to go down the rabbit hole with "Pump Up the Jam." Its actually a fascinating and relatively poignant story. The writer and singer, Manuela Barbara Kamosi Moaso aka Ya Kid K, was born in the Congo, raised in New York, and then moved to Belgium. She was still in her teens when she released Pump up the Jam with the group "Technocratic." But because she had short hair, and dressed in masculine clothes, she was accused of being a lesbian, though she denied it. Still the recording label to be safe released the official music video with a Congolese model lip syncing the words--so the she was never fully recognized as the singer--one of the many historical victims of homophobia.

Meanwhile, as Ya Kid K, she did a few more popular songs for the Teenaged Ninja Turtles soundtrack, but never duplicated her international success with Pump Up the Jam, kind of a definition of a one-hit wonder. She then moved to Nigeria, where she married and had 5 kids, and apparently is living there with her family, so a happy ending!

Her story makes Pump Up the Jam (slightly) more listenable, I have to say, and makes me hope they will use the song as part of the sound track!

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Kodra aka Qanon something

March 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM

I don't know if that is entirely true. She was recognized soon after because she fought for her rights and she continued to sing for the group after the reveal. I don't think it had to do with homophobia, more likely with the culture of long legs and miniskirt, aka sex appeal of those times. She was shorter but, at least to me, was prettier than the model. They wanted a fast rise to the top and sex, or that kind of image, was the avenue to get it. This happened in Belgium, the western european countries were different than in that aspect than US, for example. A very similar incident happened in Germany with Milli Vanilli, and had nothing to do with homophobia but to more what was considered at that time to be more appealing to the masses.
The rabbit hole you squandered seems full of revisionism interpretations to fit present times. Find better rabbit, a white one hopefully.

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8 A

March 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM

The twins that switch lives is a trope I dont really follow in Kdrama but Jinyoung and PBY make me reconsider! The Divorce Insurance and The Healthy love one grab my attention but I cant with the last one's name... Hope its not cringe!