Culture News

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The 2013 popular KBS TV series "Good Doctor," which starred actor Joo Won, is expected to become a hit in Japan as well, following its success in the U.S. And actor Park Hae-jin has donated his talent and paid for the production of a public campagin video. This and more on today's culture corner.

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The first episode of the TV series "Good Doctor," which unfolds around a genius surgeon with autism, will air in Japan on Thursday via Fuji TV. The broadcaster held a promotional event Monday to introduce a Japanese remake of the Korean hit drama series. The event attracted intense media attention, as Japan's top actor Kento Yamazaki plays the male lead, and it is not so typical that a Korean TV series is remade in Japan. Good Doctor is a 2013 KBS series that won critical acclaim. The U.S. remake of the TV series, which was produced by ABC last year, was the most-watched show in its time slot. Attention is being drawn to whether the Japanese version will become a success and bring the Korean original back to the spotlight. Actor Park Hae-jin has hit the news by donating his talent and paying the expenses for producing a public campaign video about the improving safety for firefighters. The video is to help boost public awareness about fire safety measures and the treatment of firefighters. Park appeared in the video for free and paid the production costs. He drew attention early this year by participating in a fund-raising campaign for firefighters. The actor said that he decided to make the contribution to the campaign video, as he had felt the need to spread public recognition of firefighters. The video will be distributed to schools and public agencies as soon as production is complete.