Korea Next

Go beyond the beaten tourist trails and experience the real Land of the Morning Calm on KOREA NEXT through five documentaries by the winners of Discovery Channel’s First Time Filmmakers (FTFM) Korea. KOREA NEXT dives deep into the heart and soul of the country, and lifts the veils off all that makes it the thriving entertainment, business, technology and tourism hub it is, and the inspiration and future it holds for its people and the world.

Delve into the international phenomenon of Hallyu – the Korean entertainment wave of K-pop, dramas and movies. Follow a shaman as she keeps a traditional blessing ritual for fishing communities called Baeyeonsin-Gut alive. Witness chef Park Misook’s attempt to recreate a royal birthday feast from the year 1887. Discover the most innovative and popular beauty treatments amongst the modern women of Seoul. And plug in to the world's fastest broadband and be amazed by how seamlessly technology has been integrated into the modern urban lifestyle of Korea.

KOREA NEXT premieres on 16 December at 10pm (9pm BKK/JKT), with new episodes every Sunday.

EPISODE GUIDE

FINDING HALLYUWOOD (Director: ChanKyong Park)
16 December 
Follow half-Korean, half-British actor Sean Richard as he pulls back the curtain to find the heart of the international phenomenon that is Hallyu, the Korean Wave. Sean meets with Korean singers, actors, film directors, and producers to find out what is unique about Korean music, films and dramas, how they successfully connect with foreign audiences. Then, follow Sean through the conceptualisation and training process of a new Korean pop (K-pop) group as well as the creation and production of a Korean television drama.  His exploration reveals a deeper truth and critique of the Korean attributes that have made Hallyu what it is today. While these talents have pushed the Korean Wave to succeed until now, find out if change is necessary for the Korean Wave to continue.

SHAMAN OF THE SEA (Director: ChanKyong Park)
16 December
Set in Incheon, Shaman Of The Sea chronicles the efforts of Shaman Kim Keum-hwa to preserve Baeyeonsin-Gut in the west coast of Korea. Originally from Hwanghae-do in what is now part of North Korea, Shaman Kim fled to the South during the Korean War and has since maintained the Baeyeonsin-Gut tradition in the city of Incheon where she finally settled. In the past, the West Coast Baeyeonsin-Gut was both a religious ritual and a village fête performed in fishing villages to wish the well-being of seamen and a good haul of fish. However, due to changing circumstances in the fishing industry of modern Incheon, the tradition of Baeyeonsin-Gut now faces extinction. Join Shaman Kim on her quest to keep this ancient custom alive.

THE RETURN OF ROYAL CUISINE (Director: Kim Seung Hee)
23 December
During the golden age of the Chosun Dynasty, a time when Korea flourished in culture, the arts, and sciences, the secrets of royal cuisine were kept hidden behind palace walls. And along with the fall of this grand era, this five-century old culinary art disappeared through the cracks of history. Today, chef Misook Park strives to resurrect and bring the dishes from over 100 years ago to the people. Travel through time between Korea’s mysterious past and fiercely modern present on this exciting journey as royal cuisine comes alive at Chef Park’s fingertips.

THE NEW AGE OF MEDICINE  (Director: Oh Seok Hoon)    
23 December
On the surface, Seoul is a hyper-modern city, sensitive to new trends and technologies, but tradition and cultural heritage are always at the root of such seemingly novel movements. The most notable of these are beauty treatments that continue to gain intense popularity among women in Seoul. Founded on principles of traditional Korean oriental medicine, these treatments are unique procedures that Korea’s oriental medicine doctors have discovered. Their methods are both delightfully adventurous and scientific, both traditional and modern. Through the diverse challenges of Korea’s New Age Of Medicine, see how Korean oriental medicine is fulfilling the desires of modern women in their quest for beauty.

I.T. LAND  (Director: David Lee)
31 December
With the world’s fastest broadband penetration, over 50 million mobile phone users and 70 per cent of the population using smart phones, discover how Korea is setting the tone of information technology (I.T.) in the 21^st century. On I.T. Land, unravel how government research centers are investing in developing the infrastructures for future technology, how companies are applying new technologies to their businesses and how the Koreans, with their early adopting culture, integrate I.T. into their daily lives.