Substack: K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim
SUBSTACK is the space where I curate my reviews and views about Korean-centric things happening in the pop culture realm (and beyond) that pique my interest…and I hope yours, too.
Big Ocean: Meet the Deaf K-Pop Group That’s Breaking Barriers
Big Ocean’s Hyunjin, Chanyeon, and Jiseok talk about their remarkable journey and what they want to do next. My latest exclusive for Rolling Stone.
American melancholy: The real loss in “Past Lives” isn’t love
In the Academy Award-nominated film “Past Lives,” the Korean concept of inyeon is used to lead viewers into believing that Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) are destined to be together – if not in this lifetime, then in the future. Or perhaps they were together in a distant past that neither can recall. The introduction of the word leaves moviegoers hoping that these two can have a happily-ever-after ending, despite his living in Seoul, 7,000 miles from her apartment in New York City.
“Minari”: Deconstructing the American Dream
Lee Isaac Chung is an astute filmmaker, who pays close attention to the smallest details. With “Minari,” he has created a universally relatable film, while inserting elements that are specifically Korean.
“Squid Game” Season 2 heads back into the arena
NPR invited me back on their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to discuss the second season of the Korean series “Squid Game.”
Go Away With … Margaret Avery
“I grew up in San Diego during the ’50s, and it was a racist environment then,” said Academy Award nominated actress Margaret Avery. “I was taught at an early age that a colored girl must work 10 times harder than the whites. People that looked like me could not purchase homes in certain neighborhoods. Articles in the local papers about colored people were limited to stories of crime.”
Music, music, music
I’ll be updating this page periodically to include music that’s piquing my interest at the moment. Song of the day: “Pretty Baby” by Blondie.
“Squid Game Season 2” Ending Explained: Major Character Deaths, Plot Twists, and More
“Squid Game” season 2 introduces a whole new set of compelling characters. Will they make us forget fan favorites like North Korean defector Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) and Pakistani immigrant Ali (Anupam Tripathi)? No, but the star power of veteran K-drama stars, including Park Sung-hoon (“The Glory”), Park Hee-soon (“Moving”) and Im Si-wan (“Misaeng: Incomplete Life”), is a nice concession to killing off nearly all of last season’s characters.
Go Away With … Ginny Luke
“I took a trip to New York with my brother when I was 12,” said musician Ginny Luke. “We went to look at art and saw ’42nd Street’ on Broadway. I was also lucky as a child to go to Boston a few times, because my brother went to New England Conservatory there. Every time we went, I got to see the Egyptian exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and hear symphony concerts there. Now when I’m in Boston, I try to go to the MFA and hit Wally’s Café Jazz Club. And yeah, I always loved those trips as a kid. Coming from Dubuque, Iowa, it was pretty cool to be in a big city.”
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
True story: When I was in college, we didn’t have access to The Internets like all you young whipper snappers today. So, instead of drooling over all the photos of food on Pinterest and Instagram, I used to look at recipe books and imagine that I could be eating that instead of the dorm food my parents had paid for.
13 Best K-Dramas of 2024
It was an excellent year for Korean dramas — and with Squid Game season 2 on the horizon, there’s more to come.
Go Away With … Stephanie Koenig
“There are so many beautiful places to visit,” said “English Teacher” actress Stephanie Koenig, 37. “We traveled to Greece right after the pandemic and went to Athens, Zakynthos and Santorini. We were lucky, because Greece had just re-opened for tourists and there was nearly no one there, especially on the beach in Santorini. I absolutely loved the land and the people.
Go Away With … Meghan Quinn
“I always like to find a bakery and try something new – a cookie, pastry, cake. Anything that sounds interesting to me,” said “How My Neighbor Stole Christmas” bestselling author Meghan Quinn. “When I was taking a tour through the Highlands, we found a little bakery in a small town and purchased this jelly biscuit. I still think about it ‘til this day. So good.”
Martial Law in South Korea: What to Know and Why K-pop Fans Were Raising Concerns
The last time a president declared martial law in South Korea was in 1980.