By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
The very nature of Twitter is that tweets roll by and then disappear — or, rather, get hidden by a mountain of more recent tweets.
But there are some tweets that I would like to remember. Like this:
Some have said that my enthusiasm for @BTS_twt nullifies my views on music. I say it’s my 3 decades of music coverage that gives me gravitas to say: BTS is phenomenal.Kudos to 김석진 for proving he’s more than #WorldWideHandsome. And yes, he IS a 10 in a world of 8s. #Epiphany https://t.co/k4M66GXNzp
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 9, 2018
Lee Joon-Gi, So Ji-Sub, Kim Go-Eun, Park So-Dam. These actors refused when encouraged to get their eyes “fixed.” They look elegant just the way they are. Cosmetic surgery is fine if adults really want to do it. But there’s also value in seeing beauty in what’s already there. pic.twitter.com/yEb9sFmpir
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 13, 2018
1/ It was around 25 years ago, about the time that #JoyLuckClub was in cinemas. During this time, I had an entertainment segment on a Chicago radio station. The host & his sidekick called local Asian businesses & asked about their favorite Chinese restaurants. pic.twitter.com/bq2kbZxrE3
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 16, 2018
In grad school, an instructor told me my writing style was odd & I didn’t have a good command of the English language. She wanted to know why Asians can’t pronounce R’s.I was 1 of 2 in our class to become a reporter. Five yrs later I wrote a NYT bestseller. #ShareYourRejections pic.twitter.com/XNHfyvjLjU
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 17, 2018
True story: Before there was a Big 3, Big Hit, Starship etc., there was my father. He wasn’t the head of an agency, but popular stars of the era, including the KIM SISTERS–the 1st Korean GG–performed in his revue. #보고싶다 https://t.co/Q83WZxDUlB #KimSisters @TIME pic.twitter.com/kdosadTmE2
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 19, 2018
My father was an interpreter for the US Army during the Korean War. When he was sent on dangerous missions behind enemy lines, my youngest uncles cried & begged to go w/him. He refused. They said they’d rather die together than be left alone. without him. https://t.co/rf28cuRBir pic.twitter.com/1cSDfUiKzg
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 20, 2018
I am dying because #LeeJongSuk is so stinking cute here. Dancing to a PSY song is not easy. It’s so fun to watch him laugh at himself, get winded, cough, get embarrassed during the pelvic thrust portion of the dance and then do…jazz hands! https://t.co/R94STOyNn7
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 21, 2018
This completely grosses me out that idols and their management companies are apologizing for doing something that doesn’t need an apology: dating. These fans who want to control their faves’ personal lives are the ones who should apologize. https://t.co/ZNwtAC2QXU
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) September 7, 2018
Muggles want to know why @BTS_twt has been invited to speak at the UN. That’s OK. They’re curious, which is a good thing.I wrote this @RollingStone essay this summer, which explains some of the reasons why the Korean group’s being honored for its philanthropic work w/ @UNICEF.+ https://t.co/z14L9B6obZ
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) September 21, 2018
Have you ever tried to kill a bug, but you’re a weirdo control freak and open the tissue to make sure it’s dead? But it’s not and it flies away and you can’t find it and now its sole mission in life is to kill you? No? Um, ok, me either …
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) September 29, 2018
I’m feeling salty today.There’s no shame in not speaking English perfectly as a 2nd language. But it’s obnoxious to use a person’s words specifically for the intent of shaming them. My thoughts on that odd Times article about #BTS https://t.co/Pv5tcOiVwm via @GoAwayWithJae pic.twitter.com/78XsYksG1A
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) October 6, 2018
Maybe men who review boy band concerts describe attendees as “screaming teens,” because they themselves are so old that everyone else looks really young by comparison. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I say this as an old person, by the way.)
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) October 9, 2018
My grandfather was wealthy & took care of people in his village. When soldiers came looking for girls, my 할머니 hid their daughters. Soldiers took all their belongings; said they’d be back. He moved his family to Daegu, where my mom grew up. That’s why she has a country accent. pic.twitter.com/3XtYQdMYdJ
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) October 12, 2018
Holy cow, this surprised me. I kept waiting to show my KTX tickets to the conductors and never had to. They go by the honor system. I don’t think that would work in the U.S. Also, my seat mate was eating oranges and offered me — a stranger — some of her snacks. pic.twitter.com/ot3oRodVrZ
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) October 26, 2018
Chicago @LAY_zhang_ fans should pick up today’s @ChicagoTribune, because my interview with him is in it.He says, “Life in Hunan is more relaxed compared to other parts in China. People don’t have that much stress. If you have time, you should visit.” I’ve never been. Have you? pic.twitter.com/0AJu0D4yG2
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) October 28, 2018
It’s not about the shirt. It’s more about the strained political climate between South Korea and Japan.https://t.co/Dz8NeWRob9
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 9, 2018
I speak some Colonial Japanese, because my parents were forced to take Japanese names & speak Japanese. Still my parents had great respect for modern-day Japan. Imperial Japan’s ties to Nazi Germany’s indisputable. To conflate this to a performance by Korean artists is dangerous.
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 12, 2018
The world is a fukcing mess when it tries to blame a musical group for the rancid political climate, rather than the disgusting old men who (as a whole) have been creating wars ad nauseam.
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 12, 2018
Amber Liu: “I wanted to tour the U.S. because I feel I owe it to the community that I grew up in. I’m not trying to be the next big thing, but being part of this movement & showing that we exist and that we’re here is important to me.” My @chicagotribune column on @llama_ajol. pic.twitter.com/vbd7VMCNVQ
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 26, 2018
As new immigrants to the U.S., our 1st car was a Toyota–not because it was a great brand (it wasn’t back then), but it was cheaper than the rest. We never dreamed that Korea would produce cars that others wanted. I’ve never had a Korean car. That may change.@Hyundai https://t.co/DKqIZRmFn0
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 27, 2018
My doctor’s Indian & we talked about India’s Princess Suriratna, who traveled to Korea to marry King Kim Suro. She was known in Korea as Queen Hur Hwang-Ok. Millions of Koreans w/ the surname Kim are said to be descendants of this royal union. Maybe even me?Have you heard this? pic.twitter.com/2Y2gkJD5cg
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) November 30, 2018
Parents of my son’s friends’re asking me where they can buy @BTS_twt & KPop items for family members who’ve specifically requested them for the holidays. They’re also asking me about taekwondo lessons & where to buy Korean food. All Korean, All the time!생일 축하합니다 진! pic.twitter.com/qc3WId3Hmd
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) December 4, 2018
So, this page is more for myself than anyone else, really. It’s a reminder of some of the things that have been tweeted at me … and some that I tweeted myself.
My favorite gif, because it applies to so many things in life. (Chae Hyungwon from @OfficialMonstaX.)
Ever heard of #umchina? It’s the abbreviation for 엄마 친구 아들 (umma chingoo adul) or “mom’s friend’s son.” It refers to Korean moms who compare their kids to become more like her friend’s perfect child (like Choi SiWon), who may or may not exist.Is thing just a Korean thing?
Mind blown.It never even occurred to me that fans would come up with a plan that would most benefit J-Hope’s #HopeWorld.
Suga could’ve joked away his promise and no one would have faulted him for it. Anyone who supports disenfranchised children like this is A-OK with me. I hope the precious children enjoy a delicious meal!
대박! How apropos that @JohnCena confirms he’s a JHope stan on White Day (akin to Valentine’s Day in Korea) & an ARMY. He is pretty adorable, I guess, right?Cena says, “I’m in! I’ve been introduced to a new piece of culture, which is fantastic.”
Hi @VividSeats: @BTS_twt tickets for the @UnitedCenter don’t go on sale until 5/7. How can you guarantee anyone these seats that aren’t even on sale yet? Oh yes, scalpers.Rich people’ll get tickets, but the fans who’ve been saving for months deserve better than this.
D.O. is breaking my heart in “It’s Okay, That’s Love.”
He is so good in this #KDrama, portraying a sweet high school student (and more than holding his own against Jo In-Sung and Gong Hyo-Jin).
Yes, and regardless, they will still be multi-millionaires who get to do what they love for a living… And they will continue to fight to win a ramen cooker in their spare time.