Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
It’s easy to create a happily ever after finale that makes viewers satisfied at that moment. But after they move onto the next K-drama, it’s forgotten. “Queen of Tears” has a bittersweet ending that will remain with viewers long after the credits have rolled. Honestly? I can still feel the poignancy of those final few moments, which encapsulated how beautiful even a complicated relationship can be — and also how lonely one can feel when it’s all over.
“I knew that I had to have a comeback eventually, because I had promised my fans that I would,” says the adventurous K-pop star Chung Ha. “This is what I love to do.” My latest exclusive for Rolling Stone.
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.
The K-pop sensations and TODAY’s latest cover stars open up about self-care, sisterhood, and their new project, “With YOU-th.”
Though Ji-won’s physical transformation is showcased with each new outfit change and makeup application, it’s really her inner self that was liberated from the shackles of the pathetic life she thought was the best she could ever have.
By Jae-Ha Kim Substack January 30, 2024 ☆☆☆☆ Jo Yong-pil (played by Ji Chang-wook) Cho Sam-dal (played by Shin Hye-sun) ↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name. tags: include star rating ADD […]
It’s not easy for two well-known celebrities to immerse themselves in their roles so well that we don’t see them, but rather their characters. But watching IU’s music video for “Love Wins All,” I didn’t see pop stars IU and V, but rather a pair of anguished characters who were trying desperately to survive in this post-apocalyptic inferno.
Hyolyn and Bora talk about their first new music in seven years, how K-pop has changed over the years, and their dreams for the future. My latest article in Rolling Stone magazine.
Sang-hwan is a police officer who is too much of a ‘fraidy cat to be a standout on the force. But through his friendship with Eui-jin, who has extraordinary fighting skills, he learns that he has untapped super powers of his own.
I was the first guest of 2024 on Phil Yu and Jeff Yang’s podcast, “They Call Us Bruce.” We discussed K-dramas, BTS, Lee Sun-kyun’s tragic death and how annoying it is when non-Asian members of the media co-opt our stories.