Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
With her first full-length collection of poetry, “A Cruelty Special to Our Species” (Ecco, $25.99), Emily Jungmin Yoon takes readers inside the world of war, colonialism and sexual slavery. Born in Busan, South Korea, and currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago, Yoon’s critically-acclaimed work conveys lyrical beauty, even as it tackles brutal and political subject matter.
Best known for his work with Emblem3, musician Drew Chadwick says he finds inspiration in his travels, which have taken him all over the world. But there’s no place like home for the 26-year-old “Pacific” singer. “I’ve done a pretty significant amount of traveling,” he says. “But nowhere has ever been as beautiful or held as much sentimental value as Washington State, which I consider to be home base number one.”
“After 50 years of being in America, I took my mother back to Korea,” says actress Lindsay Price. “She had been adopted at age 12 and had never been back since. I was seven months pregnant with my first child and I wanted to understand where she came from in a deep and true way. It was the most profound trip ever for the both of us, but it was also no vacation. Talk about coming home exhausted. But I’ll say it will be the trip of my lifetime as far as meaning and transformation goes. And man, do I love Seoul.”
“While a lot of people may think of North Dakota for its outdoor activities, which are awesome, there are also many North Dakota cities with fun downtowns,” says actor Josh Duhamel. “I love all the unique restaurants, live music venues and craft breweries popping up all over the state. Each community has its own personality. I love when my schedule allows for a trip to Fargo in the fall months.”
“We were promoting ‘Altered Carbon’ (in Seoul) and it was so different than any other city I’ve ever been in,” says actress Martha Higareda. “The high-rises are incredible. Imagine New York, but multiply it by 10, but with no ads and wide streets, very clean and organized. And in between this massive modern city rests these beautiful palaces, like Gyeongbok, which literally transports you in time.”
As part of the group f(x), Amber Liu has grown used to performing worldwide. But this winter marks her first ever solo tour, to promote her mixtape “Rogue Rouge.” Her Gone Rogue tour kicks off December 5 in Chicago. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the singer-songwriter splits her time between L.A. and Seoul. The Taiwanese American artist recently signed deals to be an ambassador with both L’Oréal and Nike. Liu, 26, did this interview while on a break from shooting with Nike in New York City.
“I grew up traveling to Korea often,” says author Crystal Hana Kim. “My parents are both immigrants from Korea and my mother’s side of the family still lives there. She’d take me and my little sister back during our summer breaks to visit our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. All of those summers in Korea helped me to develop a deep love for my culture. When I began writing my novel during graduate school, I visited Korea specifically to do research. ‘If You Leave Me’ is about five characters growing up during and after the Korean War.”
Australian actor Ben Lawson (“13 Reasons Why,” “The Good Place,” “Designated Survivor”) loves his homeland, but says there are parts he has yet to explore. “The Great Barrier Reef is so beautiful,” says Lawson, 38, who resides in Los Angeles. “And I recommend Uluru, although I’ve never been myself. It’s on my bucket list to go to what we call the Red Center. Actually, I’d love to drive across the Nullarbor Plain and experience that part of the country, too.”
After meeting in acting class, Michael Pugliese and Prem Singh decided to create roles for themselves that they’d be proud to portray on screen. So like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did before them, the Canadians wrote their own screenplay and looked for backers for what would become “Tiger.” They won the interest of Mickey Rourke, who agreed to act in the film. “Tiger” tells the real-life tale of boxer Pardeep Singh Nagra (portrayed by Singh). A Canadian flyweight amateur boxing champion, Nagra wasn’t allowed to compete at nationals, because he refused to shave his beard — an important part of his Sikh faith.
Musician/producer Lay is celebrating his recent 27th birthday with the release of his latest solo album, “NAMANANA,” on Oct. 19. Born Yixing Zhang in Hunan, the EXO star recorded each song, including his self-produced single, “Give Me a Chance” — in both English and Mandarin. A workaholic who says he’s happiest when he’s busy, he made his solo United States festival debut this past summer at the Chicago stop of Lollapalooza.
As “Twilight” celebrates the 10th anniversary of its theatrical release this year, Jackson Rathbone — who portrayed broody vampire Jasper Hale — is busy. He is one of the stars of the film “Heart, Baby!” and has a new single out, “Young and Tragic.” Born in Asia, the actor-musician says he traveled so much as a child that he feels “only at home when I’m traveling. I find myself residing mostly on airplanes, usually between Los Angeles and Austin. However, I’ve been known to fly all over the world for work, from Mexico to South Africa, Colombia to France, and even as far as the exotic plains of Canada!”
“Mythbussters” star Kari Byron says her favorite destination is “somewhere I have never been. I am an adventurer at heart. I rarely go to the same place twice. That being said, I spent a couple weeks in Egypt sailing down the Nile in a felucca and couldn’t help going back for more. All together I was there for almost a month. The travel was definitely challenging, but seeing the Valley of the Kings with my own eyes was worth it.”
Journalist Jeff Glor is the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” — a spot once occupied by the iconic Walter Cronkite. He has traveled the world for his job, interviewing President Emmanuel Macron in France, President Donald Trump in Scotland and covering the U.S. military in Iraq. But his most memorable destination stands out for personal reasons: He was married in Mexico.
Tiffany Young is the new face and voice of H&M’s Divided Music campaign. Born and raised in California, Young spent more than a decade in South Korea as a member of the band Girls’ Generation, before moving back to Los Angeles to study acting. “I just finished shooting this video for (my new solo single) ‘Teach You,’” says Young. “And I get to tell you first: My bandmates (Hyo-yeon Kim and Soo-young Choi) make cameos in it!”
“I’ve been going to Lake Powell since I started to walk,” says “The Fosters” actress Meg DeLacy. “It was a very special place for me growing up and still is. For four or five days you are off the grid beach-camping, water skiing, taking your boat through the canyons of the lake and finding swimming holes and places to read a book and just be lazy. You wake up when the sun comes up and wind down when the sun goes down. It’s the best to just be on the lake and do nothing or do a whole bunch of things. There are a million stars to see every night.”
As the son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley grew up in Jamaica surrounded by music. “Jamaica is the root of my music,” says the Grammy Award-winning musician. “I was born there, I was raised there and Jamaica is always inside of me. It’s an impactful place in general for many people. For example, Ian Fleming wrote several James Bond novels in Jamaica at Goldeneye near Ocho Rios.”
Formerly part of Emblem3, Wesley Stromberg has reinvented himself as a solo artist known simply as WESLEY. A resident of Valencia, California, his singles include, “Remedy,” “1000 Ways” and “One Shot.” “My first trip as a child was a road trip with my grandparents to Whistler Mountain in Canada,” says WESLEY, 24. “This trip was magical. I went snowboarding for the first time and saw a giant mountain for the first time. It was breathtaking. Mountains are so incredibly powerful just towering over you.”
Singer-songwriter Charli XCX (“5 in the Morning”) is earning rave reviews as Taylor Swift’s opening act. The English star also is a headliner at W Hollywood’s Wake Up Call music festival. Born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, she spends so much of her life on the road that she has a fool-proof plan for dealing with dateline changes: “Party through the jet lag. Or, if you’re not up to that, enjoy a spa day as soon as you get there and really let your body bounce back so you can make the most out of your trip.”
Comedian Ronny Chieng makes his movie debut in “Crazy Rich Asians,” where he portrays wealthy investment banker Edison Cheng. “This is my first film project, so I don’t have anything to compare it with,” says Chieng, 32, who’s based out of New York. “But the cast got along really well. One of the greatest things about Singapore and Malaysia is the food culture. The cast would meet up on our nights off and go out for the local food and then go for karaoke. It was the best! I also got to see my parents, grandmother and old high school friends, who all live in Singapore. It was also super hot. In fact, I think the crazy in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ refers to us wearing three-piece suits in the tropics.”
Not long after James Lee celebrated his 27th birthday, the Royal Pirates bassist was involved in a freak accident in Seoul that nearly severed his hand and left it permanently damaged. No longer able to feel the strings of his bass, he quit his band and returned home to California, where he was born and raised. Lee, 30, is celebrating his burgeoning solo career, which includes performances at KCON LA, a premiere party for his EP “The Light” and an acoustic duet of “Let’s Get Away” with his good friend Sooyoung (of Girls’ Generation).