Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Skull Water” author Heinz Insu Fenkl recalled what it was like traveling around parts of the U.S. in the 1970s. “We weren’t allowed to enter diners in the South because we were taken for Native American,” he said. “It made my father furious that we would all have to sit in the station wagon to eat. It was also very hard for us to find motels that would allow a white man with a Korean wife and four mixed-race children to stay.”
BTS’ Kim Seok-jin announced today that he is preparing to enlist in the Korean military, which is required of all able-bodied Korean males. There are exceptions for athletes, classical musicians, and some academics. So why didn’t the Korean government exempt BTS, whose global achievements are unparalleled?
Alicia Hannah-Kim makes her “Cobra Kai” debut as a powerful sensei in the popular Netflix series. “My character felt like a step in a new direction – not only for representing women, but Asian women,” said Hannah-Kim, who hails from Sydney, Australia.
The daughter of the Dutch national team’s dressage coach Sjef Janssen and dressage trainer Kerensa Muller, Kayden Muller-Janssen paved a different career path for herself. A former competitive baton twirler, the 20-year-old singer is best known these days for her acting career, which includes Disney’s “The Villains of Valley View.”
“Military Prosecutor Doberman” explores some of the same themes as last year’s superior “D.P.” — but with more fight scenes, comedy and shirtlessness, courtesy of the series star Ahn Bo-hyun (“Itaewon Class”). It also stars Jo Bo-ah as his kickass colleague who’s as full as vengeance as he is.
Trial attorney by day and content creator by night, Joanne Lee Molinaro is known to her millions of social media followers as the Korean Vegan. In her social media posts, she delivers beautifully crafted videos showing her cook, while she shares personal stories about her life and that of her parents, who had escaped North Korea as children before immigrating to the United States as adults.
Pop star Wonho has traveled the world. But the Korean musician says once this pandemic is over, he would love to travel around the United States with his family: “I want to show them all the great things I experienced.”
Actor Park Bo-Gum, 27, will enlist in the Korean navy this August. But before he goes, he’s leaving fans with two films, a K-Drama and a new song. Did you know he was a singer, too?
Mandatory military duty is something every South Korean male knows is in his future. But some, including actors Kim Woo-Bin and Jo Jung-Suk, have received exemptions due to dire circumstances.
Once an accountant, Wengie is better known these days for her music, Whimsical By Wengie toy line for Target and her popular YouTube channel. Splitting her time between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, the beauty influencer recently was nominated for the 12th Annual Shorty Awards’ YouTuber of the Year.
Individual responsibility isn’t enough. There needs to be social change: “The audience, media and culture need to shift into acceptance rather than demanding Korean artists conform
to meet our expectation. Otherwise, these stars are caught in a loop of abuse that will never end.”
Born and raised in Chicago, NCT 127’s John Suh got his first taste of concerts thanks to his mother, who worked for a local radio station. “I was too young to remember who I saw, but I remember myself having a lot of fun,” says Suh, who goes by the stage name of simply Johnny. “(One day), I would love to see Coldplay at Soldier Field. That would be very awesome.” Johnny and some of his band mates took a breather from promoting their EP “We Are Superhuman” to participate in this interview.
The Lotte Hotel Busan is a 15-minute cab ride from the train terminal. We drove past the famous Haeundae Beach, where they were setting up for some of the Busan International Film Festival events. It was too cold to go swimming when we were there, but it’s a gorgeous spot to take a walk.
It’s always fun to see Korean groups like BTS, Blackpink and Day6 being interviewed on American talk shows. But it’s also eye-opening to see international acts having fun on South Korean programs, whether it’s Tom Cruise appearing on “Running Man” or NBA star Stephen Curry on “Infinite Challenge.” But one of the most charming segments I’ve seen in a long time is 5 Seconds of Summer’s guest appearance on “YO~! WELCOME TO KOREA!”
Veteran actor Tim Lounibos (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS”) is best known for his portrayal of Ed Sung on Amazon’s “Bosch.” Well-traveled and always ready to explore, the actor said he learned a valuable lesson from his treks around the world. “We all might look different and have differing perspectives, but we’re all essentially the same.”
“We can speak Hebrew, Polish, Spanish, Hindi, German, Japanese and many more languages,” says M.O.N.T. “We really enjoy learning languages and we learn it through music most of the time, so it’s easy for us to memorize vocabulary.”
“Friends from College” star Jae Suh Park is based out of Los Angeles, where she resides with her husband, actor Randall Park, and their daughter, Ruby. But she also spends a lot of time in New York City, where her Netflix series is filmed. “I would say that New York is the seventh friend in the show,” says Park, who portrays Marianne. “The energy of the city is so inspiring. I can’t help but bring it into my role on the show.”
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.
“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.”
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!”