Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“It’s not just about BTS’s music,” said Indian-British actor Taz Singh. “It’s deeper than that. They stand for values like self love, and they’re very real and vulnerable. I feel that is why so many people can relate and connect to them so well.”
In the late 1990s and early aughts, I interviewed Gavin Rossdale of the British grunge rock band Bush many times. But it wasn’t until our chat this year that I learned something new. He loves Korean cuisine. Not as in, “Oh, I love Korean barbeque.” Rather, he enjoys Korean food so much that he cooks it at home for his family. And when he does hire a chef to help out for larger get-togethers, it’s always his preferred Korean chef.
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. Won’t you join me?
How does the multinational K-pop group AMPERS&ONE communicate? “Konglish all the way!”
There is a lot going on in “Bogotá: City of the Lost” — shootings, explosions, backstabbing. But when it’s all over, you realize that it was mostly much ado about nothing.
An interview with the Korean German actor on why he joined the cast of “The Recruit”
“Eight years in this industry, I think I lost myself,” said KINO, who first found fame as a member of the K-pop group PENTAGON. “And right now, I am trying to figure out who I really am.” Read my exclusive interview with the Korean artist, who just released “Skyfall.”
Based on Sang Young Park’s bestselling novel of the same name, the K-drama adaptation was overshadowed by the film version, which stars Kim Go-eun (Little Women) and Steve Sanghyun Noh (Pachinko). But this series is so relevant as it matter-of-factly addresses homosexuality — a topic not often depicted in South Korean media in any meaningful way.
Adding a twist to the contract marriage trope, “The Trunk” tackles the plot device from a film noir perspective.
If there’s one thing this K-drama gets across, it’s that keeping secrets from children about their own history is never the way to go.
Referring to himself as Worldwide Handsome isn’t about Jin’s ego. It’s the affirmation that we all need.
Jin’s vocals on “Another Level” (from his debut EP “Happy”) blew away co-songwriter Ben Samama.
“Love Next Door” is written as a love story between two childhood neighbors. And it is. But it’s also about loving yourself enough to follow your convictions, despite objections from those you love.
“Officer Black Belt” is an action-packed thriller starring Kim Woo-bin. Is it predictable? Yes? But is it a fun watch? Absolutely!
The Nth Room targeted Korean women in a lower socio-economic class who needed money. They also set their marks on underage girls, who were too young to handle what they had been tricked into. These crimes are continuing, but now with with teenage boys at the helm.
A mystery thriller as much as it is a wrestling saga, Like Flowers in Sand is set in a small town where everyone is obsessed with ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling.
This is how stereotypes work. Westerners have depicted Asian men as being effeminate since forever.
It is easier for a cisgender man than a gay man to survive in a cutthroat society where the latter is unwelcome. This is true in just about any society, but especially so in South Korea where LGBTQ rights are still sorely lacking.
Like “Under the Queen’s Umbrella,” “Lovely Runner” uses the 우산 to represent how our protagonists fight to protect themselves from countless obstacles — including a messy serial killer subplot that I found redundant and not particularly compelling.
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.