Tag: Seoul

Go Away With … James Lee

Jae-Ha Kim

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).

Go Away With … Eric Nam

Jae-Ha Kim

“Traveling has been a really big part of my upbringing and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel for different reasons,” says singer Eric Nam, 29. “I’d like to think that it has had an impact on my character and personality, which ultimately affects my music.” Born and raised in Georgia, Nam currently is on tour promoting his Billboard World Top 10 EP, “Honestly.” His song, “Float,” also is featured in the film, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”

Go Away With … Edward Lee

Jae-Ha Kim

“I am always deeply influenced when I go to Korea. It is an endless source of inspiration for me. I have ties there, so it is special. But I also approach it as an outsider and learn new techniques and cooking traditions. I always look forward to going back again and again.” — Chef Edward Lee, star of “Culinary Genius” and “Fermented.”

Rap Monster Article & “Friends” Giveaway

Jae-Ha Kim

This is for the A.R.M.Y! I wanted to do something fun and special for you… and this is my (small) way of thanking you: I am giving away some copies of my newspaper article and a copy of my book about the TV show, “Friends.”

Go Away With … Rap Monster (of BTS)

Jae-Ha Kim

BTS’ Rap Monster remembers being blown away by the opulence of Las Vegas during his first trip there: “I was last here in 2009 when I was 15. What I remember the most was the inside of the Bellagio. It was amazing. I had never seen a hotel like that before, where there was a whole world inside the hotel. It was beautiful. I got to see Cirque du Soleil’s “O” show. It was so nice. I remember the night view of Vegas, which was tremendous. I remember all the lights and people having fun. I saw a lot of people drinking, which was shocking to me then (since I was so young).”

Go Away With … Jimin Han

Jae-Ha Kim

“A Small Revolution” author Jimin Han says, “When I was about 10 years old, we drove to Boca Raton, Florida. My great aunt joined us, flying in from South Korea. We went to the beach a lot, but one afternoon we went with her to a cemetery. She knelt at a grave and cried. I heard later that it was the grave of her estranged son, who had been a marine biologist and died in a scuba-diving accident. I’ve developed a novel around that visit and that mysterious great aunt.”

Family bonds locked in time at Seoul tower

Jae-Ha Kim

The main characters in K-dramas often demonstrate their love by attaching personalized padlocks on a fence on the tower’s observation deck. Tens of thousands of “love locks” can be found here. It’s a trend well established in cities such as Paris and Prague, but the tradition has taken on an added dimension in Seoul. While couples still attach locks to declare their love for one another, the fence has become a popular spot for adoptees and their adoptive parents to leave padlocks honoring the day they became a family.

Go Away With … Andi Dorfman

Jae-Ha Kim

Andi Dorfman, formerly of “The Bachelorette” says, “My best vacation memory was eating at a hole-in-the-wall Korean barbecue restaurant in Seoul, South Korea. It was one of my favorite meals. My worst memory has to be when I got food poisoning on a trip to Mexico. That was my first and last time drinking tap water there.”

Go Away With … Iliza Shlesinger

Jae-Ha Kim

“There’s nothing better than getting paid to see my country and connect with the fans who gave me a career,” says Iliza Shlesinger, host of TBS’ relationship-based game show “Separation Anxiety” and a former winner of “Last Comic Standing.” The savvy world traveler says she is up for going anywhere, anytime: “I’m a travel fiend. If I’m in love, I want to go to Paris. And if I want to eat everything and get lost in someone’s culture, I’ll take anywhere in Asia. I loved Cambodia and I can’t wait to go back to Japan. I also loved Europe.”