K-DRAMA REVIEWS (INDEX)
K-CULTURE WITH JAE-HA KIM 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?
The 100 Best BTS Songs
Rolling Stone magazine asked me to help update their 2022 ranking of BTS’ best songs. I obliged and added input about the septet’s latest album, “Arirang.”
Go Away With … Chloe Qisha
“I’ve always said my ultimate dream would be a headline show at Red Rocks in Colorado,” said singer-songwriter Chloe Qisha. “There’s something about that amphitheatre that’s really legendary. At night, especially with how it’s lit, it looks beautiful. I also like venues where there’s staggered seating or standing because you can see everything clearly. It’s somewhere I’d love to see a show, but also somewhere I’d love to play.”
Go Away With … Thurston Moore
“When I was a wee child, my family took a trip to Key West and we climbed up to the top of some old lighthouse,” he recalled. “The perimeter of it had a chain-link fence around it prohibiting people from falling off the edge,” said Thurston Moore. “I thought that was rather controlling. I climbed over it and prowled around the edge until my father spotted me and yelled for me to come back, and I did. I was wondering why he was so angry. I climbed back over to the safe side and got a bit of a wallop.”
Jimin Han’s “Dreamt I Found You” Retells a Famous Korean Folklore
The Korean American author offers a fresh, modern take on “Chunhyangjeon.”
The 7 Best K-dramas of 2026 So Far
Some people mistakenly describe K-dramas (even the best K-dramas) as soap operas. While daytime shows certainly exist in Korea—typically airing Monday through Friday for about 50 to 200+ episodes—the K-drama umbrella covers a multitude of genres. Read more in my latest article for Teen Vogue.
Go Away With … Travis Yee
“Travel has taught me that people are more similar than different,” said country singer Travis Yee. “Whether I’m in Tennessee, California, South Carolina or somewhere else entirely, people experience the same things – love, heartbreak, self-doubt, family struggles and perseverance. Those shared experiences often find their way into my songs.”
Go Away With … Melissa Errico
Tony Award-nominated singer and actress Melissa Errico said she remembers being unsure at first when she was asked to join the cast of “Les Misérables.” “I had to drop out of Yale to do it [which] sounds more dramatic than it was,” she said. “I was cast as Cosette on the national tour while still a student. Suddenly, I had a choice between the life I was planning and the life that had come knocking at the door.”
“My Royal Nemesis” (멋진 신세계)
This charming fish-out-of water K-drama explores timeslips, shamanism, betrayal and, most of all, unconditional love that spans eras.
Go Away With … AtHeart
“One thing I’ve always said is that I want to perform in all of the members’ hometowns, and of course in the Philippines,” said AtHeart’s Katelynn, who is Filipina. “I’d also love to perform at iconic music festivals and stadiums like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Wembley Stadium someday.”
GHOST9’s Prince Vatani is One of K-pop’s Most Entertaining Idols
Ask him about stalkers, Wattpad, and Mr. Jigglypuff, and the Thai idol Prince Vatani will reply with humorous clarity.
Go Away With … Jimin Han
“Traveling creates an energy that spurs me on to write,” said “Dreamt I Found You” author Jimin Han, who also teaches at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. “I notice more things than I do when I’m home. Right now, I’m sitting on a terrace in a hotel in Myeongdong in Seoul. Already, I’ve written on the flight and [wrote] earlier this morning working on the new book. Fingers crossed I have another novel [published] soon.”
“Teach You a Lesson” (참교육)
There is a contingent of people who do not approve of adults hitting children. I am one of those people. But I also recognize that in a fictional setting like this, it can be incredibly cathartic to watch morally reprehensible youngsters getting their comeuppance — especially for real-life victims of school violence whose lives were treated as dispensable by those who were supposed to protect them.
Oreos, BTS, and Me
Even though this collab between BTSxOreo has absolutely nothing to do with me, the fact that it exists makes me feel 정 for this amazing group of Korean artists. They helped create a cookie that evokes all these memories of home for those of us who are no longer there.
Go Away With … Rosalee Mayeux
In her debut comedy special “Rosalee Mayeux: Model Mom,” the former high fashion model-turned-standup comic shares stories about her life as a model, actress (“The Lawnmower Man,” “Blast from the Past”) and mother. “My first gig was at the World Famous Comedy Store [in West Hollywood] in the famous Belly Room,” Mayeux said. “It was such an honor and I had a blast! We had a fire audience, courtesy of one of their resident producers, comedian Jimmy Shin. So it was a very cushy beginning!”
Go Away With … Megan Lawless
Megan Lawless stars as Sarah in the hit horror film “Obsession.” “My character is one of four in the main friend group,” the Los Angeles-based actor said. “Sarah acts as a foil to the toxic relationship between Bear and Nikki and is fundamental to the theme of this cautionary tale. She is representative of the loss that comes with obsessive, toxic attachment and how one person’s actions can affect far more than just themselves. I love this character and am so glad to play such a fundamental part of this story.”
U.S. News Anchor ‘Jokes’ That BTS-Themed Cookies Spell Out “Death to America”
It’s completely normal for a journalist to joke around saying that a cookie bore the words, “Death to America,” right?
“The Scarecrow” (허수아비)
Based on the real-life Hwaseong Serial Killer who brutally murdered 15 South Korean girls and women from 1986-1994, The Scarecrow covers much of the same ground as Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 film Memories of Murder. But this K-drama more than holds its own, adding fictional twists to keep viewers engaged and guessing.
Go Away With … Robert Margouleff
Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Robert Margouleff has worked with music legends such as the Isley Brothers, Jeff Beck and Depeche Mode. In his new memoir “Shaping Sounds: Stevie Wonder, DEVO, The Synth Revolution, And My Life Behind The Music,” the author shares stories about working with these stars. It wasn’t his intent at the time, but his work helped create an eclectic musical time capsule.
Go Away With … Maria-Christina Oliveras
In the Broadway production of “The Balusters,” Maria-Christina Oliveras portrays Luz Baccay, a Filipina housekeeper who has served the very wealthy Vernon Point community for 30 years. “Her power lies in observation and deep listening [and] in knowing what to say and what not to say,” the actress said in an interview from her home in New York City.
“BEEF” Tackles Korean Identity in Season 2
Saying “I don’t see color” doesn’t mean you’re not racist. How this second season of “Beef” tackles Korean identity.
“Yumi’s Cells” (유미의 세포들): Season 3
This charming trilogy ends with a happily-ever-after for our heroine Yumi (Kim Go-eun). Seasons 1 and 2 were all about her relationships with Woong (Ahn Bo-hyun) and Ba-bi (played by GOT7’s Jinyoung), who at various times seemed like the perfect men for her.