Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
One of 11 members of the group OMEGA X, Kevin (born Park Jin-woo) is making his leading man debut in the Boys’ Love (BL) K-drama “My Bias Is Showing!” You’d expect him to portray the K-pop idol of everyone’s dreams in this series, right? Nope. Here, Kevin tackled the role of a high school teacher who’s also Si-yeol’s biggest fanboy.
“L.A. left the biggest impression on me,” said AMPERS&ONE member Seungmo. “We stayed there the longest and so many fans came to see us. I especially remember how beautiful the sky was.”
“We’re hitting around 40 cities between September 1 and December 31,” said vocalist Stella Cole. “At the beginning of 2026, we’ll be playing in Japan, China and Hawaii, which I’m really looking forward to. The food in Japan is unreal. I’ve never been to China before, so I’m really curious about the food there.”
“Over the years, I had developed a love for Greece, visiting many times from childhood to the present,” said Leonidas G. Demas, 78. “[I was] particularly focused on a small village in the Spartan countryside known as Amyklai. These were the experiences from which ‘A Spartan Dream’ is derived.”
The best documentaries will give you a peek into the subject’s life and present something new. But it will also take what’s already known and add a unique element. “The Rose: Come Back to Me” does exactly this.
One of the elements I loved the most about this series was watching the friends eat together in every episode. Delicious jiggaes (stews), grilled meat — it was like a legal mukbang!
Together BTS is a pop music force of nature. As solo artists RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have created an equally amazing catalog. My latest for Rolling Stone magazine.
“I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d be able to say I was in the No. 1 movie in the world on opening weekend,” actor Tinpo Lee says of “Final Destination Bloodlines.” “That was surreal.”
“Where Are You Really From?” Why many Asian diaspora don’t like being asked this question
“I don’t think I have a worst vacation memory ,” musician Miist said. “Well, OK, I had 20 mosquito bites in the first hour in Bora Bora. But I would still go back.”
For westerners, K-pop has become the umbrella term for any artist performing songs in Korean (and usually dancing along). But South Korea has a long history of pop and rock artists who don’t adhere to that stereotype. Catch The Young is the latest band to showcase their musical dexterity as much as their singing.
NPR invited me to talk about “KPOP Demon Hunters” on their “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast.
Emmy-nominated actress Shannon Purser is best known for her work in “Stranger Things” and “Riverdale.” But she’s also a talented musician who pens contemplative songs like her latest, “Leave (Good Ending).” More recently, she was part of the cast of the stage production “La Cage Aux Folles.”
I am a bit of a weirdo when it comes to my food choices. My son will point out that I am always cold during the winter. But I still add ice cubes to most of my drinks and seek out ice cream. But when it comes to my love of hot (and spicy) stews in the middle of a summer heat wave, I have science to back up my choice. OK, maybe culture is the better descriptor. I don’t know. You tell me.
The K-pop group ATEEZ has grown accustomed to breaking barriers. Since launching their career in 2018, the octet has had seven Top 10 albums in the Billboard 200. Their single, “Lemon Drop,” made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in June. And their ongoing [IN YOUR FANTASY] world tour includes concerts in stadiums across the United States, as well as ballparks like Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
NPR invited me back on their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to discuss the third and final season of the Korean series “Squid Game.”
By Jae-Ha Kim Substack July 1, 2025 The past few days have been disgustingly hot (and humid). None of that dry heat for us in Chicago. So…it just felt like the right time to share […]
“Big cities are more welcoming,” said comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. “There’s one city in particular where weird things happen all the time. I won’t name it. I’d been ni hao’d on my way into the theater I was performing at.”
2025 isn’t over yet, but it’s already been an exciting year for some of the best K-dramas. Though “Squid Game” has come to an end (for now) that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of Korean dramas to obsess over.
Park Bo-young beautifully captures the nuances of both sisters and the struggles that each deals with daily. “Our Unwritten Seoul” presents everyday choices that may seem too much to bear, but also offers the kind of realistic hope that’s better than a pat, happy ending.