Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Written by the Hong Sisters (Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran), “My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho” tells the tale of a young man who accidentally frees a gumiho (a nine-tailed shape shifter that often takes the form of a woman). Gumihos are known to be voracious carnivores, who crave organs. Gumihos are known to be voracious carnivores, who crave organs. Gulp.
BTS’ label Big Hit recently released a press release stating that the world’s most famous boy band would take an “extended hiatus.” While the guys take a few weeks off for some well-deserved rest, they won’t be releasing as much content on social media and Vlive as fans are accustomed to. But there’s still a lot of material for fans to get caught up on (or rewatch).
Created to celebrate South Korea’s soft power, KCON has grown into the Coachella of Korean culture. Debuting in 2012 as a one-day festival in Los Angeles just months after Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide hit, KCON attracted 12,000 curious fans. Flash forward to 2019, when one of the world’s most-famous groups is the Korean boy band BTS, Korean beauty products are all the rage, chefs are incorporating kimchi into western cooking and streaming sites including Netflix are premiering buzzworthy Korean shows such as the zombie serial “Kingdom.”
Brazilians said they wanted KOCOWA and guess what? On August 1, the streaming service officially launched in Brazil with Portuguese subtitles. Maravilhosa!
Since the beginning of time, celebrities have tried to hide their dating status. Part of it was for privacy issues. But there was also a business element. Managers wanted to make it appear as if their clients were available to fans. Certainly, this holds true for K-Pop and K-Drama stars, who are forced to spend an inordinate amount of time evading questions about their love lives.
2019 is shaping up to be Blackpink’s breakthrough year. The all-girl Korean quartet kicked off the U.S. leg of a world tour with a concert at Coachella that was livestreamed in New York’s Times Square.
Unlike some U.S. shows where the actors clearly look like they don’t want to eat the meal in front of them (I’m looking at you, “The Big Bang Theory”!), K-Dramas are full of amazing food scenes where the actors eat with gusto. They make whatever they’re eating look like it’s the most delicious thing on earth. And, not for nothing, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I always want to eat along with the characters.
BTS’ RM went a little bit country late Wednesday night with “Seoul Town Road,” his surprise collaboration with Lil Nas X. Unlike Billy Ray Cyrus – who is featured on the latter’s chart-topping “Old Town Road” remix – the Korean rapper hasn’t dabbled in country music previously. Not the American genre, anyhow.
V and Park Seo-Joon. Jungkook and Yeo Jin-Goo. EXO’s D.O. and Jo In-Sung. Which are your favorite idol/actor bromances?
What do NCT 127’s Doyoung, BTS’ Jeon Jung-Kook and “Deadpool” himself, Ryan Reynolds, all have in common? The A-Listers have all appeared on “The King of Mask Singer.”
Everyone already knows that BLACKPINK are polished performers who slay at their concerts. But the quartet also is quite at home on variety shows. Funny, smart and not afraid of making fun of themselves, Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa are sought-after guests.
Though he could’ve gotten an extension, EXO’s D.O. chose to enlist on July 1 to begin his mandatory military duty. It’s a fact of life that all able-bodied South Korean men have to serve their country in the armed forces. K-Pop idols aren’t exempt from this, no matter how famous they are.
Hallejuah! July 1st is a great day for Kim Soo-Hyun fans. The “My Love From The Star” actor will be discharged from his mandatory military duty.
Are you as sad as we are? Superstar couple Song Joong-Ki and Song Hye-Kyo have announced their plans to divorce.
BTS will be back on the big screen this summer. The Korean pop group announced today that their latest feature film, “Bring the Soul: The Movie,” will have a global release on August 7. It arrives just six and a half months after the septet’s last film release, “Love Yourself in Seoul.”
Like most Korean dramas, there is a love triangle in “Ms. Hammurabi.” The difference is that there are so many interesting plots developing here that I cared more about the human rights issues that the judges were fighting for than the romance.
If you’re like me, watching K-Dramas is a year-round event. But in the summertime when you’re tired of swimming and want reprieve from the sun, there’s nothing better than watching a fun rom-com, Korean-style. So grab a bowl of cup ramyun and some Pepero sticks and get started.
Ahn Nae-Sang is one of my favorite actors. He has a small role in this K-Drama, but it’s pivotal. He plays the king, who prepares his son (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) for his role as the nation’s leader. He comes across as cold in the beginning, showering little affection of either of his sons.
You probably know of Jung Hae-in from K-Dramas such as “Something in the Rain” (also known as “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food”), “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” and “While You Were Sleeping.” His latest series is “One Spring Night,” where he plays a single dad and pharmacist.
“Her Private Life” starts off as a clever comedy about Sung Duk-Mi — a cultured art curator who also is a diehard fangirl. But it also deftly tackles child abandonment, reunification and forgiveness. The concept of what constitutes a family was a recurring theme. It was refreshing to see that relationships based on bloodlines weren’t the only ones valued and that families are sometimes borne from tragic circumstances.