Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
It’s always fun to see Korean groups like BTS, Blackpink and Day6 being interviewed on American talk shows. But it’s also eye-opening to see international acts having fun on South Korean programs, whether it’s Tom Cruise appearing on “Running Man” or NBA star Stephen Curry on “Infinite Challenge.” But one of the most charming segments I’ve seen in a long time is 5 Seconds of Summer’s guest appearance on “YO~! WELCOME TO KOREA!”
“Our concert schedule takes us to so many places and we always arrive ready to explore,” says 123 Andrés. “Recently we performed in Lake Jackson, which is south of Houston. We had never heard of this city before, but we ended up having a lot of fun. This is one reason we love being performers — we get to arrive to a new city or town with no plans and get tips from the families who live there. No city, town or neighborhood should be written off as boring or a dump. Every place has something to show us, if you are willing and open to seeing it.”
In Korean culture, Chuseok is a major holiday that’s equivalent to Thanksgiving. And SBS gave viewers a gift by airing the “BTS Variety Chronicles” — a collection of hand-picked segments from the group’s various variety show appearances on the network. That inspired us to curate our own best of picks, but we’re not going to limit it to just SBS shows or funny moments. Here are some of our favorite BTS appearances. What’s yours?
As a young woman passes by two men, an app on her phone goes off. “There is one person who loves you,” it says. The app is called JoAlarm (좋알람), which alerts users if there is someone within 10 meters who loves them. If you’re thinking that JoAlarm sounds nonsensical, you’re right — in English, it doesn’t make sense. But in Korean, it literally means an alarm to measure if someone likes your. (Remember that Jay Park song, “Joah”/”좋아”? 좋아 means good or to like. Now it makes perfect sense, right?)
Hotel del Luna is a gorgeous five-star hotel that only accepts dead souls, before they move onto heaven or hell. Yeo plays a Harvard-educated hotelier who is forced to work at the eponymous establishment, due to an agreement his father had made years ago. His boss is the otherworldly Mal-Wol, who has run Hotel del Luna for the past 1,300 years. She is neither dead or alive, but can’t peacefully enter the afterlife until she has settled her personal business on earth. Though the pair’s relationship starts off contentiously, they slowly fall in love and feel they are tied together by a force that can’t be explained.
“I’ve been to Montego Bay several times and absolutely love it there,” says “Ambitions” actress Mara Hall. “The culture, the food, the people — it is such an amazing place. Visit White House. They sell fresh fried fish and bammy (cassava flatbread). It’s absolutely delicious!”
Breaking up is never easy. But for celebrities, they have the additional burden of having their private lives exposed in public. Unlike Song Hye-Kyo and Song Joong-Ki — who in June quietly announced their plans to divorce — Ku Hye-Sun and Ahn Jae-Hyun are having a more contentious dissolution of marriage, thanks to a series of social media posts in which Ku claims she doesn’t want a divorce. Ahn responded by saying that what his wife acknowledged publicly doesn’t align with her actions.
At its core, “Absolute Boyfriend” isn’t about whether the female lead would choose a robot over a human being. Rather, it’s about longing for the robot’s human traits that are lacking in too many people today.
Just two months after his military discharge, Hallyu superstar Kim Soo-Hyun is ready to get back to work. But before he has his official comeback, he’ll make an appearance in the finale of the K-Drama “Hotel Del Luna” (set to air on Aug. 31). Production is being hush-hush, so we don’t know if his role will be that of a mortal or a ghost guest.
One of the things that really impresses me about Korea’s K-Pop idols is how many of them are exceptional actors. And that got me wondering … What would it be like if some of our favorite singers had been cast in some of our favorite K-Dramas?
The old amnesia plot device isn’t new, but it’s something that K-Drama fans have come to love (to hate, sometimes). While it’s a trope, I must admit that many scriptwriters do an admirable job of keeping viewers guessing as to what will happen next.
David Archuleta was just 16 years old when he became the runner-up (to David Cook) on “American Idol.” Since then, the singer — now 28 — has released a steady stream of music, including his brand-new single “Paralyzed.” A perk of his career is getting to travel. “I’ve recently gotten to see Russia for my first time for a youth conference,” says Archuleta, who resides in Nashville.
I love Korean Dramas for a variety of reasons. And although I have a love-hate relationship with all the K-Drama tropes, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for them to appear every time I watch a series. Here are some of my favorites — and also some that I love to hate.
To no one’s surprise, BTS – one of the world’s most famous boy bands – won the MTV Video Music Award’s inaugural award for Best K-pop group for their song “Boy With Luv.” The septet didn’t attend the ceremony to accept their Moon Man trophy. While the new category appears to be a nod to the popularity of Korean music in mainstream U.S. pop culture, fans have been vocal that the category is suspicious at best and borderline racist.
It’s not surprising that “One Spring Night” has the same melancholy vibe as “Something in the Rain” (aka “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food”). Besides the same leading man, the series reunites screenwriter Kim Eun and director Ahn Pan-Seok. While the storyline is different, the main thrust remains the same: The central male character is deemed as unsuitable to be with the female character, because of an unforgivable character flaw that isn’t a flaw at all.
I knew going into this series who she would end up with (and so will you, because you’re not stupid). I have no problem with that. But what I thought was a cheap cop-out was the way Do-Hyun went from being an upstanding, fun and thoughtful young man in the first season, into a suspicious and jealous boyfriend in this second season.
Once best known as MC Mystic in his group Bass is Base, Roger Mooking is recognized by foodies worldwide for his work on television (“Man Fire Food,” “Heat Seekers,” “Everyday Exotic”) and cookbooks. Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, Mooking is based out of Toronto. The chef and restaurateur says that one of the small pleasures of life is finding ice cream and gelato spots wherever he travels. “I would eat ice cream every single day and after every single meal if I could get away with it, says Mooking, whose latest album is “Eat Your Words.”
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).
It has been a busy year for Jeannie Mai. Besides co-hosting the talk show “The Real,” she is a correspondent on Stephen Curry’s ABC mini-golf competition series, “Holey Moley.” Whenever she can carve out some free time, the on-air talent says she enjoys exploring new cities. One of her favorite memories is a childhood trip she took with her family. “We went to Yosemite and I absolutely loved it,” said Mai, 40. “We lost my little brother for a second and set bear traps, thinking he was bear napped. But that story is for another time.”