Beyond the Bar (에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들)
“Beyond the Bar” does such a great job of creating complete characters who don’t need a partner to be whole, leaving viewers satisfied with either choice, because we’re confident they will all be OK.
Go Away With … Alicia Hannah-Kim
When “Cobra Kai” actress Alicia Hannah-Kim was asked to help secure a team of western actors to appear in the K-drama “Tempest,” she went to work to assemble a cast that includes well-known actors like John Cho, Spencer Garrett, Michael Gaston, Brooke Smith, Christopher Gorham and Jacob Bertrand. “I think a lot of people think that K-dramas are all romantic love stories, but there are a lot of different genres,” Kim said in a Zoom interview from Los Angeles. “’Tempest’ is an international spy thriller. It’s a very sexy show with a lot of different elements.”
Go Away With … Maia Sharp
Singer-songwriter Maia Sharp remembers what it was like when she was a struggling musician trying to get gigs. “It was on a Monday night at 10 p.m. at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub in Los Angeles,” Sharp said. “The booker told me I needed to bring 50 people to get called back. I brought 51.”
Monsta X Celebrate 10 Years Together — and It’s Just the Beginning
For my latest Rolling Stone exclusive, I talked to Monsta X to discuss their new album “The X,” celebrating their 10th anniversary, and their place in K-pop.
OMEGA X’s Kevin Talks About “My Bias is Showing!”
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.
Go Away With … AMPERS&ONE
“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.”
Go Away With … Stella Cole
“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.”
Go Away With … Leonidas G. Demas
“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 Rose: Come Back to Me”
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.
“Law and the City” (서초동)
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!
Every BTS Solo Song Ranked
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.
Go Away With … Tinpo Lee
“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?”
“Where Are You Really From?” Why many Asian diaspora don’t like being asked this question
Go Away With … Miist
“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.”
Go Away With … Catch The Young
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.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is a viral smash that crushes the songs
NPR invited me to talk about “KPOP Demon Hunters” on their “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast.
Go Away With … Shannon Purser
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 Eat Scalding Hot Soup in the Summer and You Should, Too
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.
Go Away With … ATEEZ
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.
The ‘Squid Game’ finale answers questions, then raises one more
NPR invited me back on their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to discuss the third and final season of the Korean series “Squid Game.”