Goodbye, Lee Jong-Suk!

March 6, 2019May 29, 2023 Jae-Ha Kim

It’s a fact of life that all able-bodied South Korean men have to fulfill their mandatory military duties for their country. Top stars aren’t exempt from this, either. Due to a severe injury he suffered during his teenage years, Lee will be enlisting as a public service worker — rather than active duty — according to his A-MAN Project. As actor Lee Jong-Suk gets ready to begin his 22-month enrollment on Friday, March 8, let’s take a look at his life … and some of his most iconic work.

Childhood Romance: Sealed With a Kiss

February 26, 2019September 23, 2021 Jae-Ha Kim

I am a complete sucker for shows that stress the importance of childhood relationships — the kind that last from adolescence through adulthood. And K-Dramas are chock full of them.

Boys to Men: Hyun Bin and So Ji-Sub

February 20, 2019December 21, 2019 Jae-Ha Kim

There’s no doubt that actors and actresses in their 20s are wildly popular with K-Drama viewers. And as with actors worldwide, some will be offered less substantial roles as they age. But then you have Hyun Bin and So Ji-Sub, who have not only maintained their popularity, but thrived in a highly competitive market filled with young models and idols.

From Models to Actors: Lee Jong-Suk, Woo Bin, Lee Sung-Kyung and Nam Joo-Hyuk

February 18, 2019May 9, 2021 Jae-Ha Kim

Just because you look good strutting down a runway doesn’t mean you have what it takes to be a good actor. But K-Dramas are full of models who have successfully navigated their way from the catwalk into television and films. Here’s a look at some of my favorites who made the transition look effortless.

Idolmakers: D.O., Suzy, Henry, Minho

February 14, 2019May 29, 2023 Jae-Ha Kim

One of the things that has impressed me about K-Pop’s idol system is that it has developed some truly talented actors. They remind me of performers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, when entertainers were trained to sing, dance and act. Two highly-acclaimed K-Dramas — “SKY Castle” and “Memories of the Alhambra” — featured young K-Pop stars in strong co-starring roles. In the former, SF9’s Chani (né Kang Chan-Hee) put in a stellar performance as a high school student framed for murder. In the latter, EXO’s Chanyeol (né Park Chan-Yeol) played a terrified teenage game developer.

Can FOX’s “The Masked Singer” Dethrone MBC’s “The King of Mask Singer”?

February 13, 2019May 29, 2023 Jae-Ha Kim

Four years after “The King Of Mask Singer” premiered on MBC in South Korea, “The Masked Singer” made its U.S. debut on FOX. The American remake — in all its gaudy splendor — is a bonafide hit.

The Big Three: Ji Chang-Wook, Lee Min-Ho, Kim Soo-Hyun

January 31, 2019September 5, 2021 Jae-Ha Kim

Hallelujah! Kim Soo-Hyun, Ji Chang-Wook and Lee Min-Ho will be discharged from their mandatory military duties in South Korea later this year. As fans anxiously await their comebacks, let’s head back in time to revisit some of the actors’ most iconic work.

Revisiting “Hwarang” (V: It’s Definitely You)

January 23, 2019May 29, 2023 Jae-Ha Kim

Before I watched “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth,” I was looking forward to seeing how the romance between Dog Bird (Park Seo-Joon) and Ah-Ro (Go Ara) played out. But after the finale, I realized that what stuck with me wasn’t their tepid relationship, but that of the young men who formed a relationship — which at times was adversarial, but also based on friendship, honor and righteous morals. In other words, I was all about the poet warrior youth’s bromance.