I Am Happy and (Mostly) Good
Jesa/제사: Celebrating my father’s life and death
Tag: Substack
It’s Min Jin Lee’s World – an Interview with the Bestselling Author of “American Hagwon”
A self-described nerd who enjoys studying and learning, bestselling author Min Jin Lee said that law school prepared her well for the extensive research she puts into her books (“American Hagwon,” “Pachinko,” “Free Food for Millionaires”), where fact and fiction coincide to tell universal and relatable stories.
K-DRAMA REVIEWS (INDEX)
K-CULTURE WITH JAE-HA KIM is the space where I curate my reviews and views about Korean-centric things happening in the pop culture realm (and beyond) that pique my interest…and I hope yours, too. Won’t you join me?
FREE K-Dramas with No Paywall? Yes, please!
How to watch “The Scarecrow” (my favorite show of the year), “A Bona Fide Killer,” and more during VIKI’s 4th Annual K-Drama Celebration
Korean Male Diaspora: Did You Know You Could Be Conscripted?
Simon D. Lee, attorney and founding partner of Pureum Law Office, answers all the complicated questions.
“Bonjour Bakery” (봉주르빵집)
“Bonjour Bakery” could’ve been delightful. But charging rural octogenarians Seoul prices is obscene.
Influencers Snuck Kimchi into a BTS Concert (to Give to Jung Kook)
BTS don’t want anyone to do this. Here’s why.
K-pop’s AtHeart Pays Homage to the Swedish Millenial Hit, “Lovefool”
“If I’m being honest, l didn’t know exactly what to expect when starting to pursue life as an idol,” says Michi, who hails from Hawaii. “I knew what an idol was, but it was difficult to imagine what a realistic daily lifestyle would be like. One thing that was different from what I had pictured was how many people work behind the scenes to assist the team to become who they are. There is so much effort and planning that goes into every song and stage.”
Kevin Jin Kwan Kim’s “Goodbye, From Afar” is a Beautiful 1-Minute Film About Love, Death, and Immigration
Would we have done well if we had stayed in Korea? Probably, because my parents were resilient. But would I choose to move to Korea permanently at this stage of my life? No, for the same reason that my father wanted to be buried here rather than in our family plot in Seoul. His family is here, he said, and he wanted to be near us even in death.
Jimin Han’s “Dreamt I Found You” Retells a Famous Korean Folklore
The Korean American author offers a fresh, modern take on “Chunhyangjeon.”
“My Royal Nemesis” (멋진 신세계)
This charming fish-out-of water K-drama explores timeslips, shamanism, betrayal and, most of all, unconditional love that spans eras.
“We are All Trying Here” (모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다)
It’s no surprise that “We are All Trying Here” is one of the year’s best. Written by Park Hae-young, who also penned “My Mister” and “My Liberation Notes,” the K-drama captures the pathos of surviving every day when life doesn’t always seem to be worth living.
GHOST9’s Prince Vatani is One of K-pop’s Most Entertaining Idols
Ask him about stalkers, Wattpad, and Mr. Jigglypuff, and the Thai idol Prince Vatani will reply with humorous clarity.
“Teach You a Lesson” (참교육)
There is a contingent of people who do not approve of adults hitting children. I am one of those people. But I also recognize that in a fictional setting like this, it can be incredibly cathartic to watch morally reprehensible youngsters getting their comeuppance — especially for real-life victims of school violence whose lives were treated as dispensable by those who were supposed to protect them.
Oreos, BTS, and Me
Even though this collab between BTSxOreo has absolutely nothing to do with me, the fact that it exists makes me feel 정 for this amazing group of Korean artists. They helped create a cookie that evokes all these memories of home for those of us who are no longer there.
“The Scarecrow” (허수아비)
Based on the real-life Hwaseong Serial Killer who brutally murdered 15 South Korean girls and women from 1986-1994, The Scarecrow covers much of the same ground as Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 film Memories of Murder. But this K-drama more than holds its own, adding fictional twists to keep viewers engaged and guessing.
“Yumi’s Cells” (유미의 세포들): Season 3
This charming trilogy ends with a happily-ever-after for our heroine Yumi (Kim Go-eun). Seasons 1 and 2 were all about her relationships with Woong (Ahn Bo-hyun) and Ba-bi (played by GOT7’s Jinyoung), who at various times seemed like the perfect men for her.
“Phantom Lawyer” (신이랑 법률사무소)
In one of the most delightfully clever K-dramas of 2026, Yoo Yeon-seok portrays Shin Yi-rang, a smart attorney who no one will hire. Why? Because his now-deceased father had been accused of being a corrupt prosecutor, and no law firm wants to have their company associated with those allegations.
Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung is in Her Renaissance Era, and She’s Nowhere Near Done
In her latest role in the second season of “Beef,” Youn Yuh-jung, portrays the powerful billionaire of a South Korean chaebol conglomerate, who buys an expensive California country club as an investment property. A ruthless businesswoman, her one weakness is her much-younger and inept plastic-surgeon husband (played by Song Kang-ho), who she dotes on.
BTS’ Suga Co-Wrote a Music-Based Book About Autism Therapy
Why Suga’s Korean-language book “MIND Problem” excites me more than the pop group’s worldwide tour.