Korean Radish Soup aka 무국
Easy-to-make muguk recipe with ingedients you probably have at home already!
Tag: Substack
“Dear Juno,” Persimmons, and Language Loss
How a children’s book reflects on the profound impact of losing your first language
“As You Stood By” (당신이 죽였다)
“As You Stood By” examines domestic abuse and how people are reluctant to help victims — most often because they are afraid of how their actions could be detrimental to their own lives (which is also a subplot in Our Unwritten Seoul).
Bestselling Author Baek Se-hee Dead at 35
Since the release of her book “I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki,” Baek Se-hee opened up dialogue about depression and the importance of normalizing mental health care. May she rest in eternal peace.
What is Happening with South Koreans in Cambodia?
The 2nd season of “Taxi Driver” depicted a fictional storyline that is eerily similar to what is happening now in South East Asia.
If You’re Not a White U.S. Citizen, Get a Passport and a Certificate of Citizenship ASAP
Ordinarily, “K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim” is dedicated to Korean or Korean-adjacent topics. Today’s newsletter fits into that realm, but with a broader scope – because what is currently happening in the United States can happen to any of us.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” and Its Lack of Asian American Identity
Some people have said that Asian Americans should just feel grateful to be represented at all, and I absolutely do not feel that way. I used to when I was a child when there was almost no representation, and that’s actually a bit depressing to think about.
“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (폭군의 셰프)
Bon Appetit, Your Majesty is a delicious mashup of sageuk (or historical dramas), time travel, and mukbang. But basing the fictional king on a real-life despot has been controversial.
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.
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.
“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!
“Where Are You Really From?”
“Where Are You Really From?” Why many Asian diaspora don’t like being asked this question
Not Every Korean Actor Can Sing and Dance — It Just Feels Like It Sometimes
By Jae-Ha Kim Substack July 1, 2025 The past few days have been disgustingly hot (and humid). None of that dry heat for us in Chicago. So…it just felt like the right time to share […]
7 Best K-Dramas of 2025, So Far
2025 isn’t over yet, but it’s already been an exciting year for some of the best K-dramas. Though “Squid Game” has come to an end (for now) that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of Korean dramas to obsess over.
“Our Unwritten Seoul” (미지의 서울)
Park Bo-young beautifully captures the nuances of both sisters and the struggles that each deals with daily. “Our Unwritten Seoul” presents everyday choices that may seem too much to bear, but also offers the kind of realistic hope that’s better than a pat, happy ending.
Ew, the VIPs are back in “Squid Game 3” and They’re as Horrible as Ever
The VIPs are back in the third season of “Squid Game” and they’re as insufferable as ever. Acting wise, the characters may actually be worse, sounding more like Sylvestor the Cat exclaiming “sufferin’ succotash” than a group of hedonistic oligarchs. Seriously, couldn’t the creatives have spread a wider net to cast actors who could…act?
Ahn Hyo-seop Talks About Playing Jinu in “KPop Demon Hunters”
“I hope that KPOP DEMON HUNTERES reminds people that we all have darkness within us, and sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to just face it,” said Ahn Hyo-seop, who provides the voice of Jinu. “And at its core, this is a story about finding the strength to trust your own voice and move forward. So I hope it offers comfort and courage to those who actually really need it.”
“KPop Demon Hunters”
While “KPop Demon Hunters” could’ve been a cutesy story about a boy-crazy girl group flirting with a boy band, there is a strong subtext here with a profound message. The secrets that we keep and the lies that we tell may have started off innocently enough. But they ultimately lead to our downfall unless we deal with the truth.