“The answer is on YouTube, where the Korean Film Archive (kofa) maintains a channel of nearly two hundred movies, from the nineteen-thirties through the end of the twentieth century, all free to watch and with English subtitles available.“ Americans are attuned to Korean film like never before. The awakening came with the dominance of this past…
Dear Bok Unnie: What is this thing Koreans call “ae-gyo”? I mean, do Korean guys actually like it when girls pout and whine and talk in sing-songy cadences like they do in korean dramas? Is that really a thing and should I start doing it to get Korean men to find me adorable? And does…
Dear Bok Unnie: I love my in-laws and appreciate when they come to visit us, but they completely disregard our deliberate method of parenting by spoiling their grandkids with unlimited screen time and junk food. How do I tell them that this is not good for the kids? Signed, Frustrated with Family ~ Dear Frustrated…
As someone who’s kept very busy during this quarantine, I (along with probably many others) am beginning to run out of Netflix and Hulu options. Due to this unexpected shortage of binging options, I’ve turned to Youtube as a great platform to add to my streaming app rotation. Youtube is now the second most visited…
A debut novelist depicts the modern edge of Seoul and the societal pressures faced by young women through the lens of four remarkable characters Frances Cha grew up in the US, Hong Kong and South Korea, working for several years as a travel and culture editor for CNN International in Seoul and Hong Kong, where…
Too hot to cook or just plain don’t want to but still want a quick, healthy meal? No problem! If you have a block of tofu and a handful of nuts, you already have half the ingredients for a refreshingly delicious noodle dish that’s a fan favorite among Koreans. Not as popular as mul naeng…
Looking for a new K-drama rom-com to binge-watch? If you’ve already gone through the ones that enjoyed mainstream success, then you might want to give this list a try! These dramas may not be widely popular, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get you hooked with their equally interesting plots. Below are 10 underrated rom-coms…
“Unbeknownst to Kim himself, he accomplished the considerable feat of making Korean genre painting widely known around the world,” When the ports of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) opened to the rest of the world in the late 19th century, travelers, diplomats, missionaries and merchants flooded in, all curious to find out more about the life…
My memory is crap. My wife will tell you that. Whenever she reminds me that my memory is crap, I utter four Korean syllables – yuhn tan ga seu – which loosely translated, is charcoal induced carbon monoxide poisoning. Back when I was growing up in a third-world Korea in the 1970s, most families heated…
Today, June 6th is Memorial Day in Korea. A few days ago I learned that Black soldiers served an important role in the Korean War. At the time, racial segregation was a problem in the US Army so much so that entire regiments were segregated. The 24th Infantry Regiment was such a regiment primarily composed…