By Hong Taek Chung and Sarah Paik What does a gifted filmmaker do with an almost unbelievable story that happens to be true? Make cinematic tour de force, of course. This year’s Baeksang Awards‘ Best Film winner, “Escape from Mogadishu” was based on actual events preceding and during the outbreak of a Somalian civil…
Jean found a box of paperbacks next to the dumpster with a note that said FREE! She looked around for competition even though she knew no one else in her apartment complex would be excited about books, free or not. From the swirly covers of long-haired women limp in the arms of big-chested men, she…
The 58th Baeksang Arts Awards recently honored the best in Korean film, television and theater. Touted as the most prestigious awards ceremony in Korea, the Baeksang Awards are the Oscars, Emmys and Tonys all rolled up into one glittery night. The 58th Baeksang Arts Awards were hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy, and Park Bo-gum and sparkled especially bright…
A fireside chat with Min Jin Lee, author of “Pachinko”, for the Twin Cities Asian Executive Leadership Conference. I am so honored and delighted to have recently interviewed my friend and hero, Min Jin Lee. I first met Min Jin in May of 2017, three months after her best-selling novel “Pachinko” was published. I had…
With quarantine restrictions starting to lift in South Korea, summer study-abroad programs have been gaining popularity again. Hosted by the largest universities in Korea, these summer programs offer opportunities to learn Korea’s language and culture while immersed in the heart of Seoul.Since the late 1970s, going on a pilgrimage to Seoul on a Summer Language…
Ajummas are commonly featured in Korean dramas as the beloved-but-annoying, loud, nagging mother or neighbor… sometimes as the point of comic relief and other times as the source of anxiety for the protagonists. But what exactly is an ajumma? Do you ever wonder if, now, at your age you’ve become an ajumma? Google translate will tell you an ajumma is…
If anyone can convince you to consider going vegan, it’s Joanne Lee Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan. I told her I’ve been really thinking hard about going vegan for a while now, in large part because I’m so enthralled by her cooking videos with family stories woven in that pull at your heartstrings. We live…
Why Did I Veganize This Dish? I came up with this Spicy & Crunchy Garlic Tofu recipe because it needed to happen. Like, there was a gaping maw in the universe that could only be filled once this recipe was created. Ok, putting to one side my illusions of grandeur, let’s just say that this…
K-Drama is finally getting the recognition and audience it richly deserves. But sometimes too much choice is as challenging as too little. At the forefront of Korean entertainment in the US, Netflix hosts over 130 Korean titles at last count. On one hand, the abundance of options is amazing; on the other hand, so many…
Modern Grace is a monthly column for Best of Korea by Yoojin Grace Wuertz Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s in northern New Jersey, I was part of a large wave of Korean immigrants hitting the tri-state area. I remember when I first started American kindergarten in 1986, I noticed no other Asian faces…