The movie Parasite captivated the entire world with its stylish and engrossing narrative about two families. So much deft storytelling and artistry are woven through the movie it’s hard to point to one or two qualities that set it apart from the rest. But surely the one thing that most people acknowledge as a powerful…
The Walker Art Center hosts Director Bong Joon Ho interview two days after historic Oscar win. When Parasite won six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director earlier this year, I thought we were doomed. Of course I loved the film and was thrilled about the Oscar coup for Director Bong, and for Korea,…
There are so many memorable scenes in the film Parasite, but one that stands out for me was the ramdon scene. Ramdon is the movie’s fictional name given to a popular humble dish in South Korea called chapaguri – a mashup of two different instant Korean noodles, Chapagetti and Neoguri. The scene underscores the casual…
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A burger shop in the South Korean capital is a bit different from typical fast food restaurants: Its key staff are robots. From order to pick-up, customers don’t need a single face-to-face interaction. All they need to do is to click the menu they want on a kiosk touchscreen, pay…
In theory, anyone who could pass state examinations had a chance of advancing their station in life. Education is a big deal in Korea. Korean students are known to spend endless hours outside the classroom in tuition centers, supplementing their normal curriculum with extra-curriculars and test preparations. It’s not uncommon for many Korean students to…
In the course of the modern and contemporary history of Korea, some foreigners have made remarkable contributions to our society and culture in different ways by undertaking a wide range of Korean studies and literature. Starting with the 17th century, Dutchman Hendrick Hamel published “Hamel’s Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea 1653-1666”…
The Korean American Community Foundation Annual Gala is going virtual this year on September 23 at 7:30pm. The theme is Above and Beyond, and this year KACF is honoring their 21 indefatigable grantee partners, who went “above and beyond”–often at great personal risk–serving marginalized KoreanAmerican and AsianAmerican communities as COVID19 wreaked havoc this year. KACF…
Brian Hong and Brannon Cho, two of the brightest young stars in the classical music world will perform in Virtual Chamber Music Festival. In the heart of Chicago — a city possessed of a truly legendary musical culture — a 60-person venue has emerged within the last couple years known as Guarneri Hall. What it lacks…
There is only one Korean movie on Roger Ebert’s list of ‘Great Movies’, and it has taken me 17 years to truly appreciate this modern masterpiece. Although many great Korean movies receiving more accolades came along after the death of Roger Ebert, this film stands tall as the proud godfather of the golden era of…
From figuring out first love to finding your way at college, the coming-of-age story is a TV drama staple. Whether you’d prefer to binge-watch dystopian high school romance “Love Alarm” or slice-of-life comedy “Hello My Twenties”, there’s something here for every K-drama fan. Many of these shows delve into the challenges young people face today,…