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”…
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,…
It’s been a phenomenal week for BTS. They started off by winning all 4 of the awards they were nominated for at MTV’s 2020 VMA ceremony, went on to break the YouTube record for most viewed debut video, then wrapped it all up by smashing into the No. 1 slot of the Billboard Hot 100 with their…
So you’ve been going steady with your Korean partner and it’s finally time to meet his or her family over a Korean dinner. You’re nervous because you want to make a good impression and show them that you care about Korean culture. You’ve been practicing your chopstick skills all week but you wonder what else…