70 years ago today, on June 25, 1950, our destiny as Korean Americans began to take form. On that day, the so-called Forgotten War for the soul of Korea commenced when communists from the North flooded the South in their bid to unify under Kim Il Sung’s rule. My first consciousness of its impact was…
This article is in response to Woody Paik’s original op-ed piece called What The US Can Learn About Education from Korea’s Wartime Example. Reading Woody Paik’s article took me to my old days of exactly 70 years ago, which otherwise might be dumped forever from my memory warehouse deep in my brain. The black and white…
(CNN) They’ve helped South Korean stars dominate charts and break records on social media.Now, some K-pop fans are claiming another victory: helping foil United States President Donald Trump’s return to the campaign trail. Ahead of his Saturday night rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump bragged that he had about 1 million RSVPs . But when the arena didn’t even…
THE KIMCHI SLAP The Kimchi Slap is a humor column by Bok Unnie, your Korean older sister who tells it to you straight with a big dose of spice and humor. Have a question about living your best Korean life? Ask Bok Unnie and put your mind at ease! Dear Bok Unnie: Leggo my Aegyo?…
About 15 years ago, I was carrying my toddler up a hill from a small lake to our cabin in the woods. He sat astride my shoulders, taking in the view. It was his accustomed perch, but this time I told him that someday it would be his turn to carry me, as I would…
“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…
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…