Back Issues



Slowing Down in Samjicheon

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 | KoreAm

Tired of life in the fast lane? Escape to this “slow city” in Damyang for a taste of traditional Korea.


Story and photographs by Bill Stephens

If you spend a week in Seoul, it’s easy to see why the national branding slogan “Dynamic Korea” has replaced the “Land of Morning Calm.”

But travel three hours by train and then 30 minutes by bus and taxi to Samjicheon Village in the Damyang region, and you’ll experience perhaps what was meant by…


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Korea’s Historic Past: A Photo Essay

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 | KoreAm

Text and photographs by Mark Edward Harris

Few lands have been more devastated by war and conflict than 20th-century Korea. Yet the perseverance of the peninsula’s people has maintained for posterity many of its cultural institutions and historical structures.

I started my exploration of South Korea’s rich history with a visit to the tomb of Sejong the Great in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. While so many world leaders are associated with conquests and wars, it’s inspiring to learn about a leader who…


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Gary Locke’s “100 Year” Path

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 | KoreAm

The third Asian American tapped to join Obama’s cabinet, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke—who also made history as the first Chinese American governor—muses on the “100-year” trail that led him to one of the nation’s highest posts. This month, as U.S. Census forms filter into the homes of Americans, one of Locke’s biggest tasks is to ensure an accurate count of the national population and  tackle low levels of immigrant participation, including among historically “hard to count” Koreans.


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Gone To The Dogs

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 | Michelle

From hunters to cherished companions, the role of the canine in Korean culture has transformed radically


By Michelle Woo
Photograph by Grace Chon

Once upon a time, Koreans believed a dog was just a dog.

The four-legged creature lived in the confines of the backyard; his filthy paws were never to step foot onto Mom’s just-waxed marble floor. His meals consisted of leftover scraps from dinner. His job was simple: to protect the home.

He was a dog. He lived a…


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That’s hilarious! I mean, racist.

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 | KoreAm
[caption id="attachment_7136" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Joe Wong on 'The Ellen Show.'"][/caption]

Joe Wong on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD0s7gfTotk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

By Emil Guillermo

They walk funny. They dress funny. And that accent. Definitely, they talk funny.

So is it okay to laugh at them?

I refer, of course, to the majority of our immigrant community, especially the members of that very unique subset often dubbed as “FOBs.” (And no, it doesn’t matter if technically they came by plane).

Often a great…


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