Lydia Ko of New Zealand became the youngest winner of a professional golf tour event when the 14-year-old won the New South Wales Open in Sydney, Australia on Sunday.
Ko, currently the world’s top female amateur, beat the men’s mark set by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa (15 years, 8 months) and the women’s mark set by Amy Yang (16 years, 192 days), according to the Associated Press.
“To be part of history is like a miracle,” Ko told the AP. “It’s not something you can have by clicking your fingers.” Continue Reading »
Don’t bet on North Korea change
Toronto Sun
Maybe it signifies a change — a breakthrough — in the thinking and actions of the “Hermit regime” of North Korea.
Then again, maybe not.
In any case, Associated Press being allowed to open the first bureau of foreign news service in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, may be a first step of the country joining the rest of the world.
Just how free and “objective” AP reportage will be from North Korea, is anyone’s guess. AP’s North Korean bureau chief is Jean Lee, who will live outside the country and periodically visit to supervise reporter Pak Won Il and photographer Kim Kway Hyon — both North Korean subjects.
Pinkberry co-founder pleads not guilty to tire iron assault
Los Angeles Times
Pinkberry co-founder Young Lee pleaded not guilty Monday to felony assault for allegedly beating a homeless man with a tire iron over a sexually explicit tattoo.
Lee, who remains free on $60,000 bail, was granted a one-time dispensation by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Upinder Kalra allowing him to travel to South Korea.
In return, he consented to automatic extradition should he fail to return to court March 5, the date of his next scheduled hearing.
Lee has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a June 2011 assault on a transient on a 101 Freeway off-ramp.
Second Korean-American up for brigadier’s rank in U.S. military
Korea Herald
Col. John M. Cho of the U.S. Army has been nominated for the rank of brigadier general.
If his nomination is approved by the Senate, Cho will become the second Korean-American to join the ranks of generals in the U.S. Armed Forces. Before Cho, the U.S. Marine’s Daniel Yoo, who was made a brigadier general in February 2011, was the only Korean-American to gain ranks above colonel.
Two North Jersey women indicted in large-scale fraud ring
Bergen County Record (N.J.)
A federal grand jury in Newark indicted two North Jersey women on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on Friday.
Rita Kim, 48, of Fort Lee and Hyon-Suk “Clara” Chung, 49, of North Bergen were named members of a large-scale identity and financial fraud ring.
Ringleader Sang-Hyun “Jimmy” Park confessed earlier this month to running an operation in Bergen County that fraudulently obtained and sold driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, credit cards and other identifications. The customers, primarily of Korean background, in turn peddled millions of dollars through fraudulent loans, according to the indictment.
New fire-expert analysis allowed in father’s 1990 arson conviction
Philadelphia Inquirer
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that a man who contends that he was wrongfully convicted of setting a 1989 fire that killed his daughter may have a prominent fire expert examine any remaining physical evidence to determine whether the fire was accidental.
The ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit came in the case of Han Tak Lee, 76, who is serving a life sentence. His lawyers argued that he was convicted by junk science and that research since his 1990 trial has debunked many of what were once considered ironclad indicators of arson.
5 Questions with Daniel Dae Kim
The Peninsula blog via Korea Economic Institute
What was it that made you change your career path from law to acting during your university days?
DDK: For me, when I was going through college, there was a lot of tension between what I felt I should do and what I really wanted to do. It was unfortunate that the thing I wanted to do didn’t fall in line with what was expected of me. As much as I do love politics and government, the thing that I felt that my heart led me to was acting, and so that’s why I changed course.
The Chef and the Critic
Wall Street Journal
David Chang and Peter Meehan prove that the chef and the restaurant critic can break bread together. With a bestselling cookbook and a cool new magazine, they’re revolutionizing the way we talk about food, one cranky comment at a time
Lloyd Suh asks: What was Jesus like as a teen?
San Francisco Chronicle
Three years ago, playwright Lloyd Suh galvanized Magic Theatre audiences with the world premiere of “American Hwangap,” a funny, affecting family reunion for a separated Korean American couple and their disaffected children. Now Suh, 36, is preparing for another premiere at the Magic, “Jesus in India,” described as a play about what happens when a teenage Jesus of Nazareth runs off with Abigail of Galilee to the land “of Maharajas, punk rock and really good weed.”
The concept isn’t as snarky as it may sound. Suh grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis among a “fairly active Korean church population” that “would gather every Sunday for services and Bible study in Korean.” He now lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their infant daughter. We reached him during a work break from rehearsals, at the Lark Play Development Center in Manhattan.
Editorial: Racial dispute in Texas
Korea Herald
An ongoing racial dispute in Dallas, Texas, involving a Korean-American gas station owner and the local African-American community draws our concern for its possible impact on the life of the Korean immigrants in the area and elsewhere. Reasonable efforts should be made to prevent mistakes by individuals from causing unnecessary racial clashes.
A Park, who runs a gas station and a convenience store in the predominantly black South Dallas, seems to have somewhat antagonized poorer customers for his refusal to accept debit cards for transactions below $10 and relatively high gas prices. An argument occurred on Dec. 9 between Park and Jeffrey Muhammad, a minister at the local Nation of Islam mosque, when the latter wanted to use his debit card for a $5 purchase.
South Korean activists send socks to North Korea in balloons
USA Today
South Korean activists have floated giant balloons carrying boxes of socks into North Korea. The activists hoped Saturday that North Koreans could wear the socks or trade them for food during the harsh winter. Associated Press video showed five helium-filled balloons rising into the air at an observation post in the South Korean border city of Paju.
How Standardized Tests Stunt the Intellectual Growth of Asian American Students
8Asians
Standardized testing was pretty much invented by the Chinese. As an American of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage, this means that standardized testing is part of my ethnic and ancestral heritage. The fact that Asian Americans tend to score better than everyone else on standardized tests is not news to anyone. I mean, after 5,000 years of test prep culture (there’s even a god of testing), it’s not really a surprise right?
But what are the consequences of all this standardized testing? After a lifetime of school here in the United States spanning from pre-school to my Ph.D. in Education (20 years of school), as well as 14 years as a professional educator in both public school and private settings, I’ve given this a lot of thought. I’ve come to the conclusion that standardized tests, a vestige of ancient China, stunt the intellectual growth of not just Asian American students but of all students.
Korean golfers: The magic formula
The Economist
ON JANUARY 29th, Lydia Ko (pictured) became the youngest woman ever to win a professional golf tournament. At 14 years old, she’s not yet old enough to drive a car. But she can drive (and putt) a golf ball well enough to beat a pack of adult pros. This staggering achievement provokes a question: Why are Korean women so good at golf?
South Korea beef farmers struggle for aid, sympathy
Los Angeles Times
South Korean beef farmers, hurt by oversupply and low prices, press for more government aid, sometimes taking drastic action. Too drastic, some say.
In South Korea, quirky barber and his shop retain following
Los Angeles Times
Lee Nam-yul is a third-generation old-school barber with a preference for scissors over electric cutters. He and his ramshackle shop are a fixture in Seoul.
Park Scores Against Liverpool, But United Out of FA Cup
Chosun Ilbo
Park Ji-sung of Manchester United shone against the club’s biggest domestic rival on Saturday, but even a blistering performance from the Korean midfielder could not prevent his team from losing their fourth-round FA Cup against Liverpool on Saturday.
Huh’s sharp learning curve continues at Torrey Pines
Reuters via Chicago Tribune
John Huh carved out another memorable chapter in his whirlwind introduction to the PGA Tour when he surged into contention for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Saturday.
Playing in only his second event on the U.S. circuit, tour rookie Huh, who calls himself a Korean-American after spending about half his life in each country, fired a four-under-par 68 in the third round to end a picture postcard day of dazzling sunshine on the southern Californian coastline in a tie for second place.
Just a hinge, two arms, and a magnetic clasp and you’ve got yourself a Hinge for iPad, compatible with first and second-generation iPads and Smart Cover.
Simple in design, compact, and environmentally friendly.
Designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, Hinge for iPad holds your iPad at the perfect angle, from a comfortable typing position on your lap to any upright position on your table for watching movies or a FaceTime conversation. They don’t scratch up your iPad and can be used for both portrait and landscape. How versatile! Continue Reading »
Here are some videos we’re watching this week at KoreAm.
Janet Liang’s Plea for a Match
Janet Liang, a recent graduate of UCLA, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rapidly progressing form of leukemia. In this video, the 23-year-old desperately pleas to viewers to be tested to see if they could be a possible bone marrow match. Liang has only until April to find her match and the description box of the video gives more information.
Painting with a Basketball
Throughout time, artists have used a number of mediums and surfaces to paint and create timeless works of art. Hong Yi, who goes by the name Red, paints a portrait of basketball player Yao Ming with an actual basketball.
Put a Smile on Your Parents Face
Chinese New Year is a time to start fresh and share blessings with your family. In this video, older parents relay their only desire is to spend time with their loved ones in a busy time.
Sh-t Koreans Say
On the heels of the Sh-t Korean Girls Say video comes the general Sh-t Koreans Says video, a video by J.Reyes. He and [girl's name] act out common Korean phrases throughout the video.
North Korean Woman Smiles
China Central Television was able to get inside North Korean’s official TV station: Korea Central Television. There, they met Ri Chun Hui, who makes intense deliveries of the most important government statements. In this video, Hui smiles and seems charming.
K-pop strives for Global Fame
Drew Ambrose reports about South Korean pop stars with special look at the girl group R-Ania. K-pop, a $3 billion business, also has some of the toughest contracts and most severe restrictions on the personal lives of artists.
Spelling Bee Troll
During a spelling bee, a student becomes the ultimate troll by constantly asking for the word “heron” to be repeated over and over again. The young man keeps saying random words with a straight face and what seemed to be genuine confusion, until the very end when he suddenly knows the word’s meaning and spelling.
Asian Dad goes Crazy for the Patriots
Dressed in white pajamas, an Asian man jumps and shouts in front of the television for the New England Patriots. He claps his hands together while screaming, “Go Patriots!” before he breaks off into another language, hilariously caught up in the game.
If you have more videos you’d like us to see, email linda@iamkoream.com.
by Emily Kim
Glee’s Harry Shum, Jr. made an appearance at the McDonald’s Chicken McBites launch party held at Siren Studios in Hollywood on Thursday.
Dressed in a red plaid button-up shirt, Shum entertained the crowd on the red carpet with his unsuccessful attempts at catching some McBites in his mouth.
Hip hop duo Salt-n-Pepa performed at the event where many other young Hollywood celebs came to show their love for McD’s newest product, including singer/actress Christina Milian, 90210’s Shenae Grimes, and Pretty Little Liars’ Lucy Hale. Continue Reading »
FOR ONLY $28!
Featured Event
It’s the new year, and Yim Jae Beum is coming to town! After a sold-out show in Los Angeles last October, he is coming back to hold two U.S. concerts for the 2012 Lunar New Year. Everyone already knows this man can sing! He’s got an impressive resume, debuting as a rock singer back in 1986, releasing Korean classics, such as “For You,” and most recently, joining and winning first place twice on the MBC show, “I am a Singer.”
Seattle and New Jersey, get ready! We are happy to announce that we will be giving away TWO (2) pairs of tickets! read more
LINKS
Featuring Recent Posts Wordpress Widget development by YD
