North Korea vows to end nonaggression pacts with South Korea
Los Angeles Times

North Korea has vowed to nullify nonaggression pacts with South Korea in response to the U.N. Security Council’s new tough sanctions and planned joint South Korea-U.S. military drills.

In addition to voiding the peace agreement, the Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea, the North’s agency in charge of dealing with cross-border affairs with the South, announced in a statement broadcast on state media Friday that it will sever a North-South hotline.

The state-run agency said North Korea “abrogates all agreements on nonaggression reached between the North and the South … [and] also notifies the South side that it will immediately cut off the North-South hotline.”

After Sanctions Vote, 2 Koreas Ratchet Up Attack Threats
New York Times

Angrily responding to the United Nations Security Council’s unanimous decision to impose tightened sanctions, North Korea said on Friday that it was nullifying all nonaggression agreements with South Korea, with one of its top generals claiming that his country had nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles ready to blast off.

Matching the harsh warning with a toughened stance, South Korea said Friday that if Pyongyang attacked the South with a nuclear weapon, the government of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be “erased from the earth.”

Tensions on the Korean peninsula: Kim blows up again
The Economist

RUMOURS of fatherhood, and the thrill of having Dennis Rodman, a 51-year-old American basketball has-been, as a new best friend, have done little to mellow Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s young leader. Once again relations between his family’s regime and the outside world have returned to the dangerous script of nuclear provocation, sanctions and threats of war.

On March 6th Kyodo, a Japanese news agency, reported that camouflage netting was being thrown over buses and trains in Pyongyang in readiness for conflict. A day earlier the regime reheated old threats, as America proposed a resolution to the UN Security Council, stiffening sanctions against North Korea for its third nuclear test on February 12th. It said it would scrap the 1953 armistice agreement with America that ended the Korean war (did it forget that it had already scrapped it, in 2009?). It cut off a hotline with American troops in South Korea. And it once again threatened nuclear attack.

Is Kim Jong Un more dangerous than his father?
CNN.com

North Korea’s threat to launch a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States has puzzled American officials, who see the regime ramping up its threats and rhetoric.

It’s leading to the belief that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is more unpredictable, more dangerous and harder to read than his late father, Kim Jong Il.

“The new leader is acting in ways a bit more extreme than his father, who was colder and more calculated,” a senior administration official said. “Kim Jong Il was more aware of the off-ramps to end these escalations.

O.C.’s Korean Americans react to North Korea threat
Orange County Register (Calif.)

They’ve heard North Korea’s threats before. Some local Korean Americans are concerned. Many others, however, see it more as political theater.

Orange County’s Korean American community offered mixed reactions to North Korea’s threat to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States and South Korea. Many said threats by North Korea are so common that it’s hard to take them seriously.

“They talk tough so many times. Nobody takes it literally,” said J.J. Kim, president of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.

U.S. ambassador hails ‘truly historic’ inauguration of President Park
Yonhap News

The inauguration of President Park Geun-hye last week was “truly historic” for South Korea, the U.S. ambassador to Seoul said Friday, renewing his commitment to closely working with the new government.

“Last week was truly historic for Korea. President Park Geun-hye was inaugurated as South Korea’s first female president,” U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said of his attendance at the inauguration ceremony in a blog post on the embassy’s Web site.

“President Park has long been a strong supporter of the alliance, and we very much look forward to working with her administration,” Kim said.

Is This the First Digital Image of a North Korean In-Flight Meal?
Jaunted.com

This is an airline meal. It’s not just any airline meal, however; it’s a piece of digital imaging and travel history and it was only created this morning.

David Guttenfelder, Chief Photographer in Asia for the AP, is currently in North Korea on assignment and taking advantage of the newly un-banned 3G network to share some Instagrams from daily life, like this seemingly banal image of his in-flight meal on North Korea’s state airline, Air Koryo.

Kakao chats punishable for defamatory comments
The Korea Times

Spreading unfounded rumors through free mobile chat service KakaoTalk is subject to punishment on the grounds of defamation a court ruled Thursday.

The Seoul court fined a woman 700,000-won for spreading defamatory comments through KakaoTalk.

According to records, the woman made groundless accusations and shared them through Kakao with 13 others.

In another case, a man was given a six-month suspended jail term for insulting his girlfriend. The man had claimed on Kakao that she had a miscarriage after having sex with another man.

Top Chef’s Beverly Kim returns to Kendall College to cook and teach at her alma mater
Chicago Tribune

Around this time last year, Beverly Kim was something of a minor television celebrity on “Top Chef.” Several Saturdays ago, we found Kim calling out dinner orders from a cavernous and modern West Town kitchen, a space that would be the envy of every chef in town. This kitchen even has a 180-degree view of the Chicago skyline.

Kim wore a neckerchief and a tall chef’s hat, attire not seen since French restaurants in the ’80s, and hollered lingo only line cooks understood: “Pick up three amuse!”

Since January and until mid-June, this kitchen is where Kim spends her Tuesday through Saturday nights. The menu is hers; the restaurant isn’t. It’s CUL-249 at Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts, a course titled fine dining restaurant. It’s an unplanned but welcome surprise, Kim said, as she never thought she’d teach undergraduates at a cooking school in 2013, especially for a chef who was supposed to springboard from a TV show to operating her own restaurant (see: Izard, Stephanie).

PSY to Debut “Gangnam Style” Follow-Up Next Month
TIME.com

Stop making ‘Harlem Shake’ videos, and listen up: South Korean rapper PSY announced today that he is releasing a follow-up to his worldwide hit “Gangnam Style.”

The single is due out Apr. 13, and Psy will perform a concert dubbed “Happening” at the Seoul World Cup Stadium later that night, which will be streamed live on YouTube. PSY, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, delivered the news in Korean, English, Chinese, Thai, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Indonesian subtitles — a sign of how popular “Gangnam Style” has become worldwide.

Hank Conger’s throwing issues could be a concern for Angels
Los Angeles Times

Catcher Hank Conger has sailed two throws to third base into left field this spring. He bounced a late throw to second on Wednesday and nearly hit pitcher Jered Weaver in the head with a throw to second after the Angels pitcher finished his warm-up tosses before an inning.

Conger, a 2006 first-round pick who has spent much of the past three years at triple-A, is ready to hit in the big leagues, and his arm strength is adequate. But to nail down the job as Chris Iannetta’s backup, he’ll need to find a consistent-enough exchange and arm stroke to control a running game. He is still searching.

“On the practice field, he’s making a lot of strides, but at some point you need to bring that consistency into the game,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’re very confident he will, but he has to find it.”

Ryu piles up K’s, but Dodgers’ bats stymied
MLB.com

Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu — signed to a six-year contract worth $36 million over the offseason — held the Indians to two runs on three hits in three-plus innings. Ryu piled up five strikeouts, including three consecutive called strikeouts to Ryan Rohlinger, Drew Stubbs and Jason Kipnis in a swift third inning.

“Everything kind of worked for me, including control, command of the pitches,” Ryu said through an interpreter. I was able to execute pitches. Not only the fastball, but other pitches as well.”

Why South Korean Gamers Are So Pissed about SimCity
Kotaku

Upset about the rocky SimCity rollout? Take heart. You are not alone. Gamers in South Korea are also not happy campers. But it’s not just due to the inability to play.

Here’s what happened: When South Korean gamers couldn’t connect to servers, the official SimCity Korean Facebook page called out the country for piracy. You know, EA Korea’s paying customers. Talk about adding insult to injury!

Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee on ‘Cons’ of ‘Banshee’
AP via YouTube

Yi So-yeon Remembers Another Space Pioneer
Wall Street Journal

After the initial news was reported on Monday, little has been said in South Korean media about the death of U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. We asked South Korea’s first – and still only – space traveler, Yi So-yeon, for her thoughts about him. Ms. Yi in 2008 joined the crew of a Russian Soyuz flight to the International Space Station.

Life on Mars Time for JPL Scientist and his Family
Los Angeles Times

David Oh’s eldest son taped aluminum foil over his windows. His daughter painted a sign warning visitors away from the front door. His wife pulled the phone cord out of the wall and turned the couple’s cellphones off. David’s time on Earth had come to a temporary end — and he was taking his family with him.

7-year-old Girl Abducted an Raped in South Korea, Police Say
CNN

Police in South Korea have detained a man suspected of abducting a 7-year-old girl from her home and raping her, local police officials said Friday. The parents of the girl realized she was missing at 7 a.m. Thursday and looked for her before reporting it to the police half an hour later in Naju, a city in the southwestern province of South Jeolla, said Kim Il-kyu, head of the criminal investigation department in Naju.

Unification Church Founder on Life Support
Korea Herald

Rev. Moon Sun-myung, founder of the Unification Church, has gone into critical organ failure and is on life support, the church said in a statement on Friday. Moon will be moved to a medical center operated by the church, located east of Seoul in a place the church considers sacred, as doctors say his illness is “irreversible.” Moon, 92 was hospitalized at the intensive care unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul two weeks ago with complications from pneumonia.

13 is a Crowd in North York, Where Rooming Houses are Illegal
Toronto Star (Canada)

When Sienna Choi found the room for rent on a popular Korean website, she envisioned a cheap, cozy place near the subway. What she didn’t picture was a dozen roommates. After a quick tour of the Kenaston Gardens house near Sheppard Ave. E. and Bayview Ave. in North York, the 22-year-old English student agreed to take it. Arriving in Toronto in June, she moved there with a childhood friend also from South Korea, with the understanding that they would share a bed at a cost of $780 every four weeks.

His Photos Capture Asian American Experience
Philadelphia Inquirer

As thousands of Chinese and Chinese-Americans marched the mile from Manhattan’s Chinatown to City Hall in May 1975 to protest police brutality, Corky Lee snapped an image that made the cover of the New York Post: A man, his face bloodied after he was struck by a New York City cop, is led away from the crowd by other officers near City Hall.

South Korea, Obscured by a Northern Shadow
AFP

A chill wind swept Pyongyang’s Kim Il-Sung Square but the thousands of dancers were undeterred as they twirled to lively music from loudspeakers. So what were the songs about? Love? Marriage? Heartbreak? “This one is about Vinalon,” my official minder told me.

Inter-Korean ‘postman’ reconnects split families
AFP via Gulf News

Kim sends about 70 to 80 letters and packages every year to North Koreans at the request of families in the South. It takes roughly 30 days for letters to arrive and another 30 days for a reply to come back.

In the case of letters, Kim mails them from Japan, where he is based. But Tokyo restricts the contents of packages to the North to comply with UN sanctions, so those are sent through China.

Police Nab Man Suspected in Robbery, Beating of Korean-American Business Owner
Philadelphia Inquirer

Police have nabbed one of seven men allegedly involved in a violent home invasion and robbery of a Korean-American businessman and his wife at their Oxford Circle home in March. Lt. John Walker, of Southwest Detectives, said Thursday that Rashion Michaels, 21, of Callowhill Street near 61st, in West Philly, was arrested Wednesday and charged.

High School Football: Bishop Montgomery Soars Thanks to Kim’s Leg
Daily Breeze

Here was Jonathan Kim, on the heels of a missed field goal, lining up for the longest attempt of his life with the game, for all intents and purposes, pretty much on the line. No pressure, right? Kim made it look all too easy, sending a 52-yard field goal sailing through the uprights with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left to give visiting Bishop Montgomery the go-ahead points in a 24-16 nonleague win over surprisingly stubborn Contreras Learning Center on Thursday night.

K-Pop Finds a Breakout Hit
WNYC

It has been the Season Of Carly Rae Jepsen – until now. Jepsen’s hit “Call Me Maybe” has been the indisputable Song Of The Summer, and the video has topped YouTube’s music chart as well. But now she’s been displaced – by an invader from Korea. Psy is a chunky but loose-limbed singer/rapper/dancer from Seoul, and his song “Gangnam Style” has been a juggernaut in the world of K-Pop, as the Korean pop music scene is known, for much of the summer.

‘Gangnam Style’ Inspires Dance Competition in Los Angeles
Chosun Ilbo

A “Gangnam Style” dance competition will be held in the U.S. The Belasco, a famous theater-cum-club in Los Angeles, announced on its official website that the contest named after Psy’s hit song will be held this Saturday. The winner will walk away with prize money of US$1,000.

Myungqolgwan Restaurant: Home of the Fanciest (and Most Expensive) Korean Barbecue
CNNGo

Myongwolgwan, the Korean barbecue restaurant at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Seoul, is an unusual establishment for a number of reasons. First, it is the only Korean barbecue house run by a luxury hotel in Seoul.

Review: Bonsoiree
Redeye Chicago

Beverly Kim was perhaps the most controversial contestant on “Top Chef: Texas” earlier this year. Despite her quiet and seemingly sensitive personality, Kim at times became a target of other chefs’ frustration. Though some fans felt she was picked on, she made it to the respectable final four, and now has an entire restaurant, Bonsoiree, to call her own. Last week, the small-but-celebrated Logan Square spot reopened with a completely new menu, which Kim hopes has her name written all over it.

Kitchen Designer Barbara Bright
San Francisco Chronicle

The kitchen is where people gather the most. Even if you don’t cook, you are there every day. You’re there opening the refrigerator to get something to drink, you’re making coffee, you’re washing dishes. The kitchen I specialize in is a modern aesthetic.

Dong Hyun Kim Speaks Out on the Disadvantages Asian Fighters Face in the UFC
CagePotato

With a few notable exceptions like Dong Hyun Kim and Yushin Okami, Asian MMA fighters have struggled to live up to expectations while fighting in the UFC. While there are plenty of explanations for this, it appears the UFC doesn’t do these fighters any favors. In a recent interview, Dong Hyun Kim enumerated some of the issues faced by Asian fighters that are compounded by the UFC’s policies. Kim’s comments … touch on a number of concerns, including sponsorship issues and traveling fees.

Say Kimchi! Korean Food Comic
Kickstarter

Why has North Korea kept silent on Kim Jong-un’s wife until now?
Christian Science Monitor

Many analysts say that one of Kim’s major weaknesses is that he succeeded his father as leader of North Korea at too early an age; he is believed to only be in his late 20s. And some experts say the North’s admission that Ms. Ri is Kim’s wife is aimed at dispelling doubts about his maturity and experience. They say that by portraying Kim as a married man, Pyongyang hopes the North Korean people, as well as the entire world, will stop seeing him as a youthful, untested leader.

James Holmes, Seung-Hui Cho, and other young minds that kill
NJ.com

The Colorado and the Virginia Tech massacres are not isolated incidences. They form a new pattern of killings that is slowly taking the center stage.

2NE1, K-Pop Sensations, Heading To America for Two Shows
Billboard.com

CL, Dara, Bom and Minzy will head to 10 cities in seven countries this summer, including Newark, NJ on Aug. 17 and Los Angeles on Aug. 24. A 49-second tour trailer released earlier this month demonstrates the glittery fashion and eye-popping theatrics of a 2NE1 concert.

A Conversation with Beverly Kim, the Top Chef Alumna and New Partner at Bonsoirée
Chicago Magazine

Kim, known for her successful run on Top Chef, announced earlier this month that she and her husband, chef John Clark, would take over Bonsoirée (2728 W. Armitage Ave., 773-486-7511) from Shin Thompson in late August.

Dish: You met your husband when you were working at Opera, right?
Beverly Kim: He sent me his resumé at Opera. I had never met anyone who was passionate about Korean food. I interviewed him. And we had the same favorite Korean dish: chung gook jang. A fermented soybean paste soup—so fermented that it’s known for being really stinky, but it’s so umami rich and good for your health. Only if you were a Korean foodie, would you like it. Ever since we met, we’ve daydreamed about owning our own restaurant inspired by Korean food and taking it to a modern interpretation.

11 smart things David Chang said at City Arts & Lectures last night
Inside Scoop SF via San Francisco Chronicle

Chang was charismatic, self-deprecating, thoughtful, and kept the swear words to a virtual minimum. He converted some of the non-believers, and chatted with local chefs. Throughout the course of the evening, he shared his love of pioneering chef predecessors, Australia, bigger crayon boxes, Alice Waters, and challenging the status quo.

‘Sullivan & Son’: Vince Vaughn, Steve Byrne Talks New TBS Comedy
Huffington Post

Comedian Steve Byrne has been spending quite a bit of time in a not-so-swanky bar in Pittsburgh, PA on his new TBS show “Sullivan & Son,” with Vince Vaughn doing the behind-the-scenes legwork as executive producer.

The pair spoke with HuffPost via phone to discuss their new series, Byrne’s difficulty landing roles as a Korean-American and Vaughn’s new film “The Watch.”

Steve, what’s it like playing a character who’s loosely based on your life?
Byrne: It’s been a lot of fun. The biggest transition for me is going from doing a standup where you can be as outlandish or crazy as you want to such a structured environment. You have to stick to the script!

Korean culture blooms in London
Korea Times

“All Eyes on Korea,” a 100-day cultural festival introducing Korean culture to London and coinciding with the 2012 Olympic Games, is garnering attention. The event features many aspects of Korean culture from K-pop and K-drama to fashion, art exhibits and traditional music.

South Korea, Mexico open Group B with 0-0 draw
AP via San Francisco Chronicle

South Korea wasted a number of scoring chances against Mexico as the two teams opened Group B at the Olympics with a 0-0 draw on Thursday.

To achieve the highest highs, Symetra Tour pro Esther Choe had to reach the lowest lows
Syracuse Post Standard

Esther Choe has entered three Symetra Tour golf tournaments this year. She won two of them and nearly claimed another before losing last week in a playoff.
For Choe, the victories have been as sweet as they are satisfying. Once the nation’s best junior golfer, the Northern California native struggled for years after spurning a scholarship from the University of Arizona to turn pro at age 17.

South Korean artist set to launch homemade satellite
The Telegraph (U.K.)

Years of rummaging through back-alley electronics stores will pay off later this year for a South Korean artist when he fulfils his dream of launching a homemade, basement-built satellite into space.

Top 7 hotels for summer in Korea
CNNGo

Vacation in the city: Spas, pools and packages at hotels in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island

Ryan Jongwoo Choi’s No-Spill Magic Tray Concept
core77

Here’s an interesting concept: UK-based design student Ryan Jongwoo Choi’s anti-dish-dropping Magic Tray concept. Choi wanted to design a tray that would make it easier for restaurant servers to carry dishes, bowls and plates with little danger of spilling them. The Magic Tray thus has interior magnets, as do the dishes and vessels themselves; hence everything sticks fast to the tray.

Culinary Combat

Chef Beverly Kim reflects on her experiences as a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef: Texas.

by Monica Y. Hong

Chef Beverly Kim used to make dinner for her parents on Valentine’s Day and cook French food for extra credit in junior high—any excuse to get her hands dirty in the kitchen. These days, inspiration comes from Asian flavors and the dedication to her craft shone through on Bravo’s Top Chef, where she competed against 29 other chefs, making it to the top 7.

After the 32-year-old Midwest native was eliminated, she proved herself a warrior when she bested a handful of other castoffs in the “Last Chance Kitchen” web series to get back on the show and ended up finishing in an impressive fourth place. The chef de cuisine at Chicago’s Aria restaurant took time out after a busy lunch rush to chat with KoreAm.

KoreAm Journal: Did you watch the show?
Beverly Kim: Oh, absolutely, I’ve watched all the episodes. It’s been sort of nerve-wracking to watch myself on TV. Even though I know what happens, it’s the first time I see how they’re going to edit it and how it’s going to be portrayed. So my whole body is shaking as it starts and my heart starts racing.

KJ: Do you think it was a fair representation?
BK: I think that it’s hard to capture the totality of anybody in a one-hour show. They portrayed me as a very nice person, a good person, a very open person, and a really hospitable person. Maybe a little bit on the meek side, but I think they tried to play it where my strengths really came out and that I was trying to prove myself through my work and my craft. I think that it was fair to who I am.

KJ: Did you feel like you were the underdog? Continue Reading »

Photo via CTV (Canada)

North Korea Reaffirms Plan to Launch Satellite
New York Times

North Korea intends to press ahead with its plan to launch a satellite into orbit next month, according to a government statement issued Tuesday, rebuffing President Obama and other world leaders who have told the country to cancel the launching or face the loss of food aid and additional sanctions.

The North’s announcement came shortly after Mr. Obama and other leaders at a nuclear security summit meeting in Seoul condemned the planned launching — given the possibility that it is a cover for developing missile technology — as a provocation and violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution, as well as a waste of millions of dollars that could be used to buy food.

Obama Has Made a Mess of the World Bank Succession
Bloomberg

Barack Obama’s decision to nominate Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim to head the World Bank has been well received.

The prevailing view is that Kim is a smart solution to a tricky little problem: How to maintain a strong U.S. role in the bank while bowing to the growing economic might of developing nations such as China.

World Bank Chief Nominee to Visit Korea
Chosun Ilbo

Korean-born Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim, or Kim Yong, who was nominated by President Barack Obama as the next World Bank president will visit Korea as part of a seven-nation tour to drum up support for his candidacy.

Kim was scheduled to start his tour on Tuesday and also visits Ethiopia, India, China, Japan, Brazil and Mexico. The World Bank’s 25-member executive board meets in April to select its new leader.

S.F. suspect charged with 5 counts of murder
San Francisco Chronicle

The suspect in the bloody slayings of five people in a San Francisco home was charged Tuesday with five counts of murder with special circumstances, making him eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.

Prosecutors say Binh Thai Luc, 35, of San Francisco murdered four members of a family and an unrelated woman in a row house at 16 Howth St. near City College of San Francisco. The special circumstances allegation is that Luc committed multiple murders, said Omid Talai, a spokesman for District Attorney George Gascón.

Fighter pilot donates bone marrow
Korea Herald

Air Force Major Lee Myeong-woo of the First Fighter Wing has donated bone marrow to a leukemia patient, the Air Force announced Wednesday.

According to the Ari Force, Lee registered with the Korea Marrow Donor Program as a potential donor after the story of Brian Bauman was made known in 1996. At the time Lee was studying at the Air Force Academy, and has since been serving as a fighter pilot.

Bauman is a Korean-American who was adopted by American parents. He suffered from chronic myelogenous leukemia but had difficulty in finding a bone marrow donor.

Lee was contacted by the Korea Marrow Donor Program at the end of last year.

“I wanted to donate as soon as the call came, but I was not able to answer immediately as I am a fighter pilot,” Lee said.

Hana to cater to Asian customers in US
Korea Times

Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tae said Wednesday that the nation’s second-largest financial group will cater to Asian immigrants in the U.S. as part of its global business strategy.

The 60-year-old lifelong banker said that the group will offer retail financial services for Asian-American individuals by employing employees from their home countries.

“We will broaden our business to reach all Asian immigrants in America to expand our markets,” said Kim during his first press meeting since he took the helm of the holding company last week.

Hana is expanding its presence in the U.S. to find new revenue sources in the world’s biggest market. It bought a controlling stake in Los Angeles-based financial holding company Saehan Bancorp last month, whose main customers are Korean immigrants in the city.

10 Best Korean BBQ Restaurants in Los Angeles
LA Weekly

Los Angeles’ Koreatown probably doesn’t need another BBQ place — well, at least not another Korean one. There seems to be a restaurant with tabletop grills in every plaza, strip mall and food court, cannibalizing another one’s business two doors down or across the street. Let’s be blunt: Entrepreneurial first-generation Koreans are noted more for their work ethic and competitive streak than for their originality. Still, we love Korean BBQ and can’t complain about having so many specialty restaurants to choose from. Turn the page for our picks for the 10 best Korean BBQ places in town.

K-Pop Tycoon Opens Innovative New York Restaurant
Chosun Ilbo

The pop music tycoon Park Jin-young has opened a Korean restaurant named Kristalbelli in Manhattan, New York. At a press conference in New York, Park said, “I think the image of Korean food is as important as its popularity. To give foreigners the impression that Korean food is fine cuisine, we need to target trend-setters.”

Located on 36th Street near Koreatown, the 600 sq. m restaurant is as luxuriously decorated as any fancy bar.

The pièce de résistance is convex mirror-shaped crystal grill developed by Park himself. Park said people in his management agency JYP Entertainment opposed the plan, warning him against stepping into a field he is not familiar with, “so I made drawings for the grill myself. I invested W30 million (US$1=W1,135) of my own money, and had them broil meat on the grill and eat it. Then they agreed to the plan.”

Korean traditions challenged as mixed marriages soar
UPI.com

Jinseng Park recently opened the doors of his Seoul psychotherapy clinic to foreigners.

“Korean society has been the same for 5,000 years,” he said in a phone interview. “Many of us aren’t used to seeing any color. When I visited the U.S., I was confused because there were so many people of different ethnicities. But it’s certainly changing here.”

And with diversity, it seems, comes acceptance.

Over the last five years, Park has seen more multicultural couples in his clinic. Expatriates, whether from China, Vietnam, Canada, or the United States, are becoming part of Korean families and a once-strict adherence to “minjok” (pure blood lineage) is losing its grip.

There were 35,098 marriages between foreigners and Koreans in 2010. That’s up from 12,300 reported 10 years prior.

Spouses share their tales of life wedded to Koreans
Korea Herald

“His mother was very approving but his father was not. He didn’t say we shouldn’t get married ― he said we wouldn’t,” Christine recalled at a panel discussion on intercultural marriage in Seoul last week.

“His father was not open to the idea at all. He had never traveled outside of Korea and he had never had friends who were expats or from other places.”

However the frosty patriarch eventually thawed when she became his caregiver while he was ill with cancer in the States.

“In the end he said: ‘Yes, you can marry this girl.’” Christine said.

From then on, married life with a Korean has been enjoyable and interesting, she said ― though her husband now knows far too many of the Kimeru insults she used when they bickered early on in their relationship.

Jeremy Lin had lunch with the since-fired editor who inadvertently referenced his heritage
Yahoo Sports

In February, a few eagle-eyed NBA fans spotted what turned out to be an inadvertently racially insensitive headline penned by an editor on ESPN’s mobile site. The cliché “chink in the armor” was used to describe Asian-American New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin’s turnover-prone growing pains, but because the first word in the headline can also be used as a racial epithet to describe Asians, the editor was eventually fired. Anthony Federico, the editor, claimed that his use of the phrase, while distressing, was unintentional. And we believed him.

On Tuesday, Lin had lunch with the editor, in an attempt to show that there were no hard feelings. Outside of ESPN re-hiring Federico, this is as good as these stories usually end.

Chef Beverly Kim on ABC7 News at 11 a.m.
ABC News

It was a rollercoaster ride for Aria chef Beverly Kim on Top Chef: Texas. The Chicago chef was eliminated in Episode 11 when chefs had to prepare a dish, inspired by an upcoming gothic film adaptation of Snow White.

However, Kim won the “Last Chance Kitchen” to return to the main competition. Kim was eliminated again just one episode later. Kim was one of six Chicago chef contestants on Season 9 of the popular Bravo show. Chef Beverly Kim is back at work as Chef de Cuisine at Aria Restaurant at Fairmont Chicago. Kim prepares one of her signature dishes Kimchi.

JOIN KOREAM