Kal Penn and John Cho on Tonight Show with Jay Leno
channel APA

Actors John Cho & Kal Penn landed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote their upcoming film “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas“. They start off chatting about their connections with President Obama from working at the White House to being invited there. The duo also talk about their very first press tour and the similarities to their Harold & Kumar characters. Watch a special clip from their movie.

Glendale man arrested on suspicion of stealing Korean Americans’ IDs
Los Angeles Times

A 49-year-old Glendale man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing the personal information, including Social Security numbers, of more than 90 Korean-Americans, police said.

Dong Ho Han, who is being held in lieu of $4.6-million bail, was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of identity theft, possessing a forged driver’s license or identification card and possessing pills without a prescription, according to Glendale police reports.

“There is no indication of what he was going to do with them,” Financial Crimes Sgt. Harley Wing told the Glendale News-Press.

Police stopped Han about 2:30 a.m. at Los Olivos Lane and Moore Street for a traffic equipment violation when they discovered he was on probation for forgery in Santa Barbara County, Wing said.

During a search of Han’s car, police found dates of birth and Social Security numbers for more than 90 Koreans, he said.

Police also found prescription pills, including Oxycontin and Methadone, three or four signed blank checks and four passports in his name, but with different dates of birth, Wing said. Han also had $3,200 in cash, Wing added.

Illinois Fugitive Hyungkyu Choi
Chicago Tribune

On Sept. 28, 2011, a father told Naperville police that his 13-year-old daughter had been sexually abused by her martial arts instructor, Hyungkyu Choi.

Five days earlier, about 2 a.m., the girl told her dad, Choi drove her to one of the YK Martial Arts Studio locations in Naperville, and sexually abused her there.

A doctor interviewed and examined the minor that day, and the minor disclosed to him that she had a relationship with Choi over several months and they had sexual contact twice between July and September.

Choi was 26, twice the alleged victim’s age.

After meeting with police on Oct. 1, Choi fled the country for South Korea on Oct. 6.

joy osmanski’s in the new animated fox show allen gregory
angryasianman

Heads up. Our friend, actress Joy Osmanski, stars in the next FOX animated series Allen Gregory, which premieres this Sunday, October 30 as part of the network’s animation block (right after The Simpsons). Joy supplies the voice of Julie DeLongpre, Allen Gregory’s sister.

SKorea: Singer, judge discuss race prejudice
Asian Correspondent

A top star and a judge, both middle-aged, have joined hands in Korea and America to overcome the difficulties of being mixed-race. They have spent over 50 years of life in different places but when they meet their faces seem both similar and different. 54-year-old singer In Soon-yi, the child of a Korean mother and a black American father who was serving in the Korean war, and 56-year old Judy Draper, a Korean-American judge, met at a restaurant in Bangbae-dong, Seoul, on the 20th. Their meeting was arranged after the Ministry of Foreign affairs and Trade (외교통상부) brought Draper to Korea on the 17th after she became a well-known Korean-American after being made a circuit judge in St. Louis, Missouri. Judge Draper, who brought her multicultural son with her, came to know In Soon-yi when she learned were both doing similar work at the Pearl S. Buck Foundation Korea (한국펄벅재단) and requested that the Ministry arrange a meeting.

A spokesperson for In Soon-yi said that “as soon as in Soon-yi met Judge Draper they embraced… As mixed-race Koreans they each overcame discrimination and never gave up, working to be treated fairly, and each was touched by that.”

Seoul, US cautiously move on 6-party talks
Korea Times

South Korean officials Wednesday remained mum on high-level talks between North Korea and the United States on how to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations but said the communist state had shown seriousness in a recent flurry of diplomacy.

A Seoul official said the government was waiting for a full briefing from Washington before making any comment. But he added on condition of anonymity that in two rounds of contact between the Koreas, running in conjunction with the U.S.-North talks, Pyongyang had been “quite serious.”

The cautious approach echoed that of U.S officials, who after the two-day session in Geneva earlier this week, said talks had been positive, while stamping down hope for an imminent breakthrough. Stephen Bosworth said the sides had narrowed differences on resuming six-party talks but did not elaborate on areas of progress.

Korean Skating Champ Yuna Kim Collaborates on Ceramics Line
ABC News

Figure skater and Olympic champion Yuna Kim is launching her own ceramic collection, “YUNA,” in collaboration with a Korean ceramic company.

“I wanted to do something with my career that could spread awareness of Korean culture,” said Kim at the YUNA showcase at Shinsegae department store on Thursday. “And I chose the most Korean brand.”

She referred to the porcelain manufacturer Kwangjuyo. The upscale, traditional, handmade pottery-maker is known for its drive to develop and introduce Korean food globally.

Faculty Spotlight: Born in Korea, Educated in America, Now Teaching In Singapore
Tisch Arts blog

SHINHO LEE
Assistant Arts Professor at Dramatic Writing Department
New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia

Raised in: Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea

Courses I teach: Grad Screenwriting I, Thesis Screenwriting I & II, Screenwriting Lab, Collaborative Film for 2nd Year Writing Students & 3rd Year Film Students, Feature Writing for 3rd Year Film Students.

Educated in: New York (BFA NYU Tisch Film & Television 2000; MFA NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing Department 2002), Los Angeles (MFA American Film Institute Screenwriting 2003)

Proudest Professional Moment: The Red Snow, a screenplay that I wrote while at Tisch Dramatic Writing Department, won 2003 Hartley-Merrill Award that was announced at Cannes Film Festival; The Chaser, a Korean film, that I co-wrote became a hit in South Korea in 2008 and is expected to be remade by Warner Bros., starring Leonardo DiCaprio; Sayonara Itsuka, a Japanese language film, that I wrote became the highest grossing Korean film in Japan in 2010.

I’m Now Working On: A love story set in New York City to be produced by Terence Chang (Tisch alum; producer of Face/Off, Red Cliff, Hard Boiled); A US-Korea co-production project that deals with the rumored to be true story about a Korean soldier who had a fling with Marilyn Monroe in 1954; A suspense thriller set in Singapore to be produced in 2012; An action blockbuster film set in four Asian countries to be produced in 2012-2013.

’21 and Over’ begins shooting in China
Variety

The young adult comedy co-starring Justin Chon began filming in China.

Miles Teller (“Footloose”), Justin Chon (“The Twilight Saga”), Skylar Astin (“Taking Woodstock”) and Sarah Wright (“The House Bunny”) star in the pic, which follows two childhood friends who drag their straight-arrow buddy out to celebrate his 21st birthday the night before an important medical school interview, in an evening of debauchery that spirals out of control. But when one beer leads to another, the evening spirals into a wild misadventure of debauchery that none of them will ever forget.

Designer Doo.Ri on Spring 2012, Illustrators, and Motherhood
StyleCaster

Earlier this week, we told you that Korean-American designer Doo.Ri Chung had just dressed Michelle Obama and is slated to design a capsule collection with Macy’s. At the press preview for her eponymous runway collection and contemporary Under.Ligne line, we had the chance to chat with the articulate, talented designer about her design inspirations, designing for two different markets, and how motherhood has changed her work. Read the interview transcript below, and click through to see our favorite looks from her Spring 2012 runway collection!

The Walking Dead Interview
SFX (U.K.)

Ever had moments when you have been so squeamish you haven’t wanted to do something?
Steven Yeun: I think it’s really cool in our cast that there’s just an understanding that you can’t be a wuss on a show like this. Even if you are squeamish, you can’t show up to work and be squeamish because then you’ll just get razzed from that point on. You just fit the standard that’s been set. That’s what so amazing about this cast.

S. Korean pitcher Park Chan-ho released by Japanese club Orix
Yonhap

South Korean baseball pitcher Park Chan-ho has been released by his Japanese cub Orix Buffaloes.

The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) club announced Monday that Park, 38, will not be retained for next season. The right-hander joined the Buffaloes before the 2011 season on a one-year deal.

The former Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star pitched only seven games for the Japanese club, and none after June, going 1-5 with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.29. He dealt with assorted injuries all season.

Nuclear Talks With North Korea Begin in Geneva
New York Times

GENEVA — The United States and North Korea began two days of talks here on Monday that American officials have said will test the ground for a possible resumption of wider discussions on North Korea’s nuclear program.

A convoy of vehicles brought Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, to the United States mission in Geneva exactly on schedule at 10 a.m. for the first round of talks with a team of American negotiators led by President Obama’s special envoy for North Korea policy, Stephen W. Bosworth. Clifford Hart, the American special envoy for the talks, said the American and North Korean delegations met for about two hours and made initial presentations that he described as “useful.”

Head of U.N. Humanitarian Aid Paints Dire Scene in North Korea
New York Times

North Koreans, especially children, urgently need outside aid to fight “terrible levels of malnutrition,” the United Nations’ humanitarian chief said Monday, in an appeal that came amid criticism that both Washington and Seoul were withholding aid for political reasons.

“Six million North Koreans urgently need food aid, but the outside world is not giving enough,” the official, Valerie Amos, said in a press conference after a fact-finding trip to North Korea last week. “We need to remember the most vulnerable people in North Korea are victims of a situation over which they have no control. They are suffering from no fault of their own.”

For New Yorkers, cooking classes demystify Korean cuisine
Yonhap

On a recent Saturday evening, Youngsun Lee, culinary instructor and executive chef of the popular Kimchi Taco Truck, welcomed 12 curious students to “The Korean Plate” cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in Manhattan.

Lee started the class by introducing a few basic Korean ingredients, including gochujang (red pepper paste), doenjang (fermented bean paste) and dried anchovies. Along the way, he shared anecdotes about the various ingredients and dishes from his childhood in Korea.

For the next three hours, the students made their first attempt at various Korean recipes, from the most famous dishes such as kimchi and bulgogi to the popular summer dessert of patbingsu, Korean shaved ice with sweet red beans and chewy mini rice cakes.

“These classes help people demystify Korean ingredients and dishes so that they can enjoy Korean food better at home and outside,” said Lee.

The Korean invasion: New Yorkers are screaming for the new wave of pop stars
New York Daily News

Check out this lengthy feature article written by KoreAm contributor David Yi about K-pop’s rabid fans, who descended on New York City for a sold-out concert over the weekend.

On a recent Monday afternoon, hordes of fans outnumbered tourists in Times Square, holding colorful cardboard signs outside of MTV’s TRL studios. The cheers weren’t for Katy Perry or Justin Bieber, but for a group of South Korean acts including B2ST and 4 Minute. One fan issued a familiar cry.

“Oh my God, this is a dream come true!” exclaimed Nicole Asmat, 19, who was part of the lucky audience inside TRL studios. A flood of tears drenched her face after one of her favorite stars held her hand from the stage.

“I haven’t seen this in years,” Peter Griffin, executive vice president at MTV said while peering at the crowd outside. “It reminds me of when ‘N Sync was here and the fans lined up around the studio.”

The OC guy who fought in Libya? Meet him
OCRegister

Chris Jeon did hesitate. But it was just once, he says, and it didn’t involve much soul searching. It worked like this: This summer, Jeon, a UCLA student from Mission Viejo, flew to Egypt. When he landed he headed east, traveling by train, bus and thumb to the front lines of the Libyan civil war.

And he did it all with his usual mix of confidence and more confidence. Then, at the edge of the rebel-held city of Ras Linuf, Jeon was stopped at a checkpoint. He was stuck there overnight, he says, during which he spent maybe 20 minutes wondering what he was doing on the edge of war, alone, thousands of miles from home. But when morning came and he was allowed to pass, whatever questions he’d brushed against were vaporized.

“After that,” Jeon says, “no doubts.”

Violinist Hahn-Bin set to shake up Washington Center
The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.)

Imagine Andy Warhol with Lady Gaga’s wardrobe, Davie Bowie’s makeup, Travis Barker’s hair and Hilary Hahn’s violin technique, and you’ll get an idea of Hahn-Bin.

The young violin star might be 24, Korean-American, transgender and an impressive classical musician, but in the show he’s bringing to Olympia’s Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday he’s trying to get you to think way beyond all that. Beyond Mozart, Gershwin and Piazzolla, in fact – beyond things that divide humanity and into something that connects us.

Whoa, BJ Kang Was A Total Jerk When He Arrested Raj, According To Raj [Rajaratnam]
Business Insider

Apparently when FBI agent BJ Kang arrested Raj, he was a total jerk.

You won’t believe what he said to Raj before he and five agents pulled him away from his family. According to a new interview with Raj in the Daily Beast, when Kang showed up at Raj’s front door in Manhattan at Sutton Place, he told the former hedge fund manager of the Galleon Group -

“Take a good look at your son. You’re not going to see him for a long time. Your wife doesn’t seem so upset. Because she’s going to spend all your money.”

Here’s an interesting profile on the Korean American FBI agent published by Reuters in late 2009.

Sexual Abuse Play – YouTube
TheYoungTurks

Korean-American Gina Kim shares the story of being molested by her uncle and how her mother dismissed the sexual abuse. She made a play out of her tragedy in a autobiographical play called Miss Kim.

Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng Nets 4th Goal of Season for Celtic
Chosun Ilbo

Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng scored his fourth goal of the season in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday to help Celtic beat Aberdeen 2-1.

In front of a raucous home crowd, the 22-year-old netted a well-worked opener for the home side 17 minutes into the game before defender Ryan Jack leveled for Aberdeen on the hour mark.

Korean dance, fashion show leave audience spellbound
Times of Oman

A troupe of Korean dancers with their colourful costumes and beautiful choreography thrilled an audience of women at the Grand Hyatt on Wednesday.

The dancers are part of the Korea-Arab Friendship Caravan, which is on a mission to improve ties between the East-Asian nation and seven Arab countries, including Oman, by showcasing Korean culture.

“When you have a very special friend and you want to feel closer to your friend, you have to show as much as possible about yourself to them, so after this event I hope you’ll feel much closer to my country,” said Choe Jonghyun, Korea’s ambassador to Oman, as he welcomed the audience.

The complete guide to Seoul taxis
CNNGo

Not only are Seoul taxis abundant and convenient (you can pay with credit cards or T-money public transit cards) but most come equipped with GPS navigation systems and Big Brother-esque black boxes to ensure proper conduct of both the driver and the customer.

Whether you’re a first-timer to the city and confused about the colors, or a local who doesn’t know about the change in rates at night, here’s our guide to Seoul’s many taxis.

John Cho: We get very excited about George Takei
7Live (ABC San Francisco)

Harold and Kumar have gone from White Castle to shooting Santa Claus out of the sky in “A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas.” One-half of the incredibly funny duo, John Cho, stopped by 7Live to chat for a while

John Cho talks about making the Harold and Kumar movies, meeting President Obama, eating dinner with the president of South Korea, showing Star Trek to troops in Iraq, being inspired by George Takei, and how “Flash Forward” came to an end.

The White House State Dinner welcoming South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his wife, First Lady Kim Yoon-ok, went off without a hitch last night and a good time was had by all.

Actor John Cho, who was born in Seoul, arrives for the Korean State Dinner at the White House. Cho had the good fortune to be seated at the head table with President Barack Obama and President Lee.

Dr. Peter Rhee, who helped save Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after her shooting, (pictured above with wife Emily), was also seated at the head table.

ABC News correspondent JuJu Chang (pictured above with husband Neal Shapiro) wore a deep purple dress made by Pamella Roland after putting it to an online vote. Chang told reporters at the event, “The wisdom of the crowd won out.”

The Ahn Trio (pictured above) attended the dinner and also gave a high-energy performance which was described as a fusion of jazz and classical music, according to the AP.

Cellist Maria Ahn (pictured in the blue dress) texted KoreAm: Obama gave me a kiss on the cheek after we played! Michelle gave me a hug like four times!! I can’t believe it still!!

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, dressed in a tuxedo, arrives at the State Dinner.

President Obama makes a toast during last night’s festivities.

The White House revealed the guest list for tonight’s State Dinner in honor of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

The list included the regular who’s who of Washington along with a handful of surprise guests including actor John Cho. The Star Trek thespian was the only entertainer — aside from the Ahn Trio, who are scheduled to perform — to be invited to the dinner.

Award-winning novelist Chang Rae Lee got the invite, along with fashion designer Christina Kim of Dosa, Momofuku chef David Chang and Dartmouth president Jim Yong Kim.

Other notable Korean Americans on the guest list are involved in politics in some sense and included overachieving brothers Howard and Harold Koh, Washington State Senator Paull Shin, Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and Virginia Delegate Mark Keam.

Jai Lee Wong, the executive director of Women’s Leadership Circles in Los Angeles, was also invited.

Earlier today, the White House hosted a luncheon which was attended by actor Ken Jeong as well as Olympic figure skating gold medalist Kim Yuna.

Notable omissions for the State Dinner: Actress/comedienne Margaret Cho, former D.C. schools superintendent Michelle Rhee, actor Daniel Dae Kim and KoreAm publisher James Ryu, who was quick to point out that he was invited to the luncheon.

See the entire guest list here.

South Korea Returns Fire After North Shells Disputed Waters
New York Times

The South Korean military returned fire on Wednesday after North Korean artillery shells fell in waters near a South Korean island the North attacked last year with a lethal artillery barrage, Defense Ministry officials said.

South Korean marines based on the island, Yeonpyeong, 75 miles west of Seoul, detected three artillery shots from a North Korean island around 1 p.m. Wednesday, the officials said.

Last November, North Korea launched an artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong, killing two marines and two civilians.

Check out our feature story from this month’s issue on how the island is coping with the attack seven months later.

First Look: ‘A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas’
Slash Film

It’s been three years in real time since we last caught up with stoner buds Harold & Kumar (in 2008′s Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) but it’s been six years of time within the movies since the two friends played by Kal Penn and John Cho last spent time together. Their third film, and their first in 3D (and first outright holiday movie) sees the pair reunited and, judging by the looks on their faces, back in trouble.

N. Korea reportedly attempting to assassinate S. Korean defense chief: sources
Yonhap News

North Korea is apparently trying to assassinate South Korea’s defense chief known for his hard-line stance against Pyongyang, government sources here said Wednesday.

A source said Seoul has “received intelligence” that North Korea is after Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.

Korean kayaker drowns in Otis
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

A 75-year-old Korean man who was vacationing in Maine drowned Tuesday morning after his kayak overturned on Beech Hill Pond, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Hong Sohn of Seoul, South Korea, was about 300 feet from shore when his boat capsized shortly before 10 a.m., according to Warden Sgt. Chris Simmons. Sohn tried to swim to safety before he sank below the water’s surface.

“Unsuccessful attempts were made from people on the pond to help him,” Simmons said. “He was approximately 30 feet from shore when he just quit swimming.”

SKorean police say stock broker jumped off building after suffering heavy losses
Associated Press via Washington Post

South Korean police say a stock broker has jumped off a high-rise residential building to his death after he apparently suffered heavy losses in the global markets turmoil.

Chief investigator Lee Kang-ho said Wednesday that a 48-year-old man surnamed Seo sent his colleagues text messages expressing remorse over the losses just minutes before he jumped from the building.

Jury orders death penalty for woman convicted of killing family
Los Angeles Times

A Southern California jury recommended the death penalty for a Chinese American woman who murdered her husband and two young sons in 2007.

S. Korean man found hanged in airplane toilet
Yonhap News

A South Korean man was found dead in an apparent suicide in an airplane lavatory on an international flight operated by an unidentified domestic air carrier, police said Tuesday.

The 43-year-old man, identified only by his surname Yang, an employee of a private company, apparently hanged himself aboard the flight departing from the Chinese city of Guangzhou for Incheon International Airport on late Monday, according to police.

Brian Myers: Korea’s most dangerous writer?
Yonhap News

He may be the most influential intellectual writer from the Korean Peninsula, but he is not Korean. He is obscure among domestic Pyongyang watchers but writes about North Korea for some of the world’s most influential media.

He is Brian Myers, an American who teaches international studies at Dongseo University in the southern port city of Busan. An academic, author and columnist, he contributes to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. It’s his status as an iconoclast that has won him fame.

Chefs champion tangy kimchi, the classic condiment of Korean cuisine
Charleston City Paper (S.C.)

Who knew there were so many Korean restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina?

To say that kimchi packs a punch is an understatement. It possesses a crunch rivaled only by the best pickles. If its spicy kick doesn’t knock you out of your flip-flops, then its sourness, the product of days, if not weeks of fermentation, certainly will. But if that doesn’t get you, the smell of garlic and fish sauce and onions and who knows what else will surely do the trick.

Pilot from missing Asiana aircraft had $1.7 million debt
Asia One

The missing captain from an aircraft that crashed near Jeju Island last month reportedly had massive debts from guaranteeing a relative’s loan.

Speculation concerning the intentionality of the accident was sparked as it was revealed that the pilot had signed up for around seven life insurance policies with dividends of US$2.8 million (S$3.4 million), just a month before the crash.

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/givLyeNS Smtown tvxq

Jackie Chan Retiring From Action Films http://t.co/VzrmWbOn

May Issue: Kim Il-sung: The Centennial -- Photo essay of North Korea's 100th anniversary of the nation’s late founder http://t.co/54ZJmsZu

Momofuku Restaurant Plans To Introduce Mold & Bacteria To Its Menu http://t.co/UzlX647s via @psfk

Video Roundup: LEGO World Record, 2PM Delivers Pizzas, Jessica’s Pitch http://t.co/JCAlKaMN