Age, military ties mark Kim Jong Un’s inner circle
Associated Press via Google News

Wherever North Korea’s young new leader goes, they’re there: a group of graying military and political officials who shadow Kim Jong Un as he visits army bases, attends concerts and tours schools.

As Kim Jong Un steps into the role of “supreme commander” less than two months after his father’s death, these officials can be seen in the background. They listen attentively as their leader speaks during “guidance visits” and stand at his side during group photos, smiling and clapping.

Since Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack in December, Kim Jong Un has assumed the mantle of leadership with apparent confidence. But this aging circle of advisers is never far behind, lending the young man gravitas and experience while making clear that he has the backing of the powerful military.

South Dallas protest fails to articulate the real problem [OPINION]
Dallas Morning News

A clerk working for Kwik Stop owner Thomas Pak, a Korean American, opened fire during the 2010 confrontation witnessed by a Dallas County sheriff’s detention officer. The cash register thief didn’t just try to run off, he also tried to assault the clerk, a relative of Pak. In December, another man brandished a knife during a confrontation with Pak. This neighborhood is one of the toughest in the city. Over the past month alone, within a five-block radius of Pak’s store, police have responded to at least 73 crimes, including 10 assaults and more than 12 robberies or thefts. Since October, there have been three homicides within a 10-block radius. There are at least two open-air drug markets nearby.

Does that make Pak a great humanitarian for braving all these dangers to keep his business open there? No. In fact, he openly admits he used a racial epithet during an argument in December with Jeffery Muhammad, a student minister at a nearby mosque. And Muhammad apparently responded with his own racial epithet. Pak apologized. But is his racial outburst really the issue here? If he apologized and is seeking mediation to end the dispute, why isn’t that enough to bring a pause to the picketing? Perhaps there’s more here.

K-Pop Leads Record Earnings from Cultural Exports
Chosun Ilbo

Korean pop culture generated record profits from overseas last year. According to statistics released by the Bank of Korea Monday, the industry earned US$794 million from exports of cultural and entertainment services last year, up 25 percent from $637 million in 2010.

This was the highest amount since statistics in the sector were compiled for the first time in 1980.

N. Korean women popular as brides: JoongAng Ilbo
Marmot’s Hole

The JoongAng Ilbo reports that female North Korean defectors are increasingly popular with South Korean men as brides.

One 46-year-old man running a Japanese restaurant in Cheonan who married a 37-year-old North Korean defector said he was hesitant at first to enter a relationship because he thought there would be a huge cultural gap, but his thinking changed “180 degrees” after meeting her.

He said he liked her purity/innocence, which was hard to find in South Korean women. He also liked her deep thoughts and her vitality, a product perhaps of the great difficulties she has faced.

Chicago restaurant couples must get creative to celebrate their relationships
Chicago Sun-Times

Yvonne Cadiz-Kim, who owns Belly Shack with her husband, chef Bill Kim, likes to surprise him with last-minute vacations.

Political Star Starts Fund to Benefit South Korea
New York Times

A South Korean software magnate and university dean, whose presidential ambitions are among the biggest unknowns in this election year, said Monday that he would start a charity to help tackle widening social and economic inequality, a major grievance here.

“I continue to reflect on what roles I can play for our society’s change for the better,” said the magnate, Ahn Cheol-soo. “Politics can be one of them.”

How Fashion Week Gets Made With Richard Chai
fashionista.com

For our inaugural edition of “How Fashion Week Gets Made,” Richard Chai, who will show his men’s and women’s collections together on Thursday, and was just named creative director at Filson, tells us about his design process, lack of sleep and reveals the location of his after party.

The Battle for Jeju Island: How the Arms Race is Threatening a Korean Paradise
OneEarth

Actor Robert Redford has joined the fight to prevent a military missile defense system from being built on Jeju Island.

I think the least that environmentalists, peace activists and supporters of democracy can do is express our outrage. You can take action now by visiting the Save Jeju Island Campaign website.

S. Korea’s ancient ‘farmer drink’ to hit US
AFP via Google News

A centuries-old Korean rice wine is enjoying a renaissance at home and in Japan, and is set to make inroads into a major new market as it gains ground on better known beverages such as soju.

Makgeolli, a smooth milky-white drink famed for its purported health benefits, will be produced overseas for the first time later this year when a brewery opens in Chicago, South Korea’s Baesangmyun Brewery has announced.

Under a deal with an entrepreneur based in the US city, some 50,000 bottles a month of makgeolli will be produced, a spokeswoman for the company said.

“This will be the first makgeolli brewery outside the country,” she told AFP without being drawn on the cost.

Independent Voter Project with Randall Park
channel APA

Comedian Randall Park is in a new PSA about the Independent Voter Project. Joining him in the PSA are actresses Jae Suh, Lynn Chen, and Joy Osmanski.

The Independent Voter Network (IVN) is a new kind of news network, an online news platform for communication between independent-minded voters, public officials, civic leaders, and journalists. The Independent Voter Network is dedicated to providing political analysis and rational commentary in an effort to elevate the level of our public discourse.

Playwright Lloyd Suh Talks About a Rebel Finding His Cause: Jesus in India
SF Weekly

We are all familiar with the story of Jesus Christ. But what about his lost years? Lloyd Suh, the author of American Hwangap, about a Korean father’s 60th birthday celebration, is back at the Magic Theatre with Jesus in India, exploring Jesus’ teenage years, when he runs away from home with his friend, Abigail of Galilee, to the East to explore who he is and who he wants to become. The play continues through Feb. 19. Suh talked with us recently about prequels, destiny and the universality of coming of age stories.

Hello Kitty jets: Cutest airplanes ever
CNNGo

Forget the YouTube videos. If you want a real dose of cute cat, book a flight with Taiwan airline EVA Air.

The carrier has recently launched three Hello Kitty-themed aircraft, on which everything from the fuselage to the flight attendants to the food is kitted out in the kawaii cat brand’s images.

Passengers have been purring with delight, according to Anna Wong, an EVA Air public relations officer in Hong Kong.

Oh the Lin-Sanity! China Has a New Hardcourt Hero
Wall Street Journal

Move over Yao Ming, China’s newest basketball hero is … Jeremy Lin?

Lin, a former Harvard star who went undrafted out of college, gives up 14 inches and roughly a hundred pounds to Yao, the former No. 1 draft pick and recently retired center of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. He’s also an American by birth, the California-raised son of Taiwanese immigrants.

But none of that appeared to matter to China’s basketball fans after the second-year player exploded for a career-high 25 points in leading the New York Knicks to a victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday then went on to top that effort with 28 points in a win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

U.S. Envoy Pushes for Improved Ties Between Koreas
New York Times

After weeks of uncertainty following Mr. Kim’s death on Dec. 17, Washington appeared ready to resume talks with North Korea about the terms of restarting six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. At the same time, it was reassuring South Korea that it would not let the North drive a wedge between the two allies.

Selling a New Leader in North Korea
New York Times

When Kim Jong-un made his debut as the North Korean heir apparent in September 2010, he looked so much like his grandfather, the closest thing North Koreans had to a god, that South Korean intelligence officials noted that many North Koreans who saw the young man for the first time on television broke down in tears.

“The regime wants its people to see Kim Jong-un as Great Leader Kim Il-sung reincarnated,” said Kim Kwang-in, head of the North Korea Strategy Center, a research organization based in Seoul that collects information from sources inside North Korea. “They fattened him up and gave him a thorough training — and plastic surgery, too, some even say — to make him look just like his grandfather.”

Since his elevation to leader after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in December, Kim Jong-un has been presenting himself as a near replica of his grandfather, Kim Il-sung — from the way he clapped his hands, walked with shoulders thrown back and stood tall with a paunch down to such details as his double-breasted greatcoat, high-trimmed sideburns, double chin and full cheeks.

Gi-Wook Shin: Focusing on the future of Korea
Stanford Daily

The Korean Studies Program has been particularly active since former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il’s recent death. On Jan. 18, they organized the panel discussion “The Korean Peninsula After Kim Jong-Il: Challenges and Opportunities,” featuring Shin alongside Katharina Zellweger, the Asia-Pacific Research Center’s (APARC) Pantech Fellow; former Korean Ambassador to the European Union Park Joon-woo, APARC’s Koret Fellow; David Straub, the associate director of the KSP; and Daniel Sneider, associate director of research for APARC. The panelists discussed a variety of North Korean affairs, including its future relationship with the U.S.

At the discussion, Shin said that he didn’t expect there to be any major changes this year. However, he anticipated a shifting relationship between North and South Korea next year, especially if the Progressive Party comes into power.

An Exhibition of ‘Women’s Work’ as Art and Social Commentary
The Tribeca Trib

In A Korean Woman in Modern Times, Won Ju Seo explores her dual identities of being a modern Korean-American woman through a Korean blouse made of square and rectangular pieces of silk. They represent “windows,” she says, through which she ex­plored the world—a freedom de­prived to many Korean women who grew up in a traditional Confucian culture.

Selling South Korea: No ‘sparkling’ brand image
BBC News

South Korea’s government has been trying to change the country’s international image – or rather its lack of one – for years.

And even those involved – like Peter Kim, brand manager for the Seoul government – admit it has been a tough sell.

“We’re among the world’s 13 largest economies,” he said. “But we still don’t have our own unique brand.”

Partly, he said, that is because for the past 50 years, South Korea has been focused on building the country, not marketing it.

Secret’s out: Philippines’ president says he’s dating Korean host of Manila TV show
AP via The Washington Post

The Philippines’ president, Benigno Aquino III, told reporters Wednesday that, yes, he is dating again. This time it’s a South Korean woman who grew up in Manila and works there as a TV show host and radio disc jockey.

Twenty-nine-year-old Grace Lee said on her TV program that “what the president said is true.”

Modern Koreans Much Taller Than Ancestors
Chosun Ilbo

Korean men were on average 161.1 cm tall and women 148.9 cm between the 15th and 19th centuries, anatomists at Seoul National University have found. Hwang Young-il and Shin Dong-hun based their analysis of the remains of 116 adults — 67 men and 49 women.

That was over 10 cm shorter than the average height of modern Korean men (174 cm) and women (160.5 cm) established in 2010 by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

8 Questions With Kevin Bobo, Associate Professor of Music (Percussion) of Indiana University Bloomington
8asians

In Bloomington, IN, which is where we live right now, we’ve discovered a huge community of musicians (because of the incredible music school), and recently met associate professor of music, Kevin Bobo, a Korean American (he writes, “half Korean with a cup of Buckeye and a dash of Bordeaux”).

Watch K-Pop Superstars Girls’ Generation’s American TV Debut
Spin

When we first heard that Girls’ Generation were scheduled to appear on both Live! with Kelly (that should be happening any moment now actually, set your DVR accordingly!) and Letterman, we were immediately anxious to know how Dave himself would greet them after their set.

What we didn’t know was that Regis and Bill Murray would be the show’s other guests, or that they’d be decked out in Super Bowl-inspired attire while bearing witness to SNSD’s first foray into American television. As far as cultural exchanges go, it was a perfect storm: three extraordinarily cantankerous old dudes sharing a stage with the South Korean ninesome as they performed “The Boys,” the fiery lead single from their American full-length debut of the same name. It’s like a dream.

“The Walking Dead” re-imagined as a cheesy 1980s sitcom
Angry Asian Man

AMC’s apocalyptic zombie drama, which includes Steven Yeun as Glenn, gets mashed up with the theme song to Growing Pains, and re-imagined as an impossibly upbeat 1980s-era sitcom.

Check the video out here.

Kim Yu-na Featured in U.S. Math Textbook
Chosun Ilbo

Figure skating champion Kim Yu-na is pictured in a math textbook for U.S. high school students. She appears in the part introducing trigonometry.

In the U.S., math textbooks commonly feature photos of sports stars’ performances to explain geometry.

Proposed Koreatown redistricting debated
Los Angeles Times

Alex Cha stood before the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission last week and told panel members: “As an Asian American living in the city of Los Angeles, I feel voiceless.”

He had gone to the San Fernando Valley meeting to protest proposed new City Council boundaries that call for Koreatown to be divided between two council districts. Disappointment over the proposal has run deep in the neighborhood, where over the weekend ministers complained about it to their congregations, and volunteers gathered signatures on protest petitions outside local grocery stores.

N. Korea quits football match with S. Korea
AFP via Yahoo News

A North Korean youth football team refused to play a South Korean side in a tournament held in China, citing cross-border tension after the death of leader Kim Jong-Il, an official said.

The two countries were preparing to play each other Monday in the southern Chinese city of Kunming as part of an annual regional event between young footballers from the two Koreas, Japan and China.

But the North’s players were ordered to leave the field before kick-off “due to a government policy not to deal with the South”, according to an official from the South Korean city of Incheon that helped arrange the event.

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.

Opening act Dia Frampton shines after ‘The Voice’
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Ohio)

“I’m learning a little bit more about my performance style,” said Frampton, who balances the gig with stops on her own tour.
During her time on “The Voice,” viewers commonly described Frampton as an indie artist. She made waves with performances like a slowed-down version of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” a tune she performed at a piano.

North Korea Warns South but Accepts Food Aid
New York Times

North Korea warned on Friday that a South Korean military drill around front-line islands could lead to a “full-scale war” as South Korean trucks crossed the border carrying private food aid for North Korean children.

The 180 tons of flour from the Korea Peace Foundation, based here in Seoul, was the first such aid shipment since the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, died on Dec. 17, leaving his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as leader.

INTO THE NEXT STAGE: A New Korean American Super Hero—The Ray
Rafu Shimpo

Asian Americans had to wait a long time before one of their own became a superhero and got his own comic book in 1994 when “Xombi” hit the stands.  It was published by DC (home of Superman and Batman) and was the alter ego of scientist David Kim, who used nanotechnology to keep himself alive by constantly regenerating his body when he was injured.
His book lasted 22 issues (including an issue #0) and was revived last year as a six-issue mini-series.

Jury indicts man in 1980 murder of store clerk
Fox 12 Oregon

On Jan. 18, 1980, 29-year-old Myong Su Cho was working behind the counter at the Plaid Pantry near Portland State University when an armed robber barged in and demanded money, police say.
Cho ran after the suspect, but was shot and killed a few blocks away, according to authorities.

Strategy with Kristy: John Kim Part One
Poker News

John Kim has played poker for a living for 14 years. He’s supported his wife and daughter through live and online cash-game winnings and has also accumulated more than $300,000 in tournament cashes. For this edition of the Strategy with Kristy podcast, brought to you by South Point, Kim talks about what it takes to be a professional poker player.

Off Camera, NK’s Star Anchorwoman Smiles
Wall Street Journal

While North Korea has been boring this week, simply churning out its normal churlish statements, China Central Television got a scoop by getting its cameras inside North Korea’s official TV station, Korea Central Television.

And more importantly, they met the network’s biggest star: Ri Chun Hui, the anchorwoman known for her intense delivery of the most important statements by the authoritarian government.

And she seemed charming. She smiled and spoke normally, without the fierce breathlessness she uses to deliver the news.

Sundance 2012: ‘For Ellen’ puts focus on the father
Los Angeles Times

Have breakfast with writer-director So Yong Kim, tell her how remarkable her new film is, and you’ll see her put her menu in front of her face in embarrassment. But hearing compliments on the quietly exquisite “For Ellen” is something the filmmaker is going to have to get used to. It’s that good.

The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, stars an excellent Paul Dano as the hard-edged and distraught Joby, a twenty-something hipster rock performer who’s lived only for his music and, on the verge of an unavoidable divorce, has to decide if he can live for something else as well, his young daughter, Ellen.

Having Thrived in America, Hyundai Takes On Europe
Business Week

Big car companies spend millions of dollars on ads to burnish their brands. But Hyundai Motor received one of its biggest boosts from an unlikely source: competitor Volkswagen (VOW:GR). In a video shot during the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn is seen praising the adjustable steering column on a Hyundai i30 compact, effectively anointing Hyundai as a top rival. “Nothing rattles,” Winterkorn said to his entourage in the amateur video posted on YouTube (GOOG). “Why can they do it? BMW can’t. We can’t.” The video has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.

Korea’s 2002 World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan to retire
AFP via Google News

South Korean footballer Ahn Jung-Hwan, famous for his dramatic goal in the 2002 World Cup, will retire next week, his agency said Friday.

In a press release quoted by Yonhap news agency, Moro Sports Korea said Ahn would hold a press conference Tuesday to announce his decision.

“Ahn returned from Dalian Shide in the Chinese Super League this year, and he was torn between continuing his career and retirement,” the agency said.

“He has finally decided it would be best for him to finish his career at this point.”

Aziatix announces their 2012 US Tour
allkpop

A bicoastal sold-out U.S. tour last year was simply not enough for AZIATIX and their fans. To kick off 2012, the three members have announced a 13-city tour starting in February, including a show at SXSW on March 16th.

Joel Brinkley: Is there hope for a North Korean thaw?
Chicago Tribune

Already, even in his first few days in office, Kim has offered indications that he may not preside over business as usual. North Korea watchers had predicted an unprovoked attack on South Korea — an off-used tactic to show that North Korea’s military should be taken seriously, even under new leadership. Nothing happened. Instead the state announced it would release prisoners, the first general amnesty in seven years. And then, for the first time, it agreed to allow a Western news agency, the Associated Press, to open an office in Pyongyang.

Poet Arlene Kim And ‘Season Of Frogs’
KUOW (Seattle)

First–generation Korean–American poet Arlene Kim recalls a traditional folktale her mother told her again and again: a cautionary tale about a disobedient frog. She reimagines the story in today’s poem, “Season of Frogs,” from her collection “What Have You Done To Our Ears To Make Us Hear Echoes?” published in 2011 by Milkweed Editions.

Off-Ramp interview with Korean-American filmmaker Andrew Ahn spurs “First Generation” debate
89.3 KPCC (Southern California)

In my interview with Andrew Ahn, the gay Korean-American filmmaker, whose short film Dolpremiered last weekend at Sundance, I said he was “first generation,” meaning he was of the first generation of his family to be born in the US.
And that started the debate that’s simmering online.

Michelle Rhee brings ‘listening tour’ to Sacramento
The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and education activist Michelle Rhee will hold a roundtable discussion about education issues from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I St.

Like Or Loathe? Verdict’s Out Over Doo.Ri For Impulse Only At Macy’s
Chicology (blog)

Judging by the new photographs they’ve just posted, which feature a bunch of un-styled, extremely basic Doo.Ri for Macy’s Impulse items, the Korean-American fashion designer has decided to play it safe, opting for much of the trademark jersey attire she has became known for (all bar that decent pleather/leather ensemble).

Becoming Urbanized: Photos Of The Human Condition
Huffington Post

Rapid urban growth is commanding more and more attention from global leaders as its impact spans infrastructural and cultural demands. This made us think about Eric Perriard and his photography.
Over the last few years, Eric has been investigating urban growth in Seoul, Korea and telling its story in a unique way.

SNSD to Appear on Two American TV Talk Shows Next Week
Soompi

According to SM Entertainment, the girls will be on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS next Tuesday, January 31. The following day, SNSD will perform “The Boys” during their guest appearance on “Live! With Kelly!” on ABC.

A representative of SM Entertainment stated, “SNSD is the first Korean singers to guest star on a talk show on any major American broadcasting channels. We received several love calls from popular TV shows following the release of ‘The Boys’ special album on January 17.”

Parks Fail to Sizzle in First Premier League Clash
Chosun Ilbo

Both players were brought on as substitutes at the Emirates Stadium, with Ji-sung coming out in the 76th to help set up the winning goal, and Chu-young making little impact after he was called into action in the 84th.

It took exactly four months and 23 days for the current Korea captain to play his first Premier League match after he joined a struggling Arsenal side on Aug. 30.

Video: Jeremy Lin's Big Slam - http://t.co/UiBQA7Tv #nba

Korean-American missionary to sue N. Korea for sexual torture http://t.co/cSRVNw5f

Wednesday's Links: David Choe; Margaret Cho; Korean Saunas, FBI Investigates former LA city worker; Robotic surgery http://t.co/YwVzIqcY

@wackycashew Yes, we do! Email jennifer@iamkoream.com for int'l rates.

Starbucks Employee Draws ‘Chinky Eyes’ on KA Customers’ Cups http://t.co/kCD5ggsU