North Korea vows to bolster nuclear deterrent
AFP via Google News

North Korea vowed Tuesday to bolster its nuclear deterrent and take “self-defence” measures unless the United States halts criticism and pressure over its rocket launches and atomic programme.

A foreign ministry spokesman was hitting back at a statement Saturday from Washington and other Group of Eight nations, which condemned Pyongyang’s April 13 long-range rocket launch.

Chinese fishermen say North Korean soldiers beat and robbed them
Los Angeles Times

Chinese fishermen released by North Korea this week after nearly two weeks of captivity alleged that they were beaten, robbed and stripped and given starvation rations in a case that has opened up a rare public rift between the Communist allies.

Rogue N.Korean Soldiers Suspected in Hijack of Chinese Boats
Chosun Ilbo

“North Korean troops largely need to survive on their own these days, and some impoverished units may have gone too far in their attempt to earn cash,” said a Unification Ministry official here.

Kindergarten teacher creates educational apps
North County Times (Escondido, Calif.)

When John Kim introduced iPods and educational apps to his kindergarten class last year at Donald Graham Elementary School in Wildomar, he was just beginning to see how much the children enjoyed learning with the devices.

This year, Kim has taken e-learning a huge step further. Students in the school’s four kindergarten classes now use iPads to help them learn reading skills, and Kim has become an app designer with four educational apps he created now on sale in the Apple App Store.

Asian marks
Philadelphia Daily News

A growing crime trend in the Philadelphia area has robbers targeting Asian-owned businesses.

The Haverford home invasion was just the latest targeting Asian American business owners outside their places of business. This and other recent attacks – including a March home invasion in Oxford Circle and a December robbery and shooting outside a Cheltenham bank – have so alarmed a regional task force of law-enforcement authorities that it has resumed meetings on the issue and is giving safety pointers to Asian Americans.

Baltimore man convicted of 2006 murder of Glen Burnie dentist
The Baltimore Sun

A Baltimore man serving a 60-year murder sentence now faces life without parole in an unrelated homicide in Glen Burnie, after he was convicted Monday of the first-degree murder of Dr. Albert Woonho Ro.

Dante Jeter, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced July 24 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court for his role in the fatal beating, stabbing and robbery on Sept. 26, 2006, of Ro, 51, a dentist well-known in the area’s Korean-American community.

Man charged with slapping loud kid in Kent theater
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

An Auburn man accused of smacking a loud 10-year-old at a Kent movie theater could face months in jail if convicted of the felony assault charge now filed against him.

King County prosecutors contend 21-year-old Yong Hyun Kim knocked out one of the boy’s teeth after the child and several other youths refused to quiet down and stop throwing popcorn in April.

The Ten Most Fashionable Asian-Americans In NYC
Village Voice

Two Korean Americans made Michael Musto’s list: CNN’s Alina Cho and David Chang of Momofuku fame.

Gallery: The unseen face of Pyongyang
CNNGo

German architect publishes English, German and now Korean guide to North Korea’s mysterious capital

Facebook Opens K-Pop Page
Chosun Ilbo

A K-Pop page opened on Facebook on Monday to deliver news about Korean pop stars and their new songs to fans around the world. Facebook is the second global user-content website to open a K-pop page after YouTube last December.

Krys Lee talks about her literary obsession
Korea Herald

Author Krys Lee found out what her “obsessions” are after writing her first collection of stories. They are “survivors of different forms,” or “people who don’t quite belong.”

And the Korean-American writer’s obsessions are evident in her powerful debut collection, “Drifting House” (Viking/Penguin Press). The stories take place in Korea, the U.S. and even North Korea, but all of her characters are struggling to survive and belong.

“I think my preoccupation with survivors has to do with the fact that I’m not just interested in the ordeal,” Lee told The Korea Herald in Seoul. “I’m also interested in the life after (their struggles) and how you move on, and how people forge a life in spite of all that.”

Bruce Iwasaki Named to L.A. Superior Court
Rafu Shimpo

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday announced the appointment of Bruce G. Iwasaki to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Iwasaki, 61, of Los Angeles has been a partner at Lim Ruger and Kim LLP since 2006.

Kirtland High’s Morgan Choe named Willoughby Rotary Club student of the year
The News-Herald (Ohio)

Morgan Choe, a senior at Kirtland High School with a cumulative grade-point average of 4.35 was selected Monday as the Willoughby Rotary Club student of the year.

Choe was one of four finalists from Kirtland High School, Andrews Osborne Academy, Eastlake North High School and Willoughby South High School.

A Talk with Peter Underwood, Part 2
Wall Street Journal

Peter Underwood, senior partner at IRC Ltd. in Seoul, recently published a book in Korean called “First Mover.” It examines the transition South Korean businesses and the country as whole is making into setting the pace in industries – a change from the historic role of “fast follower.”

In the second of a two-part interview, Mr. Underwood talks about some of the obstacles to change in South Korea:

Korean Culture Festival Draws Big Crowds in San Ramon
Patch.com (San Ramon, Calif.)

Hundreds gathered at Dougherty Valley High School over the weekend to feast on tasty Korean delicacies, colorful costumes, and lively and lyrical traditional music and dance.

The 2012 Korean Culture Festival on Sunday afternoon and evening featured Samul Nori performances by U.C. Berkeley’s EGO traditional drumming group, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations by Koo’s Tae Kwon Do Academy, dance by Urisawe, Hanna Kim and the Silk Strings GayYaGeum Ensemble playing the zither-like string instrument, and the Pacific Youth Choir and the Pacific Junior Choir singing delightful Korean folk songs.

North Korea releases captured Chinese fishermen, boats
Los Angeles Times

North Korea has released 29 captured Chinese fishermen and three fishing vessels, putting an end to a 13-day ordeal that raised questions about the stability of the Pyongyang regime.

The fishermen returned to the Chinese port of Dalian on Monday morning, the New China News Agency reported.

North Korea Urged to Back Down on Nuclear Test
New York Times

Senior American, Japanese and South Korean diplomats warned on Monday that North Korea would face more sanctions if it conducted a nuclear test following its failed rocket launch last month. But, in their first meeting since the rocket launch, they also urged the North to back down.

Man serving life for Tenafly murders faces credit card fraud charges
Bergen County Record (N.J.)

A New York man serving life in prison for a 2008 triple murder in Bergen County has a date in federal court in Newark this summer relating to his alleged use of stolen and fraudulently obtained credit cards.

U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden signed an order Wednesday requiring Kang-Hyuk Choi, 36, of Valley Stream, N.Y., to be brought before her on July 25 for what could turn out to be a one-stop plea hearing and sentencing on the credit card charges, according to court papers.

A Talk with Peter Underwood, Part 1
Wall Street Journal

Few foreigners are as knowledgeable and influential on the South Korean business scene as Peter Underwood, senior partner at IRC Ltd., the Seoul consulting firm that has been a bridge for international firms doing business here and vice versa for more than two decades.

Urged by friends, Mr. Underwood recently published a book in Korean called “First Mover.” It examines the transition South Korean businesses and the country as whole is making into setting the pace in industries – a change from the historic role of “fast follower.”

Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot goes to the Caribbean
Los Angeles Times

The new Venice restaurant from the Kogi BBQ truck founder resides in a vaguely Jamaican world. Pass the rum and roast lamb, and groove to the reggae beat.

The 10 K-Pop Groups Most Likely to Break in America
Rolling Stone

YouTube’s most-watched Korean pop music video, Girls’ Generation’s “Gee,” has earned 74,000,000 American views alone, even though most mainstream U.S. music fans have never heard of it. The song and video – a calculated, colorful, choreographed affair that sees the nine-member girl group smiling and winking for the camera in flirty outfits as they change formations and soloists without a hitch – epitomize how Korean pop music (K-Pop for short) has been able to break language barriers and captivate a passionate U.S. audience. More recently, acts have begun turning the interest into profitable American tour stops and announcing plans to officially release music stateside. And as if to officially christen the genre’s U.S. crossover potential as an internet phenomenon, Google will host a multi-act K-Pop concert at their California headquarters on May 21st, which will be livestreamed on their YouTube Presents channel.

Tiger JK Says Yoon Mirae will be Going to America with Far East Movement
Yahoo Philippines

Yoon Mirae will soon be stepping into America with Far East Movement, the Asian hip-hop group that topped the Billboard charts and produced some of America′s biggest summer club hits.

Tiger JK said on the May 17 broadcast of KBS2’s Happy Together 3 that his wife Yoon Mirae will “soon be going to America” with Far East Movement and that she’ll “be very successful soon.”

History of Korean rappers just may trace back to hatted Joseon Dynasty poet
Yonhap News

When asked to imagine early rappers, most people are hardly likely to conjure up the picture of a Korean man, dressed in humble clothes, sheltered from the rain by no more than a straw hat, walking across Korea with a staff and finding his lodging and food based on the wit, and sometimes ferocity, of his rhymes. And yet, the Korean poet who went by the name Kim Satgat could well be called the original rapper/battle-rapper.

Probation for Calif. man who killed motorcyclist
Cortez Journal (Colorado)

A California man was sentenced to probation in connection to the death of a motorcyclist on the Mesa Verde overpass last year after an emotional hearing Friday.

Joonwon Choi, 21 at the time of the incident, apologized in court Friday to Cindy James, the wife of 54-year-old Richard James, who was killed Aug. 5 when his motorcycle was struck broadside by Choi’s SUV after he ran a stop sign. Choi said he did not see the motorcyclist.

“I’m terribly sorry to you, your family and the deceased,” Choi said before choking up, unable to finish his statement.

Woman charged with pushing North Side alderman in breadcrumb dispute
Chicago Sun-Times

A 59-year-old Uptown woman is facing a battery charge for allegedly pushing a North Side alderman during a confrontation over feeding pigeons.

Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said he saw breadcrumbs on the ground near North Broadway and West Wilson and began to sweep them up. A woman then exited a car and a confrontation occurred.

Police said Young Kang told Cappleman, “You are the alderman; I voted for you. You should not be sweeping up breadcrumbs.”

Cappleman told police that Kang — listed in the police report as 5-foot-2 and 110 pounds — shoved him hard enough to physically move him into the street, then threw a handful of breadcrumbs at him, according to police. She then drove away in a gray Toyota Prius.

Anthony Kim to miss rest of regular PGA Tour season
USA Today

Anthony Kim will miss the rest of the FedEx Cup season to treat chronic tendinitis in his left arm.

Kim has made only two cuts this year and has withdrawn from his last three tournaments. Along with nagging pain in his left forearm, Kim hurt his right elbow when his club struck a rock while he was trying to hit out of a bush at the Texas Open.

New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap
Washington City Paper

There were Choco Pies, taekwondo demonstrations, and local pols shoring up the Korean vote at Saturday’s opening of the new Korean Bell Garden at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Va.

Vivid and Rare Colour Images of Prewar Seoul
KoreaBang (blog)

The following series of photos show post-division prewar Seoul in the months leading up to the devastating Korean War that flattened most of the country and took the lives of millions of people.

“Gook” is a bad word
Ask a Korean! (blog)

Dear Korean,

Lately, the guys at my school have started calling my Korean friends and I “gooks”. At first we just thought it was an immature thing that they had made up, but it turns out that when my older cousin was in middle school, her math teacher called her and all the other Asians the exact same thing. Is it supposed to be a racist word or just another name to call Koreans/Asians?

Sincerely, Confused “Gook” Girl

This post is more like a PSA, because the Korean believes (or hopes!) that most people would know about this. But apparently, at least some people in the world does not know this, so here it is:

New Jersey Town’s Korean Monument Irritates Japanese Officials
The New York Times

Two delegations of Japanese officials visited Palisades Park, N.J., this month with a request that took local administrators by surprise: the Japanese wanted a small monument removed from a public park.

Has North Korea Now Crossed China, Too?
International Herald Tribune

China is North Korea’s closest ally. Yet for many Chinese, exasperated tolerance seems to be turning to anger as reports spread of the abduction last week of 29 Chinese fishermen in the Yellow Sea by unidentified North Koreans, with the kidnappers reported to have demanded payment for their return.

UN: N. Korea evades luxury ban to smoke, drink, drive
MSNBC

Ten thousand rolls of tobacco, 12 bottles of Sake, and a handful of second-hand Mercedes-Benz cars are among the latest reported breaches by North Korea of a U.N. ban on luxury goods sales to the reclusive state, according to a confidential draft U.N. report.

Japan told a U.N. panel of experts that Pyongyang also imported thousands of computers and thousands of dollars worth of cosmetics and that almost all the goods were shipped through China, it was reported in the draft seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Thousands Pay Tribute to 1980 Gwangju Victims
The Wall Street Journal

Thousands of people gathered in Gwangju on Friday to mark the 32nd anniversary of the one of the most tragic and disgraceful episodes in South Korean history – the suppression of democracy protesters by the South Korean military.

Several hundred people in the southwestern city died at the hands of South Korean soldiers during three days of violence that began on May 18, 1980.

Kim Jong Un Is an Internationally-Renowned Author
The Atlantic

North Korea’s state-owned press is known for making up flattering things about its leaders. Kim Jong Il, for instance, invented the hamburger and routinely shot “3-4 hole-in-ones” every time he played golf. Now, with Kim Jong Un sitting atop the throne, it’s time to nurture a new cult of personality. Today, that means hyping The Outstanding Leader’s authorial genius. With this earth-shattering headline, the Korean Central News Agency is proud to report: Kim Joung Un’s Work Carried by Bangladeshi Paper.

Korean-American Business Leader and Newsman Eying Meng’s Seat
City & State (New York, N.Y.)

A former newspaper editor, who is now the CEO at Korean American Chamber of Commerce of New York, has taken an initial step towards running for Queens Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s seat.

Myungsuk Lee, who for 15 years worked as editor of the Korea Times, has registered a campaign committee to fundraise for a run in the Flushing-based district.The seat is 78 percent Asian-American, and Lee’s strong business credentials and community ties would appear on paper to make him a contender if he goes forward.

Momofuku Restaurant Plans To Introduce Mold & Bacteria To Its Menu
PSFK

David Chang is a famous Korean-American chef who is known for his trendy restaurant group Momofuku. Now, the celebrity chef and his team have teamed up with Rachel Dutton, a Harvard microbiologist, to develop a one-of-a-kind tasting menu. Chang hopes to find unique strains of bacteria and mold to introduce in his dishes.

FDA bans Korean shellfish from U.S. distribution
The Washington Post

An agency analysis of the Korean shellfish program found unacceptable water pollution levels in shellfish-growing areas and periodic detection of norovirus, a common cause of acute gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Illustrator finds beauty in Toronto’s back alleys
Globe and Mail (Canada)

[Michael] Cho, well-known in comic-book circles for his off-beat illustrations of superheroes, has spent years drawing the lanes and jumbled backyards around Little Italy for his new book of drawings, Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes. Like the artists who painted the city before him, stretching back to the Group of Seven’s Lawren Harris and Albert Franck, Mr. Cho set out to capture the beauty that’s in the ordinary. It was a highly personal project for him.

Little women of Korean cinema
The Korea Times

The women in these works are of decorative value; they may have onscreen presence and beauty yet strikingly little depth in character. Their lines are cringe-worthy (conveniently lost on most Cannes audience and jury members who will watch with subtitles). Most of all, they are weak, accessories to male co-stars.

One of the oldest stories — beaten to death, really — in Korea’s epicenter of motion pictures Chungmuro, is the supposed lack of leading ladies who are both bankable stars and gifted thespians.

Korean Adoptee Becomes French Deputy Minister
Chosun Ilbo

Fleur Pellerin, a Korean orphan who was adopted by a French family when she was six months old, has been appointed deputy minister in charge for small business and the digital economy by France’s new President François Hollande. Hollande announced his 34-member Cabinet on Wednesday afternoon.

Into the Next Stage: Lots of Asian American Regulars Among the New Fall Television Shows
Rafu Shimpo

This week, we got the annual “out with the old, in with the new” reports as the television networks announced their new 2012-2013 line-up. Although a few shows featuring Asian American regulars got canceled, a lot more seemed to be green-lighted to series for the fall or as mid-season replacements for the shows that fail.

Edmonds-bred K-Pop star Jay Park’s ‘Fresh Air’ mixtape
Seattle Times

Korea-via-Edmonds singer/rapper/dancer Jay Park has a new mixtape out, “Fresh Air: Breathe !t.” Download using the link below. Listen to my pick for the best song above, the slumping Bay Area-inspired rap track “You Know How We Do.”

‘Mrs. Eastwood’: Easy to see why Clint took a liking to her
Chicago Sun Times

Clint Eastwood’s wife Dina is getting her own reality show on E! and apparently has a quirky Korean American housekeeper.

Inside the home the vibe is casual, controlled chaos presided over by the family’s longtime Korean-American housekeeper, Lisa, who’s bursting with spin-off potential. In the pilot, Lisa gets a nose stud, which is funny. And then she pulls it out, which is even funnier.

Choo a quick study in leadoff role
Indians.com

It is still unclear who will be the Indians’ best leadoff option over the long term. For now, though, they seem to have found a temporary solution in Shin-Soo Choo.

Choo — who has also hit third, fourth and sixth in the lineup this season — was hitting .462 (6 of 13) entering Thursday, with two doubles and a home run in three games since moving to the leadoff spot. He had a season-high three hits in Wednesday night’s 9-3 win over the Mariners.

MILLER: Injured vet’s guns stolen by D.C.
Washington Times

After being pulled over, handcuffed, arrested, thrown in jail overnight, [Augustine Kim's] guns were confiscated by the city.

In the end, the platoon leader felt forced to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge, which was later dismissed, but the District still refuses to return to him $10,000 worth of firearms and parts. The national guardsman will deploy to Kosovo this summer. The city should return his property before he leaves to serve our nation overseas for the third time.

Why Facebook Matters to This White Mom Raising a Kid Who’s Not
Japanistic.com

To help this person understand, I  explained that I needed to reach out to other families like mine and to people of color who might have faced similar situations. I needed perspective, and didn’t know if, in fact, my husband I were over-reacting and needed a reality check. I needed to “talk” to those I know and respect and hear what opinions others had.

This was not something that was possible in the smaller community of my son’s school. Yes, it’s fairly diverse, but not enough for the  kind of feedback I was looking for. Thus, I went to Facebook. And yes, it helped.

New World Bank chief is committed to the poor
Business Day (South Africa)

Jim Yong Kim, born in South Korea, has spent his career in healthcare in developing countries. His commitment to the poor cannot be doubted.

South Korean activists detained in China: Seoul
AFP via Yahoo News

Four South Korean activists have been detained in China since March on suspicion of spying after they interviewed North Korean refugees living in hiding there, according to an anti-Pyongyang group.

South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed the four were arrested in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian on March 29 on charges of “endangering state security.”

Myanmar Vows to Cease Buying Weapons From North Korea
New York Times

South Korea has received assurances from Myanmar that it will no longer buy weapons from North Korea, an aide to President Lee Myung-bak said Tuesday.

N. Korea stops sending out GPS jamming signals against S. Korea: source
Yonhap News

North Korea appears to have stopped jamming satellite signals in an apparent attempt to disrupt air and maritime traffic navigation systems in parts of South Korea, a high-ranking government source in Seoul said Tuesday.

The North has been blamed for global positioning system (GPS) disruptions that affected hundreds of commercial flights and ships in and out of South Korea since April 28, although no damage was caused as all had backup navigational systems.

In China, English teaching is a whites-only club
MSNBC.com

Speak a little English and are willing to relocate? Well, you’re probably qualified to be an English-language instructor in China.

As long as you are white, that is.

New Claim in Gambling Monks Scandal
Wall Street Journal

An exiled monk who dropped a bombshell by releasing a video of eight senior monks smoking and drinking while playing poker in a hotel room detonated another explosive on Tuesday.

Seong-ho, whose real name is Jeong Han-young, told a morning radio show that two leaders at the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, including the head monk, went to a “room salon,” or late-night drinking bar in southern Seoul, where he claimed the monks paid for sex.

Poirier expects to dismantle ‘Korean Zombie’ Jung
USA Today

Dustin Poirier believes he can draw out the Chan Sung Jung that slugged his way to a “Korean Zombie” nickname.

“He likes to get in there and throw punches, so I think if he gets hit on the chin, it’s going to go back to a brawl,” says Poirier, who will face Jung on Tuesday for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “I’m expecting to pick him apart.”

Shin-Soo Choo is Tribe’s newest leadoff hitter
Cleveland Plain Dealer

Acta put Choo in the leadoff spot that time to get him some extra at bats. This time around, Acta is more interested in Choo’s .361 on base percentage.

“We need somebody to get on base,” said Acta. “Choo has a good on base percentage. The league average is .319.”

Jessica Jung First Pitch Fail: Korean Singer Makes Terrible Throw (VIDEO)
Huffington Post

Thanks to 23-year-old Jessica Jung, baseball fans everywhere now have a new video instructing the proper mechanics of how not to throw a baseball.

Jung is a Korean-American singer and dancer best known for her work in the nine-girl group, Girls’ Generation. Escorted to the mound by two mascots of the Seoul-based LG Twins, Jung prepares her pitch with a long wind-up before unleashing her best heat.

Udine 2012 Review: UNBOWED
Twitch Film

Following its release earlier this year during the lunar day holiday, Unbowed met with much the same reaction as last year’s Silenced. They were both incendiary courtroom dramas based on real events that became big commercial and critical hits while also serving to open up long overdue national dialogues about Korea’s justice system and its rampant cronyism. In fact, in the space of just a few months there were three high profile Korean courtroom dramas that connected with audiences, the other being The Client (2011), itself a strong feature which also alluded to problems in the country’s legal system but was mostly a generic (and fictional) piece.

CIA agent on using his wife to smuggle equipment … and how ALL North Koreans are obsessed with porn
The Daily Mail (U.K.)

He learned about blood feuds from Afghan tribal leaders and he learned that al Qaeda terrorists and enemy agents from North Korea all have a weakness for porn.

Crumpton said: ‘I never met a North Korean that did not like pornography.’

Telling interviewer Lara Logan what he would have to do in his line of work, Crumpton said: ‘Supplying porn to a North Korean official to entice them to spy for America, along with money or whatever else it might take. Well, for me the answer was yes, I was willing to do that.’

With her child’s birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond
Los Angeles Times

Former KoreAm editor Corina Knoll writes this great first-person piece on her adoptee experience.

Abandoned in Korea and arriving in the U.S. at 2 not knowing how to hug, a mother who had feared that detachment was part of her nature takes joy in her infant son.

A Day For Forgotten Moms of Korean Adoptees
Wall Street Journal

But even less talked about than that goal is the fact that most children put up for adoption are the product of relationships between men and women who don’t marry. And the shame over that is heaped most heavily on the woman carrying the baby.

That’s why, for the second year in a row, several groups that promote the rights and welfare of single moms (unwed, divorced, widowed, you name it) have banded together to declare that Adoption Day also be recognized as Single Mothers’ Day.

North Korean women sold into ‘slavery’ in China
The Christian Science Monitor

“A lot of women come to China not knowing what they are getting into,” says Ms. Kim, who escaped the farmer with her family but was caught by Chinese police and then sent back to North Korea. “Women are secretly sold in China.”

‘Comfort Women’ Controversy Comes to New York
International Herald Tribune via The New York Times

Now, a New York lawmaker’s proposal to memorialize the plight of the women, often called sex slaves, through a monument and a street in a largely Asian neighborhood of New York City, has brought the passions here.

The legislator, Peter A. Koo, a Hong Kong immigrant, and 50 other lawmakers on the New York City Council have been flooded with letters from angry Japanese from around the world.

Congratulations, Supervisor Jane Kim, On Your First Self-Propelled Bike To Work Day
SFist.com

For some San Francisco city officials today was just another beautiful day to ride a bike to work, but for District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim today marked her first solo expedition on Bike to Work Day. City Hall/bike activist watchdogs will remember Supervisor Kim spent the last couple of Bike to Work days looking sharp on the back of a tandem bike. This year, however, Kim finally took off her training wheels for a spin through the city’s bike lanes.

How Live Tweeted Brain Surgery Reached 14.5 Million People
Mashable

A live tweeted brain surgery this week reached an online audience of more than 14 million people, according to the hospital that used social media to broadcast the operation.

Dr. Kim Dong of Houston’s Memorial Hermann hospital system performed a brain tumor resection surgery on a 21-year-old patient Wednesday morning.

Robert Irvine Marries Professional Wrestler
People

On Thursday, “Restaurant: Impossible host Irvine,” 46, wed professional wrestler Gail Kim, 35, in Napa Valley, Calif.

Kim is the reigning titleholder of the TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Women’s Knockout Championship. Also a former WWE Women’s champion, she once wrestled under the ring name “La Felina.” The couple met on the set of Irvine’s show, “Dinner: Impossible.”

Actor Lee Byung Hun confirmed for a role in upcoming Hollywood film, ‘Red 2′
allkpop

After Bruce Willis sang the praises of Lee Byung Hun for his work on G.I. Joe 2, it seems they will be working together once again. Actor Lee Byung Hun who plays the role of Storm Shadow in the Hollywood blockbuster G.I. Joe series has also been cast in ‘Red 2‘.

Super cars and avatars: Seoul’s mind-blowing future technology museum
CNNGo

Launched in 2008, T.um is the future technology museum run by SK Telecom, Korea’s largest telecommunications provider.

The interactive tour offers a fascinating glimpse into the lifestyle of the future, and how technological advances will impact the experiences of driving, shopping and home life.

Park Chu-young Tipped to Serve as Olympic Captain
Chosun Ilbo

National team captain Park Chu-young has struggled this season as a benchwarmer for English Premier League outfit Arsenal following his summer transfer there, but he may have a shot at redemption by leading Korea’s Olympic team at the London Games.

Hurdle tosses BP to former Steeler Ward
MLB.com

The guy pitching batting practice early Thursday in PNC Park to Hines Ward, and gregariously enjoying it, was Clint Hurdle. Unlike some others who maybe couldn’t ignore their athletic-challenge DNAs against the recently retired NFL and Steelers great, the Bucs manager figured he’d be good for teeing up some cookies.

LAAPFF ’12: Can an Asian Fetish Lead to True Love?
Hyphen Magazine

At its core, Seeking Asian Female is a thoroughly entertaining relationship story (dare I say romantic comedy?), and left me with a few takeaway questions to chew on. If it works out for Steven and Sandy, does that validate his means of finding her? If yellow fever at its base is about sexualized stereotypes, domination, and power, how do you pass judgment when the beholder gets to know the object of desire in a genuine way, and starts to see her with depth and agency? Who am I to judge what someone’s dream girl looks or acts like? Are Steven’s online dating tactics so much worse than how my friends filter through OK Cupid? The film does not put its stake in the ground one way or another, but opens up the opportunity for real dialogue around these questions.

WED's Links: Asian Ams grab Obama’s attention, Jenna Ushkowitz, SK's 1st Chemical Castration Pedophile; Uglydoll Makers http://t.co/w9gRr0sH

Tuesday's Links: North Korea (again), K-Pop, Author Krys Lee, Man charged with slapping loud kid in theater http://t.co/DhC62HjN

The Ten Most Fashionable Asian-Americans In NYC http://t.co/oTE8EJCN

Just a reminder, the SMTOWN live streaming K-pop concert is going on ... right now! http://t.co/JywXQ91F

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/NnQFpSdq SMTOWN World Tour - EXO, SHINEE, f(x) Performance P.2