Despite threats, North Korea keeps border factories open
Reuters

A heavily armed border crossing between North and South Korea that allows the North access to $2 billion in trade a year, one of its few avenues to foreign currency, remained open on Thursday despite Pyongyang’s move to cut communications.

North Korea on Wednesday severed the last of three telephone hotlines with South Korea as it readied its troops to face what it believes to be “hostile” action from Seoul and Washington. The phone line is used to regulate access to the Kaesong industrial park on the North Korean side of the border as well as for military communications with the South.

S. Korea worried about N. Korea’s ‘growing uncertainty’: official
Yonhap News

A high-ranking official at Seoul’s foreign ministry said Thursday he was concerned about a “growing uncertainty” in North Korea, with the North cutting a military hotline a day earlier and raising tensions yet again.

North Korea severed the last military hotline with South Korea, which is mainly used for the passage of South Korean managers who work at an inter-Korean industrial park in the North’s border city of Kaesong. Despite the cut, South Koreans were allowed access through the border via civilian telephone line.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen since the North’s launch of a long-range rocket last December and its third nuclear test last month. The U.N. Security Council imposed tougher sanctions against the North, which has issued a torrent of bellicose rhetoric against South Korea and the U.S.

Early stumbles distract South Korean president from work on economic, North Korea worries
AP via Washington Post

South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s honeymoon was over before it even began.

Only a month on the job, Park has stumbled repeatedly in the face of bitter opposition to policy proposals and her choices for top government posts.

Half a dozen Cabinet appointees have quit under clouds. The latest is Han Man-soo, who withdrew his nomination for antitrust chief Monday amid allegations he stashed millions of dollars overseas to avoid taxes. Other claims that have brought down Park appointees include real estate speculation, a sex-for-influence scandal, bribery and links to an arms broker.

3G Service Still Available for Tourists
URI Tours North Korea

Despite rumors on 3G service being suspended for tourists, our DPRK partners confirmed just this evening that 3G service is still available for tourists. Earlier this year, North Korea allowed tourists to bring their cell phones into the country and purchase SIM cards to make local and international calls from their own phones. Then a few weeks afterwards, Koryolink announced that 3G (uncensored might we add) would be available to tourists on their phones or on their laptops using a USB internet modem. To our knowledge, these new tech policies for tourists have not changed. See our recent blog post on the nuts and bolts of tweeting in North Korea.

Iran and North Korea Stall Approval of Arms Treaty
New York Times

The global attempt to establish a universal standard to regulate the sale of conventional weapons suffered a temporary setback on Thursday after Iran and North Korea opposed the draft Arms Trade Treaty, blocking the consensus needed for it to pass after years of arduous negotiations.

Michelle Rhee takes on teachers’ unions
Los Angeles Times

Former District of Columbia schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has partnered with Republicans and Democrats to challenge teacher union power and use student test scores in union negotiations.

Rhee can seem pitch perfect in the role of outraged parent and education reformer, distilling complex policy debates into bare-knuckled banter.

In her world, as she recently told crowds in Los Angeles and Sacramento, teacher seniority protections are “whack,” principals can be “nutty” and charter schools can be “crappy.” Such frank talk has made the controversial former teacher a celebrity and potential political powerhouse.

Korean Americans and Korean Pop Culture
Ask A Korean

Why is Korean pop culture so attractive to Korean Americans? Why is it that, despite having spent most or all of their lives growing up in America, why do they gravitate so strongly to pop culture generated out of Korea, which can often be significantly different from the American pop culture in which Korean Americans grew up?

Short answer: there is nothing quite like seeing yourself in an idealized form.

How to build a $37 million online cat empire
Brisbane Times (Australia)

In Australia this week, Huh is here as an ambassador for Dell’s Flip Your Thinking campaign (promoting the Dell XPS12 convertible ultrabook). He is talking to students and wannabe entrepreneurs on how to take risks and not to be afraid to change direction in your business. Because driving the crazy cat pictures and inane captions that accompany them is a sea of data – and it’s this data that impacts Huh’s business decisions. And behind Huh’s quirky public image is an entrepreneurial brain that has figured out how to generate 375 million page views a month. It’s a statistic most media companies only dream about.

When Huh was a boy, he didn’t expect to grow up to run one of the biggest cat picture websites in the world. After being born in South Korea, he moved to Hong Kong with his parents at the age of 10 and then to the US at 14. He went on to study journalism at university. “I love media and content,” says Huh. “I worked on my high school newspaper and I even tried to create a radio station. But when I graduated from college I realised that my behaviour was a bit different in that I wasn’t reading the newspaper, I was more likely to read the web. That gave me a perspective into the future.”

Now Open: King Hot Dog in Koreatown
LA Weekly

Now in its second month of operation, the quiet King Hot Dog on Western is, in the words of General Akbar, “fully operational.” In a northern strip of Koreatown just below Beverly that’s not exactly known for quick, approachable lunches, King Hot Dog is pushing diners through their doors with fast, snappy hot dogs on grilled Hawaiian sweet rolls. And they’ve got napkins by the door, because you’re going to need a few.

If it’s flair on a bun, King Hot Dog is right up your alley. Their K’town-inspired Galbi dog weighs in at nearly half a pound, piled on with thin strips of marinated beef, peppers and onions. The lunchtime line also seems to favor the Mona Lisa, a wry smile of tomatoes, arugula, avocado, crispy onion strips, feta cheese and bacon strips locked into a grilled two-pack of that squishy, sweet Hawaiian roll that has become so popular as a bun around town. Every quarter-pound house made dog has something unique to offer, from kimchi to cojita cheese.

Watch your tongue, North Korea warns South’s new leader
Reuters

North Korea warned South Korea’s new president to “watch her tongue” on Wednesday, as tension between the two sides mounts, reprising the kind of vitriolic language that it dished out to her predecessor on a regular basis.

North Korea has in recent days threatened the United States with nuclear war and rehearsed drone attacks on South Korea, prompting Washington, involved in military drills with the South, to say it is ready for any contingency.

North Korea Shuts Last Military Hot Lines to South
New York Times

North Korea cut off the last remaining military hot lines with South Korea on Wednesday, accusing President Park Geun-hye of South Korea of pursuing the same hard-line policy of her predecessor that the North blamed for a prolonged chill in inter-Korean relations.

Amid tensions over the North’s third nuclear test last month and ensuing United Nations sanctions, North Korea had already shut down Red Cross hot lines with South Korea and a communication line with the American military command in South Korea. But its decision to cut off military hot lines with South Korea on Wednesday was taken more seriously in Seoul because the two Koreas have used those four telephone lines to control daily cross-border traffic of workers and cargo traveling to the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

DMZ-Area Wildlife Keep Koreas on Edge
Wall Street Journal

As North Korea struggles to come up with new ways to keep its perceived enemies on edge, it appears to have received a little help from some wildlife.

A South Korean military unit raised its alert level to the highest category of “Jindogae 1” after a suspicious moving object was found near the border with the North around 2.30 a.m. Wednesday. The top-level alert is issued when there is a suspected incursion by North Koreans but hasn’t been used since late 2011. When North Korea launched its long-range rocket last December, the alert level was “Jindogae 2.”

Why I just got called out by North Korean state media
Washington Post

North Korean state media has taken a break from photoshopping extra hovercrafts into its photos of military exercises to issue an official response to my recent post on reports that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had ordered its diplomats to become drug dealers.

Before I go any further, let me offer a warm welcome to my readers in the North Korean state news services. You can bookmark our North Korea coverage here for easier access.

The Korean Central News Agency put out a commentary accusing the Washington Post, and me specifically, of aiding in a U.S. government plot to “tarnish” North Korea’s sterling reputation. In very meta fashion, KCNA ran the story with a headline referencing itself in the third-person.

How Rich Are the Rich in Today’s Korea?
Chosun Ilbo

A person needs to make around W40 million a month to spend around W790,000 on fitness and another W2.29 million on private crammers for their children to be considered rich in Korea these days (US$1=W1,107). That at least is the finding of a straw poll by the Hana Institute of Finance of 784 people with assets of more than W1 billion.

Some 156,000 people in Korea have assets worth more than W1 billion, accounting for 0.3 percent of the country’s population and 1 percent of total households.

They earn an average of W39.11 million a month and spend W10.14 million of it. Rich people living outside Seoul spend an average of W10.62 million a month, but those in the capital’s tony Gangnam district surprisingly spend a little less at W10.24 million.

Diabetes Increasing Significantly Among Asian Americans
NY1

It has become a common diagnosis in the Asian community, affecting about 10 percent of the population, even impacting those with what is considered “normal” body weight.

A 2009 report by the New York City Health Department found that diabetes has increased most rapidly among Asians.

“I think before, the population is the elderly, but recent years, the patient group is getting more younger,” says Li Chen, a nurse consultant with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Jeff Yang and Parry Shen Spiel on Asian Americans and Comics at Cal State Fullerton Panel
OC Weekly

Mainstream Hollywood, of course, has ignored rounded-out characters for people of color for the length of its existence. For Asian Americans, public representation in media was limited to Orientalist fantasies such as the evil mystic, bespectacled, buck-toothed nerd, or yellow face.

Yang explained that historically, images of Asian Americans were guided from the U.S.’s rivalry with Asian nations: the rise of Japan and World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and more currently North Korea. “These are images with an agenda,” Yang explained. “It was a political move to use pop culture to define Asians in a way that barred us from coming, preventing us from succeeding, and marginalizing us. Not to complain, but this is part of our history.”

The connection from film to comics makes sense; both are essentially composed of a sequence of frames leading the viewer from one to the other, shaping a narrative. “Comics are like storyboards for films.” Shen explains. For Yang and Shen, the collaboration on a comic anthology that focused on Asian American superheroes came from a need for more visibility for Asian American characters in media. “The golden age of comics was the early 20th century, when there were superheroes. Those superhero figures are larger than life, like in the movies. But if you had asked me when I was a kid who my favorite superheroes were, they would have all been white superheroes.”

f(x) Talks About Performing as First K-Pop Act at SXSW
Billboard.com

Five member girl group f(x)—also known as Victoria, Luna, Krystal, Sulli and Amber—marked a major milestone in their career becoming the first K-pop act to appear at South by Southwest in Austin, TX. The girls, under SM Entertainment (home to Girls’ Generation, TVXQ!, SHINee and more), were invited to headline an event sponsored by Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

Titled, “K-POP NIGHT OUT at SXSW,” the girls earned the slot not only for their electro-pop goodies plus snagging various awards and recognition from all around the world. Accolades from just last year include a No. 2 single on the K-Pop Hot 100 with “Electric Shock” (below), their first Japanese single and the Best Dance Performance-Female award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.

A Los Angeles Primer: Koreatown
KCET

“So they put chapulines in their kimchi?” a friend in Mexico City asked about my neighborhood. I do hold out hope that eateries in Koreatown, the district of Los Angeles it makes the most (and the least obvious) sense for me to live in, will one day offer its fermented cabbage topped by roasted grasshoppers. For now, the dish remains one we prepare at home. The Chilango’s half-joking expectation came in response to my explanation of Koreatown’s demographics: a sizable wedge of Koreans, as you’d expect, but an even larger one from the chapulin-rich southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Yet these groups, despite living at the highest population density the entire city, seldom mix. If I want my kimchi sprinkled with chapulines, or my street-grilled sopes topped with kimchi, or my bulgogi served in mole, I’ve got to do it myself.

Dodgers rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu set to make debut on April 2
Los Angeles Times

Hyun-Jin Ryu is scheduled to make his major league debut April 2 in the Dodgers’ second game of the regular season.

The Dodgers had the choice of starting either Ryu or Chad Billingsley on that day. But Billingsley’s pitching schedule has been altered, ruling him out for April 2.

To keep both on schedule to potentially pitch April 2, the Dodgers had planned for Ryu and Billingsley to throw in separate games on Thursday in Southern California.

Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng is dating South Korean actress Han Hye Jin
This is South Wales (U.K.)

SWANS midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng has confirmed he is dating a South Korean actress.

The talented midfielder has announced that he is in a relationship with Han Hye Jin.

The 24-year-old is mobbed wherever he goes and viewed by many as his country’s version of David Beckham.

After South Korea’s World Cup qualifier against Qatar on Tuesday, the country’s media reported the former Celtic player as saying: “Now that the game is over, I don’t know if this is good news for you but, I am notifying you that I am currently dating Han Hye Jin with good emotions.

Weeknight Vegetarian: Spicing up mac and cheese with kimchi
Washington Post

I’m not the first to use kimchi in non-Korean ways. Far from it. Way back in 2008, Los Angeles chef Roy Choi incorporated it into offerings from his Kogi truck, and the Korean taco trend exploded. Since then, I’ve worked it into deviled eggs, dip and a Grilled Kimcheese sandwich and have even tossed it with cubed avocado for an appetizer I call Guaca-Chi.

Do you sense a pattern? I like the fermented cabbage best alongside rich ingredients because its funk and spice simultaneously bring a little roundness and depth, plus a sharp zing that cuts through those fatty flavors. It’s just how kimchi is used in more traditional (read: meaty) applications, but my go-to partner ingredients are now eggs and cheese rather than bulgogi and pork belly.

My attachment to kimchi has not gone unnoticed. Colleague Tim Carman teased me about it in our Super Bowl pizza smackdown, writing that my strategy for winning would surely involve topping a pie with it. (I resisted it that time, but kimchi pizza topped with a fried egg does happen to be a favorite of mine.)

North Korea Calls Hawaii and U.S. Mainland Targets
New York Times

North Korea’s military said it put all its missile and artillery units on “the highest alert” on Tuesday, ordering them to be ready to hit South Korea, as well as the United States and its military installations in Hawaii and Guam.

The threat from the North’s Korean People’s Army Supreme Command came only hours after President Park Geun-hye of South Korea warned that the North Korean leadership could ensure its survival only when it abandons its nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, provocations and threats.

North Korea said on Tuesday that all of its strategic rocket and long-range artillery units “are assigned to strike bases of the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops in the U.S. mainland and on Hawaii and Guam and other operational zones in the Pacific as well as all the enemy targets in South Korea and its vicinity.”

North Korea Is Running Out of Threats
Wall Street Journal

When North Korea tosses out another threat of violence against one of its neighbors or the U.S., it’s become routine to describe it as an escalation of Pyongyang’s rhetoric.

That description captures the fact that North Korea makes a lot of threats without following through. But is there a point where it’s not even appropriate to call new threats an escalation?

South Korea Remembers Cheonan Sinking
Wall Street Journal

Memorial events are being held on Tuesday in South Korea to mark the 3rd anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan.

In the night of March 26, 2010, the ship exploded into two parts and sank in the Yellow Sea, leaving 40 sailors dead and 6 missing, presumed dead. An international investigation found North Korea responsible for torpedoing the ship, something that Pyongyang still denies.

On Tuesday morning, President Park Geun-hye visited the National Cemetery in Daejeon and urged the North to end its provocative behavior.

Filial Pity: Is South Korea Doing Enough to Stop Elderly Suicides?
TIME.com

The Korea Suicide Prevention Center has a message for the people of South Korea: “Life is precious! We can protect it.” The slogan, displayed in pamphlets, placards and on its website, is meant to encourage people to seek help if they are feeling suicidal.

Kenneth Choi Joins NBC Pilot ‘Ironside’
Deadline Hollywood

In what would be his first series regular role, Kenneth Choi (Sons Of Anarchy, Glee, 24) has been cast in NBC’s drama pilot Ironside, a reboot of the 1967 series. Written by Mike Caleo and directed by Peter Horton, it centers on Robert T. Ironside (Blair Underwood), a tough, sexy and acerbic police detective relegated to a wheelchair after a shooting who is hardly limited by his disability as he pushes and prods his hand-picked team to solve the most difficult cases.

Choi will play Captain Ed Rollins, Ironside’s supervisor. Despite their push/pull relationship Ed and Ironside have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for each other. Choi, repped by Mosaic, TalentWorks and attorney Derek Kroeger, was recently seen in Captain America 2 and next co-stars in Wolf Of Wall Street.

Stars in Court Over Michael Jackson Killer Drug
Chosun Ilbo

Three actresses who appeared in court on Monday on charges of abusing the anesthetic Propofol, which became famous for killing Michael Jackson.

Lawyers for Jang Mi-inae said prosecutors failed to recognize the need for people in her profession to undergo painful treatments in order to maintain their beauty. Jang denies the charges, claiming she was given Propofol to numb the pain associated with Carboxytherapy, which involves injections of carbon dioxide gas into the skin to kill fat cells and improve elasticity.

Her lawyer said the actress tried exercising to lose weight but that failed, so she sought medical help.

Reds expect new leading man Choo to star in Cincy
MLB.com

Not only is the 30-year-old Choo capable of getting on first base to set the table for Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and the rest of the order, he can just as easily make it a 1-0 game after one at-bat. He’s also more than capable of driving in runs if men in the bottom third of the order reach base.

“A lot of leadoff hitters run and steal bases. I’m not that type of player,” Choo said. “I have home run power and can do damage. I always think, wherever I hit, I will do the same thing. I’m not going to change. That’s what I’ve proved with my numbers. If I see a good first pitch, I will swing. If I take a walk or get hit by a pitch — there are a lot of options to get to first base.”

Choo batted .283 with 16 home runs, 67 RBIs and 21 steals in 155 games last season for Cleveland. He also struck out 150 times. But in 99 games as the leadoff hitter, he batted .310 with a .389 on-base percentage. Lifetime, regardless of his spot in the order, his OBP is .381.

Fans Get a Chance to See Kim Yu-na Up Close and Personal
Chosun Ilbo

About 400 fans got to see Korea’s figure skating queen up close and personal on Monday during an event at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, south of the Han River. Fresh off her victory at the World Championships, Kim Yu-na revealed some of her superstitions and quirky habits to an enthralled crowd.

“Many skaters think that it’s propitious to put the right skate on first, and so do I,” said Kim. She explained that when she puts the left one on first absentmindedly, she takes off both skates and starts over.

Far from home country, Koreans in Chile carry on traditions
Yonhap News

Almost all of the tables are occupied this afternoon in Sukine, a small diner, and the air is filled with a confusion of languages. A party of British tourists near the window is enjoying a bowl of chili paste fried pork — the house favorite. At a smaller table nearby, a Korean woman and her two daughters have just given their order to a young Chilean waiter. A couple that just sat down is studying a large menu on the wall with images of over 20 specialties, from kimchi stew to rice cakes in spicy paste, while behind the register, an older Korean woman is nonchalantly flipping through the pages of a newspaper.

This restaurant in the Patronato neighborhood of Santiago, the capital of Chile, seems to be the point where the Korean community and mainstream Chilean society intersect. Trendy among Chilean youth and a source of comfort food for Korean residents, Sukine is a vibrant example of how Koreans here adhere to the traditions of their homeland while adapting to those of their adopted country. Except for the diced South American hot peppers, the food is authentic; hidden within the kitchen, though, is a Peruvian chef.

Kakao Talk Unveils Trial Version for PCs
Chosun Ilbo

Kakao Talk, the hugely popular free mobile messaging app, has expanded to personal computers with a trial version released Tuesday. Traditional instant messaging giants are on alert as their users might move to the new service.

“We received more than 210,000 applications for testing the trial service ahead of the official launch,” Kakao said on Monday. “We will allow 10,000 people to try the service for a couple of months and then officially release it around May.”

Seoul to Mark 3rd Anniversary of Cheonan Sinking
Chosun Ilbo

President Park Geun-hye is to preside on Tuesday over a ceremony at the National Cemetery in Daejeon marking the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in 2010.

It will be attended by the families of 46 South Korean sailors who died in the attack, as well as the widow of Navy Warrant Officer Han Joo-ho, who drowned during the search for survivors.

Park hopes to send a strong warning to North Korea against further provocations.

Behind the veil: A rare look at life in North Korea
CNN.com

Olaf Schuelke is a self-taught Germany documentary photographer based in Singapore. These are his images and observations formed during a tour of North Korea in 2012. You can see more photos of Schuelke’s North Korea trip on his website.

The Lonely Days of President Park Geun-hye
Chosun Ilbo

President Park Geun-hye usually arrives at her office in Cheong Wa Dae between 9 and 10 a.m. from her sleeping quarters in the compound three to four minutes by car.

Unless she has official appointments elsewhere, the only trips she makes are from her quarters to her office and back. She is said to be an early riser, getting up at around 4:30 a.m. for the past 15 years. Aides say the routine has not changed since she moved into Cheong Wa Dae.

She begins her day reading various reports from Cabinet members and surfs the Internet. She also makes a point of reading critical online posts.

As the eldest daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, she served as the de facto first lady after her mother was assassinated in 1974. In those days, she would have breakfast with her father. Now, she has breakfast alone.

Editorial: Get to the bottom of Kenneth Bae’s detention in North Korea
Seattle Times

DON’T forget about Kenneth Bae. North Korean officials arrested the Lynnwood man last November, reportedly after he led tourists into the reclusive country.

Four months later, he remains in custody.

The U.S. State Department, which does not have an official presence in Pyongyang, is mum on the topic of Bae’s status and health. Members of Washington state’s congressional delegation also are hesitant to speak.

Asian Americans attack cultural labels at summit on stereotypes
Los Angeles Times

More than 200 participants gathered in Little Tokyo on Saturday to talk – and tweet – candidly about persistent negative images damaging to their ethnic group, especially when it comes to family, education, politics and news coverage.

Participants converged on Little Tokyo for “Beyond the Bad and the Ugly,” the first ever summit on Asian American stereotypes. Some sported buttons with labels touting them as thugs, geeks, players and FOBs, or “fresh off the boat.”

“Don’t be afraid,” a moderator urged at the start, and participants didn’t hold back, attacking offensive stereotypes of some members of their ethnic group that ranged from sexless nerds to predatory temptresses.

Kim Jang-hoon Plans Center for ‘Comfort Women’ in New Jersey
Chosun Ilbo

Singer Kim Jang-hoon will build a center in New Jersey dedicated to raising awareness of women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He revealed the plan on his Me2day account on Friday, adding the hope that the move will have a nationwide impact there.

Jamie Chung discusses new flick ‘Eden’ and role on JJ Abrams pilot ‘Believe’ filming in New York
New York Daily News

Jamie Chung remembers vividly the dreaded call a few years ago when her strict Korean mother discovered her deepest secret:

That her little girl was actually a professional actress on “Days of Our Lives.”

“I got a call from my mom one day and she said, ‘Are you on a soap opera?’ So and so’s mom ‘told me you were on a soap opera,’ ” Chung told the Daily News, able to laugh at it now.

Freedom’s Daniel Dae Kim narrates “Linsanity”
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

Freedom grad Daniel Dae Kim and star of CBS’ reboot of “Hawaii Five-0″ is the narrator for “Linsanity,” the documentary about basketball sensation Jeremy Lin and his rise from obscurity to the covers of Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated to become one of the best known Asian American stars since Bruce Lee.

Although as a high school and college athlete, Lin impressed coaches with his ability, he was never offered any athletic scholarships and was undrafted out of college. But when he joined the New York Knicks as a backup,other player’s injuries gave him the chance to play and the rest is history. Lin scored more points in his first five NBA starts than any other player in the modern era.

K-Pop Fans Raise Hell After Popular Videos Get Blocked on YouTube
Billboard.com

What do K-pop fans and the state of Texas have in common? Answer: It’s never a good idea to mess with either.

Early Sunday morning (March 24), it appeared videos by K-pop entertainment agency, Cube Entertainment, were being blocked for international fans. Cube Entertainment (home to popular artists like 4minute, B2ST, G.NA and HyunA) is one of the few Korean agencies who work with a major U.S.-based label distributor. Universal Music Korea helps distribute Cube Entertainment, a rare partnership in a market where most entertainment entities have the means to distribute themselves or use domestic options like the much-used major South Korean record label, LOEN Entertainment.

Yet, when international fans were being blocked from watching music videos of their favorite artists there was online pandemonium.

New York City’s 8 Best Korean Restaurants
Zagat.com

With the opening of the massive Barn Joo and the critical success of Hanjan, Korean cuisine is having a moment in New York City. These new joints elevate the fare and should attract a new wave of curious diners, but will their innovative takes be enough to rank them among the city’s best? Korea Town might be a small series of blocks, but it’s still pretty crowded. Click through the slideshow to see which joints are tops according to our 2013 New York City Restaurants guide, and let us know your favorite in the comments.

Amid increased North Korean aggression in recent weeks, the United States said it signed an agreement with South Korea to back the nation “in countering North Korean provocations,” the New York Times reports.

The agreement has been in the works for more than two years and comes as a direct result of the 2010 shelling of the border island Yeonpyeong, which ended in the death of four South Koreans and a great deal of property damage. At the time, it was one of the most aggressive acts from the North against the South in two decades.

Despite reports of the nation-to-nation deal, the extent or reach of the agreement was not disclosed. The United States has agreed to back the South Korean government against “local” attacks from the North but terms of the deal are unclear. Continue Reading »

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