by Jae H. Kim
"BTS: Burn the Stage": An Encore Review of Episodes 1 & 2
This docu-series shows that being a part of BTS is fun and amazing. But, when it’s not, it’s filled with doubt, fatigue and fear. It has been seven years since BTS released their YouTube Red docu-series, “BTS: Burn the Stage.” In 2018, I reviewed each episode weekly, before retiring them. Since then, readers have periodically asked if I would share them again, especially now as we wait for the septet’s much-awaited 2026 comeback. And I am happy to oblige.
by Jae H. Kim
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" and Its Lack of Asian American Identity
Why bother making a character biracial, only to ignore her culture? If you read my reviews of “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” (2021) and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (2022), you’ll know that I’m not a huge fan of the film and TV adaptations of Jenny Han’s YA books. I loved the female leads, who w…
by Jae H. Kim
Got Questions? Let's Do This Q+A!
Please note: this is a paid-subscriber perk Hello! As September winds down, I’ve been trying to think of something fun for my paid subscribers. One of the questions I am asked periodically is if I’ll host another Zoom meet-up. (Yes! What days work for you? Let me know and we can lock it down! )
by Jae H. Kim
How to watch "Reborn Rich," "Lovely Runner," & "Study Group" for free
Happy K-Drama Day! Quite often, I am asked to share information about an artist’s new project, a company’s upcoming product, or maybe something in between. Most of the time I take a pass for a variety of reasons: the subject matter may not interest me, I have no outlet for it to run in, or — most often — I just don’t have time to dig into it.
by Jae H. Kim
The ICE Roundup in Georgia & the Threat of K-pop Idols Being Deported
How did we get here? By now, most readers are familiar with what happened in Georgia recently. On September 4, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted an immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery facility in Ellabell, Georgia. About 475 workers — more than 300 of them South Korean nationals — were accused of working in the U.S. illegally. Lawyers for the majority of workers have disputed this allegation.
by Jae H. Kim
“Doggy Poo”: The Weirdest Korean Movie I've Ever Reviewed
Is it an allegory for the Miracle on the Hangang River, where citizens were sacrificed for the greater good of the country? Is it an allegory for the Miracle on the Hangang River, where citizens were sacrificed for the greater good of the country?
by Jae H. Kim
OMEGA X's Kevin Talks About "My Bias is Showing!"
K-pop idol Kevin portrays a high school teacher in the BL K-drama One of 11 members of the group OMEGA X, Kevin (born Park Jin-woo) is making his leading man debut in the Boys’ Love (BL) K-drama “My Bias Is Showing!” You’d expect him to portray the K-pop idol of everyone’s dreams in this series, right? Nope. Here, Kevin tackled the role of a high school teacher who’s also Si-yeol’s biggest fanboy.
by Jae H. Kim
Your Adopted Children Aren't White By Osmosis
Adoptive parents need to open their eyes and listen To the white adoptive parents who are offended when adult adoptees or people of color tell you about some of the negative experiences they have faced growing up: Why don't you want to hear what needs to be said?
by Jae H. Kim
"Business Proposal" Explores the Love Contract Trope
But it could've done a better job dealing with consent Everyone is thirsting over Ahn Hyo-seop’s voice. Ahn was the vocal actor for Jinu in Netflix’s hit film KPop Demon Hunters. And yes, he is even better looking than the animated character he portrays.
by Jae H. Kim
"Where Are You Really From?"
Why many Asian diaspora don't like being asked this question I have no idea if the little girl in the above photo is Asian American (or Asian diaspora). But if she is, I can almost guarantee that even at her young age, she has been questioned about her ethnicity and nationality (which some people can’t — or won’t — differentiate).
by Jae H. Kim
Not Every Korean Actor Can Sing and Dance — It Just Feels Like It Sometimes
The Korean voices that carry The past few days have been disgustingly hot (and humid). None of that dry heat for us in Chicago. So…it just felt like the right time to share a short, fun, refreshing newsletter today, highlighting some of my favorite Korean actors and idols singing, dancing, and having a lot of fun.
by Jae H. Kim
K-DRAMA INDEX
Links to my Korean drama & film reviews These are some of my reviews and essays about K-Dramas (and also Korean films and other Korean-centric projects). You may also read more about my take on Korean pop culture in outlets such as Rolling Stone, Mashable, Victoria & Al…
by Jae H. Kim
How "KPop Demon Hunters" Incorporates Korean Mythology Into Its Film
Plus: a Q&A with Ahn Hyo-seop, who voices the lead male character Based on the Koreans and Korean diaspora I have interviewed over the decades, as well as my own lived experience as an immigrant, I would say that most of us never dreamed of the day when Korean pop culture would be considered cool to anyone other than — well —
by Jae H. Kim
After My Father Passed Away, Our Tomatoes Died, Too
Yes, I'm sure it was a coincidence. But there's also a part of me that thinks that it wasn't. A caprese salad and grilled pizza. I found this picture I took from a few years ago. I remember that it was our go-to dinner that summer.
by Jae H. Kim
"Bring It On, Ghost": Buffy's Got Nothing on Hyun-ji
The K-drama's thesis? If you have hate in your heart, you can be influenced to hurt others In anticipation of Ok Taec-yeon’s upcoming K-drama, “The First Night with the Duke” (남주의 첫날밤을 가져버렸다) — which will premiere on June 11 on KBS2 in South Korea and on Viki in the United States — I wanted to revisit one of his older shows that my family enjoyed watching together: “Bring It On, Ghost.” (This series is also known as “Let’s Fight, Ghost,” whi…
by Jae H. Kim
From “j-hope IN THE BOX” to “Home Alone”
BTS's j-hope gives fans a look into his inner workings This morning, j-hope announced that he would be releasing a new solo single and music video on June 13: “Killin' It Girl (feat. GloRilla).” In the seven months since he finished his mandatory military duty, which is required of all able-bodied South Korean men, the BTS rapper has tackled a full schedule that includes writin…
by Jae H. Kim
VVS is Not Your Mother's K-pop Girl Group
“Boys talkin’ down...Yeah, fuck them boys.” Indeed. After making their official debut on April 22 with their infectiously catchy single, “Tea,” VVS is back with their eight-track EP D.I.M.M. — which stands for Diamonds in My Mouth. Besides “Tea,” the album — which is a mesh of pop, hip-hop and R&B — includes “Fact$” and “Touch It.”
by Jae H. Kim
How ablume Overcame Legal Battles to Flourish with "Echo"
"I truly believe it was an act of courage for us." The K-pop girl group ablume released their sunny debut single “Echo” this morning. Like most artists, they want to leave the song’s meaning up to the listeners. We could theorize that this infectiously catchy pop song is about being infatuated with a desirable young man (“
by Jae H. Kim
Kang Ha-neul & Park Hae-joon Discuss Their Roles in "Yadang the Snitch"
And how filming on location can serve as another 'character.' In Hangul, yadang/야당 refers to an informant (or a snitch). Since opening in South Korean movie theaters on April 16 in the No. 1 spot, Yadang: The Snitch remains in the top position, thanks to a thrilling plot and a cast of stars that includes Kang Ha-neul (
by Jae H. Kim
Kim Seon-ho steals the show in "Start-Up"
This K-drama reinforces the idea that no matter how broken a family is, the ties remain, for better or worse. This K-drama reinforces the idea that no matter how broken a family is, the ties remain, for better or worse.
by Jae H. Kim
Taz Singh: How an Indian actor from Scotland Found Himself Cast in RM's “Lost!” Music Video
Also, we discuss the role of foreigners in K-dramas One of my favorite things to share in this newsletter are my interviews with thoughtful, smart and talented creatives who are working in the Korean entertainment industry and/or have a history with Korea and its culture. Some are ethnically Korean (KINO
by Jae H. Kim
Why Don't More Journalists Want to Write About K-pop?
Because of the loud toxic stans who ruin it for everyone. K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim is a (predominantly) free publication — less than 1% of my writing is behind a paywall and this is one of them. If you’d like to support this newsletter and my work, you may upgrade to a paid subscription. But no worries either way! I appreciate you for being a part of this community. 💙
by Jae H. Kim
Song Joong-ki's "Bogotá: City of the Lost" is Much Ado About Nothing
A look at some of the actor's best work ("Reborn Rich," "Vincenzo," "Descendants of the Sun," "Sungkyunkwan Scandal") and some that haven't been as great ("Space Sweepers," ahem). My family was so excited to watch Song Joong-ki’s latest film, “Bogotá: City of the Lost,” earlier this year when it made premiered on Netflix. But it wasn’t long before we found the meandering plot and weak direction disappointing.
by Jae H. Kim
A Conversation with Gavin Rossdale About Korean Food
Plus, my recipe for mayak eggs (마약계란) In the late 1990s and early aughts, I interviewed Gavin Rossdale of the British grunge rock band Bush many times. But it wasn’t until our chat this year that I learned something new. He loves Korean cuisine.