Grandmothers from six countries cook their national dishes for the foreigners in Korea.
For more detailed information, please check the text on the attached image.

6개 나라에서 온 외국인 할머니들이 모국의 음식 ‘집밥’이 그리운 외국인들을 위해 요리합니다.
자세한 내용은 첨부 이미지를 통해 확인하세요.

R. O. Kwon‘s debut novel explores angst, violence and the savagery of relationships

R. O. Kwon’s eagerly anticipated and ecstatically reviewed debut novel “The Incendiaries” is a classic love triangle set on a prestigious American university campus that ultimately ends with a violent act of extreme terrorism. Kwon’s novel may have shades and echoes of other American campus-set novels like Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History,” Bret Easton Ellis’s “Rules of Attraction” and Marisha Pessl’s “Special Topics in Calamity Physics,” but “The Incendiaries” is a truly zeitgeist-capturing novel for our current moment about millennial ennui, angst and disillusionment.

It tells the story of a trio of students — Korean, Korean American and American — rebounding off each other and dealing with love, lust, infatuation, grief and religious faith. Phoebe Lin is a former child prodigy and pianist dealing with the death of her mother and estranged from her pastor father. She abandons her dreams of being a pianist when she realizes she isn’t quite good enough to be among the best in the world. Now directionless she turns into something of a social butterfly and party animal and eventually becomes easy prey for a nascent cult leader. John Leal is a former activist who helped smuggle North Korean refugees through China until one day he was captured by soldiers from the North and thrown into a North Korean gulag. Leal’s experiences in the gulag turn him into a fundamentalist, and after his release he returns to America and starts recruiting. Will Kendall was raised as a fundamentalist Christian but lost his faith after his mother became ill and struggles to fill the void left by the absence of religion. During their first semester, Phoebe and Will meet and start a relationship in which Will’s infatuation with Pheobe takes the place of his former all-consuming religious belief. The novel explores how Phoebe and Will are drawn into John Leal’s cult of Jejah and where this leads them all.

The novel begins with an act of terrorism on American soil and then flashes back to unravel the strands that lead to this devastating attack and reveal which of the three main characters are involved and how this came to be. Kwon writes with a clarity and precision that captures the fragile inner lives of her characters. “The Incendiaries” is a novel about the intimate violence and inherent savagery of relationships from a brilliant new voice in fiction.

More Info

‘The Incendiaries’

Riverhead Books, Jul 31, 2018

Written by R. O. Kwon

224 page

Written by Barry Welsh

The original K-pop boy band to hold an official concert after 17 years

When first generation K-pop boy band H.O.T. reunited earlier this year after 17 years away, it was a big deal. Never mind that no one expected the legendary group to ever reunite, but to do it to such praise and acclaim was something else entirely. Decked in white and armed with the iconic white balloons (remember, they are from an age before lightsticks), longtime fans known as White Angels converged for the Infinite Challenge broadcast of their faves and promptly lost their minds.

After all, how often does a K-pop group actually get to reunite and perform?

H.O.T., which does not stand for “hot,” but rather “High-five of Teenagers,” debuted in 1996. The group consists of Moon Hee Jun, Jang Woo Hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta and Lee Jae Won, and together they put out five iconic albums.

This was before the main Hallyu craze swept Asia, let alone the rest of the world. This was before Google and YouTube. Yet H.O.T. still made a huge impression, and essentially created the model of the K-pop boy band with their matching outfits, synchronized dance moves and attractive looks coupled with outlandish hair. Really, they were the first K-pop boy band.

Well, it seems that the Infinite Challenge reunion was successful, because H.O.T. is coming back for a concert this month. This will be the first official spectacle since the group held a concert all the way back in 2001 when they broke up.

While it’s unclear what the concert will be, fans are already plenty excited. It’s unlikely that a reformation of the group will permanently occur. All of the members have had many years of solo work or simply living out their post-K-pop lives, yet new songs are a rumored possibility. Even if that proves to not be the case, a full concert of the old hits like “Candy,” “Warrior’s Descendant,” “I Yah!” and “Hope,” is hardly a bad time.

H.O.T. is looked up to by many other K-pop groups, so one has to wonder if there will be any special guests or attendees at the concert itself. Regardless, it’s a great moment for the members to have the chance to perform again as a unit.

It’s wonderful for fans as well who never thought the showcase on Infinite Challenge would be a thing, never mind getting a full concert. We’ll see what this means for H.O.T., as a successful concert tends to lead to other things.

Stay tuned White Angels, you never know!

Written by Kristina Manente

With hot new makeup trends popping up constantly, sharing skincare tips and makeup secrets never gets old. And since K-beauty is one of the big pillars of Hallyu, there’s no shortage of beauty reality shows that uncover the best tricks of the trade. Both for those who have trouble telling the difference between an ampoule and a serum as well as for beauty aficionados eager to up their beauty game, here are some interesting shows to catch up on.

‘Get It Beauty 2018’

Hosted by model Jang Yoon-ju, OnStyle’s “Get It Beauty 2018” is all about promoting healthy beauty tips and habits that upgrade your life. As one of the longest-running beauty reality series in Korea, the show has a fairly big following. One of the highlights of the show is their blind test of cosmetics designed to discover products that give you the best bang for your buck. The show’s panel of judges tests every type of product imaginable, including blushes, concealeres, blackhead removing creams, and many more. Based on their blind test, the judges give out their very own “beauty-life-balance” (뷰라벨) seal of approval to the best products that catch their eye.

Various celebrity guests and other beauty experts are invited to each episode to share their own unique skincare tips and beauty hacks. In one episode, EXID’s Jung-hwa shared that she likes to apply eyeshadow primer to her lips as a way to make her lipstick last all day. The show also invites male beauty influencers to get their take, and they discuss a wide array of products geared towards both women and men.

‘Mimi Shop’

JTBC4 has launched an interesting new beauty reality show called “Mimi Shop.” Starring celebrities like Tony Ahn, Sandara Park, and Cheetah as Mimi Shop “employees,” the show follows them around as they learn new makeup techniques and try them out on various guests that visit the shop. From timeless looks that never go out of style to avant garde makeup tricks that give you that oomph you need, Mimi Shop staff learn it all.

Unlike “Get It Beauty,” which focuses on sharing beauty tips, “Mimi Shop” is more of a talk show that offers makeup sessions as a way to cheer people up and bring therapeutic healing. Mimi Shop employees and visitors don’t just share their makeup tips but also talk about their personal stories of hope and hardship.

‘Beauty Girl’

DongaTV’s “Beauty Girl” (뷰티엔부티) is back for season two and has a new panel of “beauty masters,” including Jeong Ga-eun, Hwang-bo, Sleepy and Maeng Seung-ji. The show features a wide variety of practical beauty tips on how to take your makeup and skincare routine up a notch. For the most part, the show is a roundtable of celebrities and beauty experts reviewing the latest cosmetics and skincare tools and devices.

While there are plenty of beauty variety shows that are both entertaining and informative, Korean networks have yet to launch any beauty competition series like those currently popular abroad, such as Lifetime’s “Glam Masters” and “American Beauty Star.” It’ll be interesting to see how Korean networks put their own spin on future beauty programs.

Written by Miruh Jeon

For my last column, I have decided to do something rather different and reflect on the past few months in the world of Korean cinema, which continues to be a vibrant and healthy industry with no fewer than 100 films released each year and admissions to local films surpassing 100 million annually since 2012. The market has now reached saturation point and the Korean studios such as CJ E&M and Lotte Cultureworks are now expanding into parts of Southeast Asia and further through their cinema chains in order to generate growth.

‘Along with the Gods’ breaks box office records

As I write, Kim Yong-hwa’s fantasy epic “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” is looking to become one of the most successful Korean films of all time having smashed a number of box office records including biggest opening day (1.2 million) and weekend (3.8 million) just seven months after its concurrently shot predecessor, “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds,” pulled in more 14 million viewers. A huge gamble for the studio Lotte, it turned their fortunes around in the film industry following a string of flops. Although not a big hit with critics, the two-part series is an example of how far the industry has come in delivering spectacle, not only for Korean audiences but viewers across Asia where the studios are increasing their presence.

‘Illang’ disappoints

One week before the release of “Along with the Gods,” Kim Jee-woon’s much anticipated and expensive science fiction action film set in a hypothetical future where North and South Korea are on the verge of reunification drew largely negative reactions from audiences and critics alike. As such, it became this summer’s box office flop and was pulled from most screens just seven days after it was released on July 25. I personally enjoyed it more than most, but I agree it’s not among Kim Jee-woon’s most accomplished pieces, which rank as some of the best genre films in contemporary Korean cinema.

‘Herstory’ surprises

Although not a box office hit, for me one of this year’s surprisingly good films was Min Kyu-dong’s “Herstory.” Min is a talented director, having co-written and co-directed “Momento Mori.” His other credits include “All About My Wife,” but his last film, “The Treacherous,” is frankly atrocious. His latest film is a return to form for Min. Dealing with comfort women — and more specifically, a challenging legal battle in the 1990s in Japan demanding an official apology from the Japanese government — it’s by far the best film to approach this subject. Restrained and yet powerful, it’s a superbly acted drama starring Kim Hee-ae and Kim Hae-sook.

‘Burning’ ignites Cannes jury grid record

When it comes to consistency, Lee Chang-dong delivers. His latest film is an example of that; another masterpiece from one of Korea’s most talented filmmakers. “Burning” is perplexing, nothing is what it seems as it focuses on a love triangle between two young men and a woman. Requiring multiple viewings, it explains, perhaps, why initial reaction in Korea was somewhat lukewarm. In Cannes, however, it broke Screen International’s jury grid record making it the best reviewed film at the festival.

Other films worthy of mention so far this year are Yim Soon-rye’s enchanting “Little Forest,” Jeon Go-woon’s whimsical drama “Mirohabitat” and Lee Hae-young’s explosive action thriller “Believer.”

Written by Jason Bechervaise

Min Jin Lee’s “Pachinko” explores the lives of Japan’s Korean community

When New York based novelist Min Jin Lee’s debut novel “Free Food for Millionaires” was first published in 2008, it received a rapturous response. If Jane Austen or George Elliot had been alive to write about second-generation Korean immigrants dating, working and socializing in contemporary Manhattan, they might very well have written something like “Free Food for Millionaires.” It is a warm, rewarding and deeply engaging story about race, class, sex, STDs and beautiful hats. Apart from the beautiful hats, Lee’s new novel “Pachinko” finds room for all these things and much more, as well as being just as richly enjoyable and just as profoundly humane as her debut.

“Pachinko” is a sprawling historical epic and a multi-generational family saga with an expansive cast of characters set against the backdrop of Japan’s colonization of Korea, the impact of World War II on East Asia and post-war Japan. The narrative starts in 1910, the year Japan annexes Korea, in a small fishing village called Yeongdo on the far southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. Here, 27-year-old Hoonie, the disabled but hard-working son of a fisherman, is searching for a bride. A local matchmaker arranges a match with a 15-year-old girl called Yangjin from a poor family in a nearby village. The couple meet on their wedding day and set about starting a family. After their first three babies die all before their first birthdays, Yangjin gives birth to a girl they call Sunja. Hoonie dies from tuberculosis thirteen years later, leaving Sunja and Yangjin to run a boardinghouse for fishermen by themselves.

Sunja subsequently meets and falls in love with a married Japanese gangster and business man called Koh Hansu, who leaves her pregnant. To hide Sunja’s shame, a kindly young local pastor agrees to marry her and act as her child’s father. Together, the pastor and Sunja move to Japan to start a new life. From here the story follows Sunja and her descendants as they struggle to survive in Japan as members of an oppressed class. The novel explores the shame and guilt Sunja and her children feel as outsiders with divided identities and loyalties. Although epic in scope, “Pachinko” is intimate in detail, and Lee expertly weaves together the life stories of her fully realized characters. Lee’s second novel is ultimately a paean to the immigrant experience and a hymn to motherhood and female resilience.

“Pachinko”

Written by Min Jin Lee
Published by Grand Central Publishing, February 2017; Apollo, February 2017
Hardcover, softcover, Kindle version available at Amazon

Written by Barry Welsh

The first openly gay K-pop idol stages a strong return

When Holland debuted as the first openly gay K-pop idol, to say the least, it caused a stir. His first song, “Neverland,” wasn’t all that strong vocally or even instrumentally, but it sent a powerful message with its uninhibited and uncensored presentation of his love life as a homosexual man.

His music video and music put his sexuality in the forefront. There’s no innuendo here, no teasing or queer-baiting; it’s there, out and proud. It’s a first in K-pop, and it’s a huge step in Korean music and media in general. Regardless of what was thought of the song, critics, fans and onlookers alike applauded Holland’s bravery for stepping out and creating a true-to-life representation of himself. He was crowned winner of the 2018 Dazed 100 list.

Since then, support for him is constantly growing, especially among international K-pop fans who have longed for actual LGBTQ representation in Korean media. He tweets largely in English, building up his international base, but also talks to domestic fans in his native Korean as well.

“I’m sorry, hate criminals can’t be my fans.” Holland tweeted shortly after the release of his first comeback, “I’m Not Afraid,” which is not only a much stronger track, but one that takes everything “Neverland” showed and dials it up a few notches. It’s nothing that’s never been seen in heterosexual music videos, yet it was slapped with an R rating by YouTube. Holland called the platform out, and YouTube responded, saying it was a mistake.

Many artists who don’t conform to the status quo in K-pop get silenced. This is perhaps why Holland is so vocal, making sure that this not only doesn’t happen to him, but also doesn’t happen to any others who are brave enough to follow his lead.

That’s what makes “I’m Not Afraid” so apt and important in a time where discrimination is so rampant. The song is good too, with its retro ’80s EDM vibe and an almost husky tonality that serves Holland well. It shows immense growth from “Neverland,” and it makes one even more interested in what this artist’s journey will truly be. He’s not reigned in by a company; he’s a lone-agent, so what Holland is able to create is from him and by him. The diversity he is bringing to the genre is wonderful to see.

Written by Kristina Manente

People love watching other people eat

It was around the mid to late-2000s that meokbang videos first began to emerge on the Internet. It all began when some food enthusiasts decided to live stream videos of themselves devouring mountains of food to entertain viewers who were strangely fascinated by these online personalities, often dubbed “food fighters.” More than 10 years later, people still can’t seem to get enough of it. Nowadays, meokbang are not just available via online platforms but have penetrated into the world of K-dramas and variety shows. The popularity of meokbang shows have soared in recent years, especially due to the rise of the so-called honbap culture in Korea. So, if you’re not hooked on it yet, here are a few meokbang-themed shows to get you started.

‘Let’s Eat’

After two successful seasons, tvN’s hit mukbang drama series “Let’s Eat”

(식샤를 합시다) is back for a third run. The series revolves around the character Goo Dae-young (Yoon Doo-joon), an outgoing insurance salesman who has made a name for himself online as a food blogger known as “Siksha-nim” (식샤님).

In season three, Dae-young finds himself stuck in a rut and feeling unmotivated. However, as luck would have it, he bumps into a friend he hasn’t seen in 14 years — Lee Ji-woo (Baek Jin-hee). As young 20-year-olds, they were incredibly passionate about food and it was Ji-woo who helped Dae-young realize the satisfaction and comfort that comes from a great meal. Check out the new season to see how their fateful encounter helps the two turn their lives around.

‘Bob Bless You’

“Bob Bless You” (밥블레스유) is a meokbang talk show that centers on food therapy. The cast consists of four beloved TV personalities, Choi Hwa-jung, Lee Young-ja, Song Eun-yi and Kim Sook, who not only introduce great dishes but entertain viewers with hilarious quips about life in general. What viewers love more than the food, it seems, is the interesting conversation that these women have during their meals. Each episode is filled with quirky remarks like “that tart tasted like the first time I saw Daniel Henney,” as well as insightful advice about the perfect meal to share with a friend to ease awkward tension.

That’s not to say the food doesn’t look delicious. Watching them feast on a mouthwatering dish of marinated crabs or a savory bowl of beef and radish soup will surely whet your appetite. But unlike other meokbang shows that focus more on what and how much to eat, Bob Bless You is more about the art of enjoying a great meal. The show reminds us that achieving that much-needed peace of mind is all about sharing good food and conversation with people we love and care about.

Written by Miruh Jeon

After a shaky start, Dexter Studios transforms the local VFX industry

One of the most notable box office disappointments of 2013 was “Mr. Go.” Budgeted at USD 18 million, the film about a gorilla with a knack for baseball generated a meagre USD 8.3 million in box office receipts locally, though it performed better in China, where it made USD 18 million. Still, the Korea-China co-production was seen as a huge risk that failed to pull in the masses and please investors, in part due to a misguided marketing campaign that failed to recognize its target audience. In truth, the film was not bad; the visual effects are, in fact, extraordinary, not least when compared to Hollywood films with budgets that allow for extensive post-production.

‘Mr. Go’ leads to birth of Dexter Studios

When “Mr. Go” was in its planning stages, no Korean visual effects company was equipped with the resources to render the necessary CGI, so the film’s director Kim Yong-hwa founded such a studio, Dexter Studios, now based in Seoul’s Digital Media City.  To say it has gone from strength to strength is probably an understatement. Over the last two years, almost any Korean production that required visual effects invariably featured Dexter in the credits. In China, the company has secured a number of deals for content including a USD 5.8 million contract with the Evergrande Group to provide video footage for their theme park. Dexter has increased its presence in the Chinese film industry with work on a number of visual effects-heavy films such as “The Tales of Wukong” and “The Monkey King 2.”

Hollywood is also taking notice with Marvel’s Stan Lee’s production company POW! Entertainment having been in talks last year with Kim Yong-hwa and Dexter to make a superhero film centred on fatherhood called “Prodigal.”

‘Along with the Gods’ solidifies Dexter as Korea’s leading VFX studio

Then at the end of last year, the hugely ambitious “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” was released. Dexter coproduced the film and did the extensive CGI under the direction of Kim Yong-hwa. Over 14 million people saw the film in the theater, making it the second most successful Korean film of all time. The film is the first part of a USD 40 million production that consists of two features, marking the first time two Korean films were shot concurrently.

The second part, “The Last 49 Days,” will be released on Aug. 1, during one of the busiest times of the year in cinemas. Few expect anything less than a box office hit, meaning the extremely risky gamble has paid off, putting Dexter in a very enviable position with success in the local market along with China. Hollywood is also taking an interest.

Unsurprisingly, Realize Pictures, one of the companies behind “Along with the Gods,” recently announced that two further installments are in the works along with spin-offs, following the franchise formula adopted by Marvel and other Hollywood giants.

Dexter enters the space race

But Dexter has even greater ambitions yet and has entered the space race with a number of directors expressing interest in making a Korean film set in space, including Kim Yong-hwa, with whom Dexter plans to helm “The Moon,” about a man trapped in space following an accident. Although it’s unclear whether the feature will materialize, given Dexter’s increasingly busy slate and similar projects such as JK Youn’s space-set “Return,” also in pre-production, it does illustrate how far Dexter has come in a relatively short space of time, transforming the local VFX industry.

Written by Jason Bechervaise
Images courtesy of Lotte Entertainment & Dexter Studios