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· Carl Samson
Homophobia on the Rise as Korea Reports 1,500 Exposed to COVID-19 in ‘Gay Clubs’
Fears of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in South Korea made international headlines over the weekend after a man with COVID-19 unknowingly exposed at least 1,500 people to the virus while partying at “gay clubs” in Seoul. Health authorities confirmed Thursday that…
· Bryan Ke
Korean Mukbang YouTuber Accused of ‘Torturing’ Animals Before Eating Them on Camera
A famous South Korean mukbang YouTuber is being called out for her videos in which she eats live seafood in front of her audience. Ethan Klein, one half of the husband-wife duo of H3H3 Productions, accused Ssoyoung of “torturing” animals and sometimes even eating live octopus…
· Sylvia Kim
No Matter How Bad it Gets, It Will ALWAYS Be ‘an Honor Just to be Asian’
As a proud Asian American, I am tired of reading article after article of Asians being portrayed as fearful victims or terrified bystanders to increasingly violent attacks of hate and xenophobia. Yes the attacks are chilling and appalling. But we are not just fearful or…
· Ryan General
Korean Celebrities Call Out Telegram Chatrooms Sexually Exploiting 74 Women and Children
Korean celebrities are publicly condemning the sexual exploitation of young girls in an online messenger service in South Korea. Last week, a man in his 20s named Cho was arrested for allegedly victimizing at least 74 people, including 16 minors. Known by his Telegram nickname…
· Bryan Ke
Bong Joon-ho Was Once Blacklisted in South Korea for His ‘Liberal’ Films
Bong Joon-ho, the Academy Award-winning director of “Parasite,” was reportedly blacklisted by the South Korean government four years ago for being too liberal. Bong, along with his two other “Parasite” collaborators, actor Song Kang-ho and producer Miky Lee, were included on the…
· Carl Samson
Asia’s Tourist Attractions Are Now Ghost Towns Over Coronavirus Fear, Travel Restrictions
Tourist destinations in Asia are seeing a dramatic drop in visitor numbers as travel restrictions related to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak remain in effect. The disease, which has so far affected more than 77,000 worldwide, forced popular attractions in China to limit…
· Bryan Ke
Elderly Woman Accidentally Infects 37 in Korean Cult With Coronavirus
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify Lee Man-hee’s claim to being visited by Jesus and his ability to interpret the Bible. An elderly woman accidentally spread the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV or COVID-19) while attending a service at a South Korean cult,…
· Bryan Ke
Donald Trump Gets Burned After Mocking ‘Parasite’ Historic Best Picture Win
President Donald Trump recently mocked the South Korean movie “Parasite” for its historic Best Picture win at the Oscars during his political rally in Colorado. In his speech, the 73-year-old businessman-turned-president took jabs at the 92nd Academy Awards, particularly for…
· Ryan General
South Korea’s First Transgender Soldier Discharged After Sex Change Surgery
South Korean military officials have confirmed that they discharged their first known transgender soldier after she underwent gender reassignment surgery. Staff sergeant Byun Hui-su is now pleading to be allowed to continue her service following the conclusion of the military…
· Bryan Ke
UPDATE: Korean Man Lends $247 to Dubai Tourist, Gets $762,000 Back is a HOAX
Editor’s Note: The following story, which has gone viral several times since first being posted in 2017, has since been debunked as a hoax by Korean sources. In the orchestrated stunt, the man, username _taeho_, paid himself but made it look like it came from someone from Dubai.…
· Ryan General
BTS and Starbucks Are Partnering to Help Needy Children in Korea
Starbucks Korea is teaming up with K-pop supergroup BTS for a good cause. The “Be The Brightest Stars” campaign will feature exclusive Starbucks x BTS items, including limited-edition beverages, food and merchandise.
· Bryan Ke
Korean DJ Blasts People Who Litter on Bali’s Beaches
South Korean DJ and producer Peggy Gou expressed her anger at people who leave their trash on a beach in Bali, Indonesia in an Instagram video on January 2. The 28-year-old Berlin-based house and techno DJ, who performed on New Year’s Eve at Desa Potato Head, went out for a walk…
· Jin Hyun
U.S. Diplomat Gets Flak in Korea With ‘Controversial’ Mustache
Harry Harris, the United States ambassador to Seoul, South Korea has been accused of being disrespectful due to the style of his facial hair. Harris began his role as ambassador in July 2018 after serving 40 years in the U.S. Navy. Although he had previously been clean-shaven,…
· Carl Samson
K-Pop Can Do Better With Mental Health
The untimely deaths of three of the biggest K-pop stars of their generation in the last two years have sparked conversations on the perils of neglecting mental health in the global multi-billion dollar industry. Proposed solutions to some of the issues idols constantly face have…
· Ryan General
Cancer Patients in Korea are Taking Dog Medication After Claims It is Curing People
A drug intended for dogs has become the most recent craze among cancer patients in South Korea after a local YouTube channel featured a story claiming that it contains an ingredient that has the potential to cure cancer in humans. In the widely-shared video, a patient with…
· Bryan Ke
University of Rochester Cancels Music School Tour After China Shuns Korean Students
Eastman, University of Rochester’s music school in upstate New York, initially announced they will continue with their China tour, but had to ultimately cancel amid backlash. The news of the cancellation came after Jamal Rossi, dean of the Eastman School of Music, received…
· Carl Samson
Sulli Thanks Fans Who Encouraged Her to Live in Heartbreaking Last Note on Instagram
A little more than a month before her tragic passing, K-pop idol Sulli expressed gratitude to people who encouraged her to live. The former f(x) member, whose real name is Choi Jin-ri, was found dead in her apartment in Seongnam on Monday afternoon following a suspected suicide,…
· Carl Samson
‘What Did I Do to Deserve This?’: Sulli in Last Instagram Live Video Days Before Passing
K-pop idol Sulli concealed her pain days before she took her own life, fans believe. Instagram Live videos that surfaced after her death on Monday show the former f(x) member asking the world to cut her some slack, all while putting on a happy face for the camera.
· Bryan Ke
South Korean Mayor Deliberately Dumps Trash on Clean Beach for Coastal Clean Up Day
A South Korean mayor recently expressed his apologies after it was discovered he deliberately dumped trash on the beach for the International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21. Lee Dong-jin, mayor of Jindo county in South Jeolla province apologized for the deception, causing…
· Bryan Ke
The First All-Filipino K-Pop Boy Group is Crushing It Too Hard to Hear the Haters
The Philippines now has its first-ever all-Filipino male K-pop group with SB19. The group, comprised of members Sejun, Stell, Josh, Ken and Justin, are trained under ShowBT, a Korean entertainment agency that branched out in the Philippines, according to ABS-CBN.