The Simple Vegan – Nasi Lemak

What’s a vegan?

To put it simply, a vegan diet is one that excludes any animal product. As such, it’s more restrictive than a vegetarian diet as, in addition to meat, it also excludes dairy and poultry products such as milk, cheese and eggs.

Why go vegan?

There are many reasons one would choose this diet, such as, for ethical, religious, environmental or health reasons and certainly, reading about some of the inhumane practices in our highly industrialized commercial food production would invoke the vegan in any of us. Hence, it’s no surprise that veganism has become a widely accepted dietary choice.

What do vegans eat?

Surprisingly, not all vegan diets are created equal. While some vegans have wholeheartedly embraced the ‘no animal product’ rule and stuck exclusively to whole foods originating from plants, others have remained vegan while substituting meat with ‘meat-like’ products – usually tofu-based products masquerading as meat and the like.

Whichever your preference, with a little effort, you too can be a card-carrying vegan with the help of simple vegan recipes to tempt your discriminating vegan palate.

A Malaysian staple

In this article, I’ll be sharing a simple recipe for Nasi Lemak, a hearty, staple of Malaysians be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (though not for all three meals in a day unless you’d like to end up as big as a bus).

There are three main components to this dish which are, the rice, the Sambal and the side dishes. As mentioned above, this is a bare bones recipe with minimal ingredients which you can choose to fancy up as much as you please yet will be more than satisfying as it is, if you choose to be a lazy vegan.

 

Let’s begin shall we?

 

 

The Rice

Simple and delicious, all you need to do is slice onions, ginger and garlic and throw them into the pot with rice, coconut milk, salt and water and cook as usual. If you have it, add a pandan leaf for fragrance.

That’s it folks! It’s even simpler if you’re using a rice cooker as you can just throw the ingredients in and press the button without needing to watch the stove.

 

Here are the amounts used when cooking for 2 – 3 people:

2 to 3 cups of rice

1 cup of coconut milk (basically, the coconut milk should be a third of the total water you’d usually use to cook the rice, e.g. if you use 3 cups of water to cook rice, replace 1 cup with coconut milk)

1 whole onion

A slice of ginger (about 1 inch)

2 cloves of garlic

Salt to taste

 

 

The Sambal

Sambal is basically a chilli-based sauce or condiment that you’ll be eating the rice with. There are many versions from extra hot to mild and you’ll be able to adjust as you like once you get the hang of it.

Again, keeping things minimal, you will need dried chillies, onions, tamarind juice, salt and sugar. As a Sambal enthusiast, I usually already have blended dried chilli stored in my freezer which I can just take out to use when I need it. So, no need to blend a new batch every time. Also, ready-blended chillies are also available at Asian stores so you can get those as well.

To prepare the tamarind juice, I use a spoon of tamarind paste and dilute it with some water (see pic above of that brown-looking liquid in a bowl). Then, slice the onions and you’re good to go.

First, add some oil to a pan and stir fry the onions till soft. Then add 4 tablespoons of chilli (just multiply this amount as needed if you need more portions – who knows you might be a Sambal fiend and not know it!) and stir fry until it starts to dry up and then becomes oily.

Add a little bit of water and 8 tablespoons of tamarind juice, half a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar and let it thicken to a semi-paste like consistency. Voila! That’s your Sambal ready!

 

Some things to note:

Sambal preference is a personal choice so feel free to adjust the proportions according to your taste. Prefer it spicier? Use more chilli or less tamarind juice and sugar. Want it more sour? Add more tamarind juice, etc.

 

 

The Sides

Nasi Lemak can be enjoyed with a variety of vegan sides so feel free to add any of those listed below.

Optional sides:

1. Stir-fried water spinach (just stir fry onion, and add in water spinach and salt to taste)
2. Stir-fried mushrooms & carrots (again just stir fry onion before adding carrots and mushrooms with salt to taste)
3. Crispy fried tempeh strips (just cut tempeh into thin strips and deep fry till crispy)
4. Fried/toasted peanuts
5. Sliced cucumber

The Finished Product

To whet your appetite, here’s a photo of the finished Nasi Lemak with Sambal on top of the rice and sliced cucumber and stir-fried carrots and mushrooms on the side. Happy cooking!

 

 

—-Fie Fed

February is Black History Month, and it provides a chance to learn about and embrace black heritage and the various contributions made by black individuals throughout history. Of course, this includes Asians who are black.

With many Asian countries being largely homogenous, those who have mixed-race backgrounds may have difficulty gaining fame in their home countries, especially in the entertainment industry. On American soil, minorities, in general, still have mountains to climb in order to gain recognition from their majority peers. Of course, we at Kcrush believe all people should have a shot to achieve their goals and dreams, and we hope everyone will have a chance to do so as society continues to change.

In honor of Black History Month, we’re calling attention to notable Black-Asian celebrities. Of course, this isn’t a complete list, so we invite you to share your favorites in the comments and on Facebook!

 

Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko is an American singer and songwriter. Her mother is of Spanish, Dominican, and Japanese descent, while her father is of Native American, Jewish, German, and African-American descent.

Aiko’s music career began when she was a contributing artist for American boyband B2K (1998-2004). From there, she appeared in several music videos and released mixtapes that feature Drake, Miguel, and Kanye West among others. On November 12, 2013, her debut EP Sail Out was released. The album debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
Since Sail Out, Aiko released two studio albums, Souled Out (2014) and Tripped (2017), and a collaboration album, Twenty88 (2016) with Big Sean (as Twenty88). Each album performed well on Billboard music charts with Souled Out debuting at number three. In 2015, she earned three Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song (“The Worst”), Best Urban Contemporary Album (Sail Out), and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (“Black Majik”- Common featuring Jhené Aiko). She also lent her voice to 2015’s We Love Disney compilation album where she sang Alice in Wonderland’s “In a World of My Own/Very Good Advice.”
Aiko’s sister, Jamila, is also a singer known as Mila J.

 

Amerie

Singer, songwriter, actress, and author Amerie is of South Korean and African-American descent. She debuted on the American music scene in 2002 with the track, “Why Don’t We Fall in Love,” which peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In addition to being popular in the U.S, the song also topped Australian and U.K charts.

Since 2002, Amerie released four studio albums including 2018’s After 4am, 11 music videos, 19 singles, one EP, and appeared on two soundtracks. Her albums All I Have and Touch have been certified Gold by the RIAA, while her song “1Thing” (2005) earned Platinum certification. In 2003, she won the Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist award at the Billboard Music Awards, and in 2005, she was awarded the Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year by the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. In all, she’s been nominated for 26 awards in her career.

In 2003, Amerie helped develop the teen lifestyle series The Center. In 2004, she made her acting debut in the film First Daughter. In 2009, she collaborated with 4Minute on the track “Heard ‘Em All.”

In 2011, she married Sony music executive LG Nicholson. The pair welcomed a son in May 2018.

Thelma Aoyama

Japanese, Afro-Trinidadian J-Pop and R&B artist Thelma Aoyama has been in the music industry since 2007. While her career has been quiet in recent years, Aoyama’s music did make waves during her debut and peak. She’s collaborated with several artists across Asia including BIGBANG’s Taeyang, 4Minute, labelmate SoulJa, Taiwanese pop group Da Mouth, and fellow Japanese musician hide.

Two of Aoyama’s most well-known tracks include SoulJa’s “Koko ni Iru yo” (2007), a track where she was a featuring artist, and the answer-song, “Soba ni Iru ne” (2008) which featured SoulJa. The latter track earned certification in 2008’s Guinness Book of World Records as the year’s best-selling digital single in Japan with over two million downloads. By November 2008, the single had over 8.7 million downloads. In Japan, the song stayed in the top five on music charts for seven weeks and was one of Oricon’s highest-selling singles by a female artist that year.

 

 

Tyson Beckford

Born to a Chinese-Jamaican mother and an Afro-Jamaican father, Tyson Beckford is best known as a Ralph Lauren Polo model and one of the first successful black models. He’s also acted in several movies and TV shows including 2005’s Into the Blue My Wife and Kids in 2002.

In the 1990s, Beckford was considered one of the world’s most beautiful people. He appeared on the “Most Beautiful People” and “Hottest Hotties” lists for People Magazine and VH1, respectively. He also co-hosted and served as a judge on America and Australia’s version of the TV show Make Me a Supermodel. In 2014, Vogue named him the “Greatest Male Model of All-Time.”
In addition to acting and modeling, Beckford also serves as an ambassador for Kick 4 Life, an organization that uses soccer to reach disadvantaged youth in the African country of Lesotho.

Beckford survived a 2005 hit-and-run car accident, an event that he claims had a major effect on his spirituality. Beckford managed to exist his vehicle before it was engulfed in flames.

“I thought I was dead, actually. I thought I was dead… I think my body gave up, it didn’t wanna move and I think that’s where God came in and said, ‘It’s not your time,’” Beckford said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

 

Cassie

Singer, model, dancer, and actress Cassie Ventura (known professionally as Cassie) is the daughter of a Filipino father and African-American, West Indian, and Mexican mother. She’s been active in the entertainment industry since 2005.
Since 2016, she’s released one album, one mixtape, 11 music videos, and 13 singles. Considered as an R&B and hip-hop artist, Cassie has collaborated with several different artists such as Jay-Z, Akron, Puff Daddy (also known as P-Diddy, with whom she had a long-term relationship that ended in 2018), Nicki Minaj, G-Eazy, and Lil Wayne. Her debut single, “Me & U” was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006.

As a model, Cassie is known as a trendsetter and is contributed as one of the influencers of the half-shaved hair trend that began in 2009.

As an actress, Cassie had roles in the films Step Up 2, The Perfect Match, and Honey 3: Dare to Dance. She also appeared on Empire as Haven Quinn.

 

Patrick Chung

New England Patriots strong safety, Patrick Chung, is of Jamaican-Chinese descent. His mother, Sophia George-Chung is a Jamaican reggae artist, while his father, Ronald Chung, was a music producer.

Chung’s NFL career started in 2009 with the New England Patriots. Except for 2013 when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Chung has always been a Patriot. In 2018, he was named one of the Patriot’s team captains.

Chung has also been named a second-team All-American in 2007 and named a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 in 2007 and 2008 when he played college football at the University of Oregon.

During his tenure with the team, Chung has won three Super Bowls, including the 2019 Super Bowl where he unfortunately sustained a broken arm. The Patriots signed Chung until 2020, so there is still a chance for another Super Bowl.

 

Han Hyun-Min

Time Magazine named Han Hyun-Min of 2017’s “30 Most Influential Teens” and with good reason: Han is the first Korean model of African descent to appear on South Korean catwalks. The Nigerian-Korean model was discovered on Instagram, and after a meeting with an agent at a coffee shop, he was signed on the spot when he was 15-years-old!

“We met in Itaewon, actually, at Holly’s coffee shop,” Han told Vogue. “They had me walk there; I walked, and the moment they saw me move, they signed me.”

Han is mostly self-taught when it comes to modeling, claiming that he learned how to “model-walk” by watching YouTube videos.

While he is making strides in the modeling world, he states he still faces prejudice when looking for modeling jobs. “Because my skin is different, some designers and brands won’t really use me,” Han told Vogue. “But rather than leaving, I want to work harder—being Han Hyun Min and building my own unique charm is important to me.”

 

Kamala Harris

Attorney and politician Kamala Harris is California’s third female U.S Senator and the first of Jamaican or Indian descent. Since 2017, Harris has served alongside Dianne Feinstein as a junior U.S. Senator. From 2011-2017, she was the 32nd Attorney

General of California. She was also San Francisco’s 27th District Attorney (2004-2011).

Harris is known as a supporter of sanctuary cities, Medicare-for-All, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and she is known as one of the Senators who voted for passing the DREAM Act. She also Environmental Justice Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. As a member of the U.S. Senate, she co-sponsored the Equality Act; she’s a supporter of the LGBTQA+ community.

Harris’ siblings also have high-profile roles. Her sister, Maya Harris, is a political analyst on MSNBC, while her brother-in-law, Tony West, is the General Counsel of Uber and a former U.S. Justice Department senior official.

Harris also wrote a book titled The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.

On January 21, 2019, Harris, a Democrat, announced she will be running for President for the 2020 United States Presidential election.

Chanel Iman

Chanel Iman is an American supermodel who has a Korean-African-American mother and an African-American father.
Iman’s career started when she was 12-years-old. She started off a child model before winning third place in Ford’s Supermodel of the World contest in 2006. After signing with Ford Models, Iman’s modeling career took off. She’s been featured in several Allure and Vanity Fair spreads globally, and she’s appeared in ad campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Dennis Basso among other fashion designers. On the catwalk, she’s walked for Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermés, Louis Vuitton, and Alexander McQueen.

Iman is also one of Victoria Secret’s famous “angels,” a role she was given in 2010. She’s been modeling with the company since 2009.

Vogue magazine in France has named Iman as one of the top 30 models of the 2000s, a role her résumé certainly supports!
Iman also had an exciting 2018. She married New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepherd in March and welcomed daughter, Cali Clay, in August.

 

Insooni

Born to a South Korean mother and an African-American father, Insooni (Kim In-soon) has been a popular musician since the late 1970s and is considered a legend in the Korean music world. While she’s classified as an R&B singer and known as the “Tina Turner of South Korea,” Insooni has also dabbled in Contemporary Christian music.

Insooni’s road to success wasn’t easy, especially since she was born in a time when mixed race people weren’t as accepted in Korea. Insooni states she had trouble throughout her school career due to her mixed-race status. As a result, she only has a middle school education as she opted to not complete high school. At one time, she wanted to be a nurse.

However, her singing career worked out for the best.

In 1978, Insooni made her music debut as a member of the Hee Sisters. During the 70s, Koreans felt a female musical group could not succeed.

Insooni later broke from the group and released Fate, her debut solo album in 1980. Since then, she has experienced a successful career despite initially being banned from performing on some music shows and singing competitions because of her mixed-race status. With 19 albums under her belt and a career that spans over 30 years, Insooni has stood the test of time despite the prejudices that tried to keep her down. In 2018, she also had the opportunity to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

A few years ago, Insooni opened a school for mixed-race students called Hae Mil School. The name means “clear sky after the rain.” The school opened in 2011 as a boarding school for multicultural students.

“I’d like to meet with those of different skin colors and help melt away their bitterness with the warmth of a mother or aunt. I hope to be a role model for them and help them lead their lives without making the same mistakes that I made,” Insooni said in a Korea Times interview.

Insooni’s daughter, Jasmine, is another aspect of Insooni’s life that brings a lot of pride. She is a student at Stanford University. Hard work really does pay off!

 

Crystal Kay

Japanese songstress Crystal Kay is well-known in the J-Pop sphere, especially since her career began at the start of the J-Pop, anime, and manga boom in the West. Kay’s mother is a Zainichi Korean; her father is African-American. While she is of Korean heritage, Kay considers herself Japanese.

“I consider myself a Japanese artist because I was born and raised here, but nationality-wise I look, and am, foreign,” she said.
Kay’s been a singer since she was four-years-old. When she was 12, she signed with Japan’s Epic Records. A CM she recorded for Vitamin Water garnered attention for the pre-teen, which later manifested into Kay’s pop and R&B career. In 1999 at the age of 13, Kay released her first single, “Eternal Memories,” which has since become her eighth top-selling single.

By 2001, Kay released seven singles, making her one of the most active artists in the early decade. 2002 through 2007 were Kay’s best years where she peaked in popularity and earned her first number one album in All Yours (2007), which was her seventh album released.

2019 marks Kay’s 20th year in the J-entertainment industry. In addition to being a singer, Kay also acts. She has an appearance in 2019’s The Earthquake Bird.

In 2018, she also released her 11th studio album: For You. In addition to her studio albums, Kay has released 42 singles, five compilation albums, and two EPs. Seven of her 11 albums have been certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA. She’s also performed alongside M-Flo, BoA, Dreams Come True, Chay, Thelma Aoyama, and Lionel Richie. She’s fluent in both Japanese and English. She is considered one of Japan’s pioneers for mixed-race entertainers.

 

Kelis

Famous for the “Milkshake” that brought all the boys to the yard, Kelis is part Chinese-Puerto Rican/African-American.

The singer, songwriter, and chef experienced success with her debut album Kaleidoscope (1999) and the well-known single “Milkshake,” the now meme-worthy song famously butchered by 4Minute, from her third album Tasty (2003). Even though she is an American songstress, Kelis’ success stems mostly from the United Kingdom where ten of her singles have broken the top ten on U.K music charts.

Since 2000, Kelis has been nominated for 32 awards; she’s won nine awards including Best Video for “Caught Out There” (Billboard Music Awards, 2000), Best International Breakthrough Artist (Brit Awards, 2001), Best R&B/Soul Act (NME Awards, 2001), Best Solo Artist (Glamour Awards, 2001), International Award (Silver Clef Awards, 2010), The HDT Award for “Acapella” (MP3 Music Awards, 2010), Best R&B Single and Best Dance Single for “Acapella” (New York Music Awards, 2011), and the Best R&B Album award for Flesh Tone (New York Music Awards, 2011).

Kelis is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate. She released a cookbook called My Life on a Plate: Recipes from Around the World. She also has a line of sauces available to the public.

Lee Michelle

Lee Michelle is best known for her appearance on 2011’s K-Pop Star, a music audition competition. Lee, who is Korean and African-American, was a member of one of the shows girl groups, SuPearls, with Park Ji-min, Lee Seung-joo, and Lee Jung-mi. At the end of the show, Lee signed with YG Entertainment and trained with her fellow SuPearls members (minus Park who signed with JYP. Park was replaced by Lee-Hi), but the group ultimately disbanded.

In 2013, Lee signed with DIMA Entertainment as a soloist. In 2014, she released her debut track “Without You,” a song and MV that earned strong praise and recognition from international K-Pop fans. The MV features Egypt Yoona as a young Lee navigating racial slurs and struggling to accept herself in light of Korea’s homogenous society. Even today, “Without You” stands as Lee’s strongest song and most-talked about MV.

In addition to “Without You,” Lee released two other singles: “I Can Sing” and “That’s Okay.” She’s appeared on Tribe of Hip-Hop, King of Masked Singer, and SESESE House. Currently, she lends her voice to several drama OSTs. She most recently appeared on the Love to the End OST.

 

Nicki Minaj

American singer-songwriter and rapper Nicki Minaj hails from Trinidad and Tobago. Her father, Robert Maraj, is Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian, so he has South-Asian ancestry.

Minaj is an oft-controversial figure, but she is a gifted rapper as shown through her various alter-egos (Harajuku Barbie, Roman Zolanski, and Rosa to name a few) and ability to change her voice and sound with ease.

Minaj got her start in the Brooklyn group Full Force where she was part of the quartet Hoodstars in 2004. When she left the group, she used MySpace to help market her music before signing with Dirty Money Entertainment in 2007. In 2007 and 2008, she released two mixtapes that helped her earn her first of many awards when she was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.

Now signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, Minaj became a breakout hit-maker. With tracks like “Your Love,” “Anaconda,” and “Starships,” which is one of the best-selling singles of all time, Minaj cemented herself as one of Hip-Hop’s leading ladies with 344 award nominations and 114 awards won.

 

Ariana Miyamoto

2015’s Miss Universe Japan, Ariana Miyamoto, has a Japanese mother and an African-American father. Miyamoto, who is also 2015’s Miss Nagasaki and a top-ten finisher at the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant, is Japan’s first multiracial woman to be crowned Miss Japan.

Miyamoto’s Miss Japan crowning caused a lot of controversy in her home-country because many felt she is not “pure enough” to represent Japan. To Japan, she is a hāfu even though Japan has been her home for most of her life.

“If I say I am ‘Japanese’ the reply would be: ‘No, you can’t be,’” Miyamoto told the BBC. “People will not believe that. But if I say I am ‘hāfu’, people agree. There is no word like hafu outside Japan, but I think we need it here. In order for us mixed kids to live in Japan, it is indispensible and I value it.”

Growing up, Miyamoto experienced a lot of discrimination, especially from classmates who felt her dark skin would rub off on them. She told the BBC that her best friend killed himself due to the discrimination he, too, faced. She wants to use her position to help break down discrimination that is deeply ingrained in Japan’s homogenous society. “…the reason I took part in the pageant was my friend’s death,” Miyamoto said in an interview. “My goal was to raise awareness of racial discrimination. Now I have a great platform to deliver that message as the first black Miss Universe Japan. It’s always hard to be the first…”

 

Ne-Yo

Musician Ne-Yo is part Chinese due to his father being African-American of Chinese descent.

Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, started his career as GoGo in the R&B group Envy. When the group disbanded in 2000, he signed with Columbia Records, but they dropped him prior to his first album’s release. However, Ne-Yo earned recognition as a songwriter creating songs for Mario, Youngstown, Christina Milian, B2K, and Mary J. Blige among other notables. Finally, in 2006, his debut album In My Own Words finally dropped, and it went on to make Ne-Yo a well-known name both in the United States and internationally.

Ne-Yo has put together a solid career with several albums and singles being certified silver, gold, and platinum over the years. Additionally, he has collaborated with some big names both stateside and internationally include Barbra Streisand and Japan’s Utada Hikaru.

 

Naomi Osaka

2019’s number one tennis player has been making a lot of waves.

Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian-American descent, has been a media darling with her laid-back attitude and humble demeanor. She famously beat Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam despite the controversy around the match. Then, she won her second consecutive Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year.

Osaka, who was tennis’ former 72nd ranked player, quickly climbed the ranks to earn the sport’s top spot. In doing so, she also became Japan’s first player to earn top ranking.

However, like pageant winner Ariana Miyamoto, many debate her “Japanese-ness” because she is not fully Japanese. The debate has been hotly discussed since Osaka needs to decide if she wants to keep her Japanese citizenship or her American citizenship. But, for now, she is the reason Japan is on top of the tennis world.

 

Sean Paul

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sean Paul (Sean Paul Francis Henriques) is part Chinese. His mother is English and Chinese-Jamaican.

The dancehall and Reggae musician is an active recording artist and record producer. In the U.S, he’s best known for his two chart-topping hit songs “Get Busy” (2003) and “Temperature” (2006), but he’s also known for his featuring roles in Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye” and Beyonce’s “Baby Boy.”

Sean Paul’s career began through open mic events in Kingston. Manager and producer Jeremy Harding learned of Sean Paul through a relative but didn’t meet Sean Paul until he visited Harding for advice. From there, Sean Paul’s career began to blossom.

His career flourished in the early to late 2000s when “Get Busy” and “Temperature” exploded in popularity. Since then, Sean Paul’s still a recognizable name in the industry with other hit tracks like “Give It All to Me,” “She Doesn’t Mind,” and “Got 2 Luv U” among others. Sean Paul has released seven full albums and 24 singles. He’s been nominated for 55 awards; he’s won 19 of them. He also earned the honors of being the most successful Jamaican artist in history on the U.S. charts.

 

Dave Roberts

Former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager is African-American (father) and Japanese (mother). His father was a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan where Roberts was born.

Roberts’ MLB career began in 1999 with the Cleveland Indians (1999-2001). Throughout his nine-year career, Roberts additionally played for the Dodgers (2002-2004), Boston Red Sox (2004), San Diego Padres (2005-2006), and the San Francisco Giants (2007-2008). He was in the Detroit Tigers minor league system when he signed with them in 1994 (28th round draft pick of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft) until 1998 when he was traded to the Indians.

As a major league player, Roberts won the World Series with the 2004 Red Sox although he did not play in the World Series itself. While his career was mostly plagued by injuries, Roberts found ways to contribute in meaningful ways.

When Roberts retired, he became a NESN broadcaster for the Red Sox for one season in 2009. He then moved on to the Padres where he was named Baseball Operations Special Assistant in 2010. In 2010, Roberts was hired as the Padres first-base coach, a position he held until 2014 when he was promoted to bench coach.

In 2015, Roberts was named as the Dodgers new manager after Don Mattingly was relieved of his duties. Upon Roberts’ hiring, he became the team’s first minority manager. Following the 2016 season—Roberts’ first full season as the team’s manager—he was named the National League Manager of the Year. Since his hiring by the Dodgers, the team has made it to the post-season each year.

In 2018, Roberts and the Dodgers agreed to a four-year contract extension. Roberts is signed as the manager until 2022.

 

Kimora Lee Simmons

Fashion designer and model Kimora Lee Simmons has an African-American father and a Japanese mother.

Growing up, life wasn’t easy for Simmons. At school, she was picked on for her tall height and mixed-race heritage. Her father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., was sentenced to prison for selling narcotics. However, her mother signed her up for modeling school to help Simmons build confidence. When she was 13-years-old, Simmons was discovered by discovered by Marie-Christine Kollock and sent to Paris to complete training.

At 14, Simmons had an exclusive contract with Chanel and worked under the late-Karl Lagerfeld and gained attention from some of the largest names in the fashion world including Yves Saint Laurent.

In 1998, she married record producer and entrepreneur Russell Simmons. Together, the two worked on Phat Farm and Baby Phat, an apparel brand that was popular in the early-to-mid-2000s. After Russell Simmons sold the company in 2004, it took until 2007 for Kimora Lee Simmons to be named President and Creative Director of Phat Fashions. She left the company in 2010, a year after her divorce from Russell Simmons.

Since the Phat Fashion days, Simmons has launched her own KLS fashion brand and has done some acting and reality TV. Additionally, she’s had her own shows: Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and Kimora: House of Fab.

 

Hines Ward

Hines Ward was the always-smiling wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1998-2011. Number 86, who was born to an African-American father and Korean mother in Seoul, South Korea in 1976, is a two-time Super Bowl winner and a one-time Super Bowl MVP. He’s also been selected to four Pro Bowls, earned three second-team All-Pro selections, and has been named to the Steelers’ All-Time Team.

Known as one of the NFL’s best blockers, Ward was known for hitting players in their blind-sides. One such hit broke a player’s jaw (Keith Rivers) in 2008, which led to the NFL’s “Hines Ward Rule” that made blind-side blocks illegal. His actions also led to him being voted ESPN’s “Dirtiest Player in the NFL” in 2009.

For four years, Ward had a streak of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons; unfortunately, a fifth year wasn’t possible due to an injury in 2005. However, he was once the Steelers’ franchise leader in receptions and touchdowns before both records were toppled by Antonio Brown.

Ward has also left his mark on pop culture. In 2011, he was dubbed the winner Dancing with the Stars’ 12th season. He also appeared in 2012 Dark Knight Rises. In 2018, he was named an honorary ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

 

Tiger Woods

Woods has one golf’s most storied careers. He has 80 PGA Tour wins (second-most all-time behind Sam Snead), 40 European Tour wins (third-most all-time behind Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer), and has several awards and honors in his name including 11 PGA Player of the Year awards. He also has 17 records in the Guinness Book of World Records; he is the third-highest sportsman with Guinness Book honors.

While Tiger Woods is considered one the world’s best golfers, he’s also known for his 2009 infidelity scandal. Woods considers himself Cablinasian—is African-American (father), Thai, Chinese, and Dutch (mother).

 

Yoon Mirae

Born to an African-American father and a South Korean mother, Yoon Mirae (Natasha Shanta Reid) is one of Korean music world’s most known figures. The rapper and singer started her career in 1997, so she is considered one of K-Pop’s first-generation stars.

In 1995, Reid was discovered when she was heard singing outside of an audition. Reid did not audition, but her friend did. When World Records representatives heard her, she was signed to join the co-ed Hip-Hop group Uptown. She along with Chris Jung, Carlos Galvan, Steve Kim are original members; the group debuted in 1997.

In 1999, Reid joined singer Annie to form the Hip-Hop and R&B duo Tashannie, a portmanteau of both their names.
In 2000, Uptown disbanded after Jung, Galvan, and Kim were arrested for drugs (the group reformed with a rotating roster following the incident). Tiger JK, who was Reid’s then-boyfriend and now-husband, was also arrested and spent time in jail. Reid went into hiding before re-emerging in 2001 as a solo artist.

As a soloist, Reid’s albums peaked within the top 20 for three of her four releases. Many of her tracks also appeared on the Korean music tracks. However, her OST appearances peaked within the top ten five times out of eight releases with 2013’s “Touch Love” (Master’s Sun) 2014’s “I Love You” (It’s Okay, That’s Love) both earning number one spots.

In addition to being a successful soloist, Reid is also a member of MFBTY, a hip-hop trio comprised of her, Tiger JK, and Bizzy.
Reid and Tiger JK are advocates against child abuse. She’s also an advocate for multicultural awareness in Korea.

 

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

Spring will be the time for Park Bom fans to rejoice: She will be returning to the music scene in March with a new album and single featuring fellow former 2NE1 groupmate, Sandara “Dara” Park.

Her upcoming single, “Spring,” will be Park Bom’s first solo track since 2011’s “Don’t Cry” (her last collaboration was in 2013 on G-Dragon’s Japanese version of “Black”).  The track will be her first since signing with D-Nation Entertainment in 2018.

“Spring” is described as a mid-tempo R&B song written by Brave Brothers, who also serves as the main producer for the album.

“It’s a very good song, to the extent that I can confidently say that it’s the best female track I’ve ever made,” ,” Brave Brothers told Xportnews.  “I can assure you that it’s the best. When it’s released, people will say out of surprise, ‘This song is produced by Brave Brothers?’ It’s a song like no other. You can really look forward to it.”

Of her upcoming album, Brave Brothers said, “For several months I received an offer from Park Bom’s side, and after a lot of thought, I decided to produce her album. I like her vocal tone, and I wanted to make her a number one artist.”

“Park Bom’s skills are still superb,” Brave Brothers added. “Most people won’t be disappointed. Instead of being flamboyant or strong, we tried to express a special emotion. I included the vibe I had when I was in YG, but it’s not a reproduction of Park Bom’s previous image. It’ll be a totally different concept.”

Park Bom has been an extended hiatus since 2014 when she was accused of allegedly smuggling amphetamines into South Korea back in 2010. The “drugs” were prescribed medications for her Attention Deficit Disorder and depression, and her family tried to her get her medications—which she filled in the US at the time—by mailing her pills to her. U.S. hospital records cleared Park, but the Court of Public Opinion considered her guilty.

During her hiatus, 2NE1 also disbanded in 2016.

A date has not been released for Park Bom’s release, but we look forward to the track when it drops sometime in March.

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

A photo of SISTAR from their 2017 hit ’Lonely’. From left: Soyou, Hyolyn, Bora and Dasom.

 

Queens of the summer anthem

Soyou, Hyolyn, Bora and Dasom were the four members who made up the all-female South Korean Kpop group SISTAR signed under Starship Entertainment from 2010 to 2017. Known as the queens of the summer anthem, the group churned out hit after hit every summer during their years together, captivating audiences with their solid vocals, sexy dance numbers and outfits and breezy, catchy melodies.

During their seven-year run, the group produced two studio albums, six extended plays and seventeen singles, nine of which consecutively ruled the number one spot of the Korean Gaon music chart from 2011 to 2017.

In addition, the group also had a two member sub-unit SISTAR19 comprising members Hyolyn and Bora with hit singles such as ‘Ma Boy’ and ‘Gone Not Around Any Longer’.

 

Striking out on their own

Despite their success as a group, the members frequently participated in solo activities even while still together, branching out into collaborations with other artistes, featuring on original soundtracks for popular Kdramas and acting.

Thus, it’s no wonder that after seven years together and phenomenal success, the members decided to end their partnership amicably with Hyolyn and Soyou embarking on solo careers and Dasom and Bora focusing on acting roles. The members continue to be close leaving the door open for a future collaboration to the delight of their fans.

 

 A recent photo of the ladies celebrating Bora’s 30th birthday last December shared on her Instagram account @borabora_sugar.

 

Latest updates

A photo of Soyou shared on her Instagram account @soooo_you.

Soyou has remained under Starship Entertainment as a solo artiste, releasing the EP ‘Re:Born’ in December 2017 and following up with the recent EP ‘Re:Fresh’ last October. She’s also active on tv shows, becoming a vocal trainer on the 2018 idol survival show ‘Produce 48’.

She will soon return to meet audiences in two upcoming shows in 2019 – as a co-host on KBS beauty program ‘My Favorite Beauty’ as well as on the music variety show ‘In Sync’ where contestants comprising male and female singers set out to find the best duet partner.

Fans can check out her official Instagram account @official_soyou for updates on her latest endeavors.

 

Promo photo of Hyolyn’s upcoming world tour shared on her Instagram account @xhyolynx.

Hyolyn, previously known as Hyorin, was also known as the queen of OSTs, featuring on the soundtracks of numerous popular Kdramas even while active with SISTAR. Since disbanding, she has further cemented her image as the Beyonce of South Korea, going so far as to set up her own agency – Bridʒ (pronounced Bridge) – in order to have full creative control over her music.

She released four singles including ‘BAE’ in 2018 and held her first solo concert in November where Soyou and Bora were in attendance supporting their former SISTAR member. International fans can rejoice as they’ll be able to see her live, in person as she embarks on her first world tour this 2019.

 

A photo of Bora at an event for her upcoming movie ‘Sun-kissed Family’ shared on her Instagram account @borabora_sugar..

Bora played a supporting role in hit drama ‘Hwayugi: A Korean Odyssey’ and also appeared in OCN’s ‘God’s Quiz: Reboot’ in 2018. She will also appear as the lead role in upcoming movie ‘Sun-kissed Family’ to air this year.

As she is also known for her eloquent hosting abilities, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she continues to participate in hosting programs in the future like she did in the past for programs such as ‘Produce 48’ in 2018. On a personal front, she has been in a relationship with BIGSTAR’s Feeldog since 2017.

 

Dasom’s pic and new year wish shared on her Instagram account @som0506.

Dasom has been keeping busy acting since the group’s disbandment, playing one of the lead roles and winning the ‘Best New Actress’ award for kdrama ‘Band of Sisters’ in 2017’s SBS Drama Awards.

She continued her promising acting career in 2018, playing the lead in the KBS drama special Ms. Kim’s Mystery and will next be seen in the upcoming tvN drama ‘He Is Psychometric’ with GOT7’s Jinyoung set to begin airing in March 2019.

 

—-Fie Fed

As anticipated and expected, all six members of B.A.P departed TS Entertainment following the ends of their respective contracts. Jongup, Himchan, Daehyun, and Youngjae left the company this month (February 2019); Yongguk and Zelo’s contracts ended in August and December 2018, respectively.

Upon the news of remaining departures, TS Entertainment posted a message on B.A.P’s fan café that read:

Hello. This is TS Entertainment.

We would like to notify you that TS Entertainment’s exclusive contracts with B.A.P members Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, and Jongup have ended.

With the exclusive contracts that B.A.P members Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, and Jongup had with TS Entertainment ending, we have come to the agreement that they will not renew their contracts and will instead find their own paths.

We wish to sincerely thank all of the Korean and international fans who have sent their love to B.A.P members Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, and Jongup, and we hope you will continue to support them in the future.

Thank you.

Currently, it is unknown if B.A.P will come together as a group in the future even though the members themselves have promised fans they will be together again. Currently, some the members have solo plans; Yongguk (who recently released his solo track, “Hikikomori”) and Himchan are scheduled to join the military this year. Youngjae is rumored to have signed with a new agency.

“Although we won’t be able to right away because we have our own situations and our future plans are different, I still always think that we will be able to work together again some day,” Jongup told News1 during a phone interview. “As for right now, we’re trying to focus a bit more on the things that we’ve been wanting to do.”

Jongup clarified that the group will still be together. “[We] never said ‘disbandment,’” he said during the interview. “There are some who want to try things on their own, and we’ve ended up in a situation where we can’t do things together, so we decided to support each other. To be honest, it’s very sad that we’re unable to promote as B.A.P. Still, we’re accepting the current situation and we decided to support each other on our paths.”

Daehyun also shared his thoughts on his official Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

2012~2019 정말 미친듯이 달려오고 넘어지고 다시일어서고, 지금은 이런생각만 드네요, 정말 소중하고 행복한, 다시는 느낄수없는 그때의 기억이구나..하고말이죠. 지금까지 수많은 고생을 함께한 TS엔터식구분들 마지막까지 정말 감사합니다. 그리고 하늘에서 보고계실 김태송 대표님 이제야 말씀드려죄송합니다. 정말 대표님이아니셨다면 불가능할일들이였습니다. 여전히 존경하고 보고싶습니다. 2019~ 앞으로 언제어떻게 여러분을 찾아뵐수있을지 확실하게 말은못하지만, 죽는그날까지 저는 음악과함께할것입니다. 응원해주세요 감사합니다 BABY

A post shared by DaeHyun (@dh_jung_bap) on Feb 18, 2019 at 7:37am PST

His post reads:

2012~2019 I ran like crazy, fell down, and got back up again, and now all I’m thinking about is: They’re memories of precious and happy times that I can’t experience again. I’m so grateful until the end to our TS Entertainment family members who went through so many hard times together with us. Also, I want to finally apologize to CEO Kim Tae Song, who must be watching us from above. It’s really true that it wouldn’t have been possible if not for you. I respect you as ever, and I miss you. 2019~ I can’t tell you exactly when or how in the future I’ll be able to see you again, but I’m going to keep doing music until I die. Please support me. Thank you, BABY.

B.A.P recently celebrated their seventh anniversary January 27. Throughout their seven-year history, B.A.P experienced many hardships, mainly their 2014 lawsuit against TS Entertainment. With the news that B.A.P left the company, while BABYZ are sad B.A.P are not promoting as a group for now, there is jubilation that the group is no longer under TS’ control and poor management.

B.A.P debuted in 2012 with “Warrior.” Their last track together was “Hands Up” in 2018.

We wish the B.A.P members the best in their futures. 

Related: Kcrush Interview with Rapper and Songwriter Bang Yong-guk

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

 

Kim Hyung-soo – best known as K.Will – is a Korean Pop/R & B singer (born on December 30, 1981) who began his music career by featuring in a soundtrack for the K-Drama A Love to Kill in 2005. He was signed under BigHit Entertainment from 2005 until 2007, but transferred with Starship Entertainment when it became independent and is still signed under the company. Prior to his debut, he gained substantial recognition when videos of him singing Mariah Carey, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men and Celine Dion’s signature songs, plus well-known Korean pop ballads began to surf online. He participated in auditions to search for songwriters, worked as a vocal coach and was a part of an A cappella group.

K.Will made his official debut in 2007 with his first album Left Heart (2007) which was produced by JYP, and although it didn’t have much impact on the charts at the time; today, he is considered as one of the best vocalists of his generation in Korea. Thanks to his wide vocal range and distinctive voice, K.Will currently has a string of chart-topping ballad songs under his belt, accomplishing so much during his 13 years of his career. We are aware that we’re very lucky to have attained his interview, especially since he’s busy with doing concerts right now. We’d like to express our appreciation for K.Will for offering his precious time for a great interview, and hope that the fans will enjoy learning more about the talented singer.

 

Thank you for taking time out for an interview with us. Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello, this is K.Will and it’s already 13 years since I debuted as a singer. Since I got the chance to get interviewed like this, thank you for taking an interest in me.

 

Tell us how you initially got into doing music.

There wasn’t a special incident or anything like that which enabled me to become a singer. I just loved music from an early age, and began to really enjoy singing. I set realistic goals for myself and gradually got closer to what I set my mind on.

Since I really loved performing on stage, I wanted to have my own songs. But it didn’t occur to me that I could become a professional singer at first. I wanted to feature in good albums for other singers, and I soon fulfilled that wish by getting to be part of a chorus session. Because my voice got known to many people, I was then given a chance to record an album – that’s how I began my music career.

 

Which one of your songs or albums are you the most attached to? (K.Will has so far, released four albums: Left Heart, Missing You, The Third Album and The Fourth Album.)

My first album comes to my mind for various reasons. I consider myself extremely lucky for having worked with so many talented songwriters. The record sticks to my mind the most because… it was my first ever album.

I’d like to introduce the first song that I’ve ever written called, “I’ll Be With You” (the Korean title is “내 곁에”) to you. The song was written and produced for everyone who showed their love and support for me.

 

 

Which artists do you admire and enjoy listening to?

There are so many artists that I admire. My nickname happens to be Brian HyungKnight, I got that nickname since I was a kid because I sang Brian McKnight’s songs so much. To this day, I use “HyungKnight – 형나잇” as my ID for my fan club site, which derived from the nickname. Since countless R&B artists from the 90’s era influenced me enormously, I can never leave out Boyz II Men and Brian McKnight when I get asked questions regarding the artists that I admire and respect the most.

 

Can you recommend us one of your favorite songs or albums?

I want to recommend a song that I listened to a lot during the 90s – “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men, from their [Ⅱ] album, which is their second album.

 

Do you have a preference to a color? How would you describe your fashion or dress code?

I like burgundy and navy. I also have a preference for shades that are faded from their original colors. As to how I dress, I like to wear comfortable clothes. Because I often wear a suit when performing on stage, I enjoy wearing outfits that are very comfortable normally.

And I usually try to dress as if I didn’t try too hard but people around me actually have said that I should put in more care and attention to what I wear.

 

 

What is the first thing that you do when you get up in the morning?

I drink icy water when I get up.

 

What do you do to release stress and maintain your health?

I think the best way to release or relieve stress is to meet up with friends and have a good chat with them over a few drinks. I also put in the effort to have more hobbies. I like to watch sports and collect figurines as well.

There’s a saying in Korea called, “Sohwakhaeng – 소확행” which basically means “being happy, bit by bit” so I try to find happiness gradually, each day that goes by. To find that kind of happiness, I assume I’d have to spend more time to research on it. As to maintaining my health, I put an effort to eat meals properly and on time and things like that because my (schedule) everyday life is inconsistent overall. Since you’ve asked me that question, I am starting to think that I should take more care for my health.

 

What kind of food or beverage do you like the most?

I eat pretty much everything since I am not a fussy eater. Right now, the food that I’m craving is Korean blood sausage soup and the dish is something a lot of Koreans enjoy. I also like to drink coke.

 

Could you recommend any films, books or musicals that you’ve enjoyed recently?

I recently went to watch the musical, “Jekyll & Hyde” and I felt the show was extremely intriguing and superb. I took a special interest in the musical since I’m currently doing a musical myself, and I went to see it because a friend that I worked with before was playing the role of Jekyll/Hyde. The musical was just incredibly emotional and I was very awed. I strongly recommend you to see it.

 

Share with us on any particular episodes or fans that you’ve encountered during your career.

I feel that each moment is like an episode for me. Last year, I toured Korea 13 times and so many fans came to the shows. During each performance, I’m reminded that I get to do what I am doing due to the fans. So, I do really get emotional each time I perform. I especially recall the eyes of the audience, gazing back at me when I’m on stage. I feel so blessed that I have those fans who have enjoyed my music since (and even before) I made my debut as a singer.

 

Which country or stadium do you most wish to perform?

I am in-between doing concerts right now and I know that I’d really love to perform anywhere overseas. I think it’s unbelievable that there are people abroad who want to see me perform in person. Especially since the interest for Korean pop have become so huge these days, I’d think that I would put in more care and responsibility if I was given the chance to perform internationally. I’ve done a concert in the States in the past but didn’t get to tour the country, so I would love to do a tour there and also around Asia.

 

Please inform us on your plans, goals and wishes for the year of 2019. We wish you all the best in all your endeavors.

This year marks my 13^th anniversary as a singer, my wish is to produce more great songs that people can love and relate to wholeheartedly.

I also hope that 2019 would be the year that is meaningful in my life as a singer. Instead of having specific goals, I’d just love to continue singing and making music that will leave another mark in the walk of Hootsuitelife. I’ll continue singing in good health. Thank you.

 

 

As a bonus, we prepared 5 Random Facts about K.Will for you.

*K.Will wanted to initially call himself “Will” but later decided not to, because there was a yoghurt drink in Korea with the same name.

*One of the nicknames he attained during the start of his career was, “Male Mariah.” Several videos of him singing Mariah’s songs can be found online.

*K.Will is a baseball fanatic and supports the Doosan Bears.

*K.Will is allergic to shellfish. So, he can’t consume shrimps, crabs and such…

*His most close friends include Kim Bum-soo, Wheesung and Kim Tae-woo who all happen to be singers.

*K.Will is a Blood-type O.

 

—- J. Chung.

Dressing up appropriately for any K-Pop fan meeting or concert is a crucial aspect for consideration.

 

One of the many factors to consider when choosing an outfit is the performing individual or group that you are attending the concert or fan meeting for. For instance, when attending EXO concerts, one should choose outfits from the EXO-inspired wardrobe. Compared to an individual K-Pop performer’s concert/fan meeting, attending the gig of a K-Pop group can be rather demanding regarding matters of choosing an outfit. It is easier to choose from a wardrobe inspired by an individual performer as one can try a complete look from the K-Pop idol’s numerous stage performances or public appearances. However, since most of the K-Pop groups have more than four members, imitating a single member’s complete look would work but making the decision would be “long. To ease the wardrobe’s decision-making processes regarding K-Pop group concerts or fan meetings, choosing a complete look from your most favorite group member would be advisable.

 

The transpiring season would be another factor to contemplate upon when choosing a K-Pop concert or fan meeting event. It would be absurd to choose a wool long or short coat during summer. Wearing according to respective seasons ensures your comfortability during the gig and portrays your sense of style. Talking of style, it would also be advisable to give thought to the latest K-Pop fashion trend in deciding on your outfit. Wearing an outfit that Rap Monster wore a year ago, just because it is his concert, portrays your lack of fashion sense. Being a K-Pop fan, a fan is expected to at least have an idea of the latest K-Pop fashion craze. If a fan can keep up with the latest K-Pop songs and videos, he or she should at the very least maintain the depicted levels of exquisiteness in fashion.

 

 

 

Here are some of the 5 fun styles that you can dress up for K-Pop concerts or fan meetings.

1. A classy and porsh for alltmes –Patchted jacket ( with shorts, pants, or a skirt and a top to one’s liking). 

 

2. A layer of warmth for the chilly days – cardigans, pullovers.

 

3. Patterned shirts for summer days – stripped, flowered.

 

4. Cobain cargo pants – for that edgy look.

 

5. Leather pants – to smothen your curves.

 

What would you wear to your first K-Pop concert or fan meeting?  Let us know.

 

 

—-Pe Arlkh

 

While You Were Sleeping is about a woman who sees through her dreams of terrible things that will happen to people in the future and a prosecutor who tries to prevent them from happening.

 

Nam Hong Joo

Has the ability to dream about the future. This is causing trouble in her life. It is tough knowing the future and being unable to prevent it. She can warn someone about an accident, for instance, but in the end, the accident still happens. She begins to change with the help of Jae Chan.

 

Jung Jae Chan

A rookie prosecutor who develops the same ability as Hong Joo. He is able to help change what Hong Joo sees in her dreams. A handsome young man who changed Nam Joo’s destiny. He is living with his younger brother and he is a neighbor of Nam Joo.

 

Han Woo Tak

A police officer. His life was saved by Jae Chan and he ends up helping Jae Chan and Hong Joo and develops such a lovely friendship with them. Woo Tak is such a sweet and selfless man who is always more than willing to jump in and help when needed.

 

Lee Yoo Bum

Our villainous lawyer, will do anything for money. He can get himself out of the trouble, a constant thorn in prosecutor’s Jung Jae Chan’s side. He was dating Hong Joo and then she breaks up with him.

 

What I Think?

The cast deserves applause from suiting up to their personas at their very best every time they are captured on screen. Every single character was developed and had a couple of different traits displayed, which transformed them into a believable person. I really adored Jae Chan and Hong Joo as a couple. They are super cute together and give us plenty of adorable couple moments. They are also both genuinely good people that put others before themselves, and they develop such a supportive relationship with each other. The drama shows how the choices people make impact those around them. Self-centered Yoo Beom never cares about how his decisions affect others, and ends up having to lie and fabricate, digging himself a hole that eventually becomes way too deep to climb out of. The Three Flying Dragons, on the other hand, choose to always diligently stick to what they know to be right, at times even putting their careers at risk, in their desire to do good.

 

—-Lotus Hagar

The story of Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) who is the rich heir to the Empire Group.  While living in the United States, Tan meets Go Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye) who came to the states to find her sister after not hearing from her for so long.  But when things don’t work right with her sister, So, Eun Sang ends up with no where to go and is taken in by Tan.  But no one would know that they both have a connection with each other back at Tan’s house.

 

Cha Eun Sung

Cha Eun Sang belongs to a middle class family and suffering a lot to earn money. Her mother works at Tan’s house as a maid. She has a nice, sweet and attractive personality.

 

Kim Tan

He is sweethearted, nice and good-looking. He is also a millionaire. He was made to stay in the U.S. by his brother because he didn’t like him since he was his father’s second mistress son.

 

Choi Young Do 

The heir of Hotel Zeus Group and Kim Tan’s childhood friend. A lonely person but also a trouble maker. At first he wanted to make Kim Tan jealous but he ends up with falling for Eun Sang and also could not get her to feel the same.

 

Yoo Rachel 

The heiress of RS International, a clothing company, and Kim Tan’s betrothed threatens Eun-sang the most at school. Her mother controls her since she is to be the “perfect” heiress, ignoring what Rachel actually wants. It obviously shapes up the person she is now.

 

Yoon Chan-young

A class representative of Jeguk High and Eun Sang’s oldest and best friend. As his father is merely a secretary, he is one of the few so-called “social care group” students in the school.  He tops the whole school in every test ever. He is Eun Sang’s Childhood friend and Bo Na’s Boyfriend.

 

Lee Bo Na

Daughter of the CEO of the talent-searching Mega Entertainment and Chan-young’s girlfriend.  She is a jealous girlfriend yet, actually a very kind person. Befriending Eun Sang (under the guise of protecting her boyfriend), she forgives people quickly.

 

What I think?

The Characters, are all so interesting, well developed, and well-acted that I’m going to take a chunk of just listing out all the best things about everyone. I think the time Eun Sang and Kim Tan spent getting to know each other, alone, in California is some of the strongest scenes in the show. The kids you know as high school students get a glimpse at adulthood, their chosen paths in life and a lot of relationships are still on the mend. It was not tear worthy or perfect, and it didn’t yank our characters apart and focused on the bigger picture. The two moms together were adorable; and so were Chan Young, Bo Na, Hyo-Shin, and Myung Soo.  They bring wonderful humor into the story, and I kind of want to be best friends with Chan Young and Bo Na myself. The message expressed was actually pretty good and kind of interesting. It seemed to be based on the theme “be careful what you wish for.” If you put Fame and Fortune at the top of your list, you may not be happy when you get it.

 

—-Lotus Hagar

Our first K-Pop chart of the year! Are you ready to see what ranked in our K-Pop Top 30? Check out our list, and get ready to get your vote on for February! Once we find a voting platform that can handle more than eight selections, we’ll post the information. 🙂 #kpop #music_charts #cherry_bullet #Shaun #Chungha #Verivery #Lukus #rothy #yongguk #hikikomori #neonpunch #clc #apink #dreamcatcher #lee_sora #gfriend #luna #fx #nflying #favorite #hyomin #tara #oneus #seventeen #minseo #nature #roh_tae_hyun #astro #ryeowook #wjsn #huta #knk

Park Shin Hye Dramas OST

Dreams of stardom

This five member all-male South Korean Kpop group signed under Brave Entertainment first debuted in 2012 comprising members Feeldog, Baram, Raehwan, Sunghak and Jude. Their first single album ‘Bigstart’ was released in July 2012 followed by three E.P.s and seven singles from 2012 to 2015.

They are well-known for their achievement as the first idol group to hold one hundred concerts in Japan.

 

Reality bites

Despite their ambitious start featuring slick music videos showcasing their powerful dance moves, catchy rap verses and smooth R&B influenced sound, the group fell short of mainstream success, falling behind in chart rankings and overall popularity compared to groups like EXO and BTOB that debuted around the same time.

Many fans believe in the group’s talent and have blamed their agency’s lack of promotional activities for their lacklustre success given that they have not released an album since 2015.

Nevertheless, the group remain signed to Brave Entertainment and have been participating in individual projects and collaborations with other artistes over the years.

In 2017, all the members except for Baram, appeared in the KBS show, Idol Rebooting Project: The Unit. Premised on giving idols and former idols a chance to ‘reboot’ their career,  the show’s finalists got to debut in a new group, UNB in April 2018. Of the four members, only Feeldog made the cut, becoming an official member and leader of UNB.

 

Latest updates

Feeldog, the multi-talented leader of the group has been making his name as an actor over the years, playing supporting roles in popular Kdramas such as ‘Jealousy Incarnate’ and ‘Radiant Office’.

In addition, after his successful stint on ‘The Unit’, he re-debuted in new group UNB in April 2018 and served as special guest judge on select episodes of ‘Dancing High’, a dance reality show.

He also released a new music video – ’Color’, a song composed in collaboration with fellow BIGSTAR member, Jude, a few months ago on his Youtube channel (Official Feeldog).

 

Baram has been laying low in the entertainment scene ever since his enlistment into mandatory military service in February 2017. No news as yet on any upcoming plans for 2019 but meanwhile fans can check out his Instagram account @han.ryang__ for the latest updates as he regularly shares photos there.

 

Raehwan, also known as Larry, enlisted for mandatory military service a year ago in February 2018, right after he was terminated from the show – ‘The Unit’. Prior to enlisting, he left fans with his first mixtape ‘20/25’ available on Soundcloud featuring smooth R&B and Soul music. Fans can also check out his Youtube channel ‘OFFICIAL RAEHWAN’ where he regularly uploads covers of other artistes and his vlogs.

 

Sunghak is another member who we’ve not heard from in awhile since he was eliminated from ‘The Unit’. However, updates from his personal Instagram account show he’s been keeping himself busy with his other interest – fitness. Checkout his IG for photos and other uploads to keep up with his updates.

 

Jvde has been keeping busy musically and just dropped his first mix tape ‘No Time For Chill’ last October. The English language track is available on Soundcloud and Youtube channel (Jvde Milez). He’s also featured on the original sountrack for Kdrama ‘Revenge Note 2’.

 

 

 

 

—-Fe Fed

Since 2017, fans fear that Cube Entertainment girl group, CLC, have been in danger of disbandment for quite some time due to lacking domestic sales.

CLC, which is an acronym for CrystaL Clear, have released a steady stream of noteworthy songs since their 2015 debut with the infectious bop “Pepe,” but it wasn’t until 2017’s “Hobgoblin” that caused people to notice them. The girls—Sorn, Seunghee, Yujin, Seungyeon, Yeeun, Elkie, and Eunbin— have several award nominations and wins (they recently snagged the “Next Rising Star of Asia” Award at Thailand’s 2018 Daradaily The Great Awards).   On February 12, 2019, they earned their first music show win on The Show. However, despite their recognitions, CLC have yet to gain footing in the country they represent.

However, CLC have gained traction in the U.S. market, specifically on the Billboard charts. In 2017, CLC landed on Billboard charts with their single “Hobgoblin” and their Crystyle EP. In February 2017, Crystyle peaked at number six on the World Albums chart. Later that year, Black Dress peaked at number seven. Free’sm was their lowest-peaking album at number 14 that August.

Fast-forward to 2019, and CLC have made their way back to the Billboard charts with their latest EP, No.1.

No.1 became CLC’s best-performing album to date on Billboard, peaking at number five on the World Albums chart. According to Nielsen Music, the album sold more than 1,000 copies, making it CLC’s best-selling album in the United States.

Additionally, CLC also debuted at number 19 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. Their appearance on the chart makes them only the second K-Pop girl group to land on the chart since Red Velvet’s RBB album in 2018.

Meanwhile, “No” debuted at number four on Billboard‘s World Digital Song Sales chart. This is CLC’s second number four-ranked song; “Hobgoblin” ranked fourth on the same chart in 2017. Both tracks sold more than 1,000 copies during their first week.

Maybe fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Westerners enjoy CLC’s tracks. Perhaps they’ll be saved from alleged disbandment once again.

Congratulations to CLC for their Billboard entries!

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

EPIK HIGH will be making their long-awaited comeback March 11, 2019. Leader Tablo announced the comeback on his official Twitter.

The new album will be EPIK HIGH’s first album since leaving YG Entertainment in 2018 and their first album since We’ve Done Something Wonderful in 2017. They were with YG Entertainment for six years. During their tenure at YG, they released the 99, Shoebox, and We’ve Done Something Wonderful albums. Tablo also released his solo album, Fever’s End.

The album will be EPIK HIGH’s 10^th album in the group’s 16-year history. While details have not been released yet, teasers are expected in the coming days.

 

Meanwhile, EPIK HIGH will be touring Europe and North America after the album’s release. The tour begins March 13 and ends March 20. Snag your tickets (click links below) to one of their following shows!

• Wednesday March 13, 2019– Kesselhaus in der Kulturbrauerei, Berlin, Germany
• Thursday March 14, 2019-The Circus, Helsinki, Finland
• Friday March 15, 2019– Q-Factory, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Saturday March 16, 2019– La Madeleine, Brussels, Belgium
• Sunday March 17, 2019-YOYO (Palais de Tokyo), Paris, France
• Tuesday March 19, 2019– Progresja, Warsaw, Poland
• Wednesday March 20, 2019– Electric Ballroom, London, UK
• April 1, 2019- First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
• April 3, 2019- House of Blues, Chicago, IL
• April 4, 2019- Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada
• April 7, 2019- Terminal 5, New York City, NY
• April 9, 2019-Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
• April 10, 2019- Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
• April 12, 2019- The Fillmore Silver Spring, Washington, D.C.
• April 13, 2019- Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
• April 15, 2019- Center Stage, Atlanta, GA
• April 18, 2019- EMO’s, Austin, TX
• April 19, 2019- House of Blues, Houston, TX
• April 20, 2019- Canton Hall, Dallas, TX
• April 23, 2019- The Observatory, San Diego, CA
• April 26, 2019- The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
• April 28, 2019- The Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
• May 1, 2019- Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
• May 2 & 3, 2019- Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Tickets for the North American tour are available on EPIK HIGH’s official website.

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

BLACKPINK’s North American leg of their BLACKPINK 2019 World Tour in Your Area has been announced!

On February 12, 2019, Powerhouse and Goldenvoice announced they are bringing BLACKPINK to North America in an email sent to Powerhouse subscribers. In the email, it was announced that automaker Kia are sponsors for the tour set to start April 17 in Los Angeles.

The announcement comes on the heels of a week of exciting announcements for U.S. BLINKS (BLACKPINK fans). On February 12, the YG Entertainment girl group appeared on Good Morning America. The group also appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (their American TV debut) February 11 and Strahan and Sara February 15. Of course, the biggest news was their Coachella appearance announcement that earned them a historic spot as the first female K-Pop group to perform at the event in April.

Now with the tour officially announced, BLINKs have six chances to catch BLACKPINK in concert. If you’re near the following locations, BLACKPINK’s “in your area” soon!

April 17, 2019	Los Angeles, CA	The Forum
April 24, 2019	Chicago, IL	Allstate Arena
April 27, 2019	Hamilton, ON, Canada	First Ontario Center
May 1, 2019	Newark, NJ	The Prudential Center
May 5, 2019	Atlanta, GA	Infinite Energy Arena
May 8, 2019	Fort Worth, TX	Ft. Worth Convention Center

Ticket prices, tiers, or VIP package information have not been released yet but will be forthcoming on Powerhouse Live’s Facebook page and website.

Tickets go on-sale February 20 at 4pm local time.

 

—-Joelle Halon

Former Wonder Girls member and current solo artist Sunmi will embark on a world tour starting February 2019. The tour includes stops in Asia and North America.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

2019 선미 THE 1ST WORLD TOUR ‘WARNING’ – 서울 티켓 오픈 안내] ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s over, get away out of my face But, the show must go on ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 선미의 WARNING MESSAGE, 2019년 2월에 여러분을 찾아갑니다. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ::2019 선미 THE 1ST WORLD TOUR ‘WARNING’ – 서울 티켓 오픈:: ➤ 일시 : 2019년 02월 24일 (일) ➤ 장소 : 예스24 라이브홀 ➤ 티켓 오픈 : 2019년 01월 22일 (화) 오후 8시 ➤ 예매처 : 예스24공연 (https://bit.ly/2QRRYb4) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #선미 #SUNMI #선미월드투어콘서트 #WARNING #MAKEUSEntertainment #메이크어스엔터테인먼트

A post shared by SUNMI (@miyayeah) on Jan 15, 2019 at 7:49pm PST

 

Sunmi, who’s currently signed to MakeUS Entertainment, announced the dates to her Warning 2019 World Tour on her official Instagram page back in January, but tickets were recently made available.

The tour kicks off in Seoul, South Korea February 24, 2019 and is set to end May 23 in Tokyo, Japan. There is a possibility for more shows to be added.

 

Check out the tour dates and locations below. Will you be attending the show?

February 24, 2019	Seoul, South Korea	Yes 24 Live Hall	5:00pm local time	Tickets
March 6, 2019	San Francisco, CA	Regency Ballroom	7:00pm local time	Tickets
March 7, 2019	Los Angeles, CA	The Fonda Theatre	7:00pm local time	Tickets
March 10, 2019	Seattle, WA	Showbox SoDo	7:00pm local time	Tickets
March 11, 2019	Vancouver, BC, Canada	Vogue Theatre	7:00pm local time	Tickets
March 13, 2019	Calgary, AB, Canada	The Palace Theatre	7:00pm local time	Tickets
March 15, 2019	New York, NY	The Town Hall	7:00pm local time	SOLD OUT (Available through third-party sellers. Purchase safely!)
March 16, 2019	Toronto, ON, Canada	Queen Elizabeth Theatre	7:00pm local time	SOLD OUT (Available through third-party sellers. Purchase safely!)
March 18, 2019	Washington D.C	The Lincoln Theatre	7:00pm local time	Tickets Limited

More information available at kpopme.

—-Joelle Halon

While they survived the seven-year curse, Star Empire Entertainment announced that after nine years together, 9Muses (sometimes stylized as Nine Muses) will disband following their fan-meet February 24 at Hansung University Nacsanguan.

On February 11, 2019, Star Empire released the following statement.

Hello, this is Star Empire.

We talked for a long time with the Nine Muses members because of various reasons such as their contract coming to an end, and we have ultimately decided to end their group promotions.

We apologize to MINE, who have been waiting for a while.

On February 14th, 2019 at noon KST, they will release their digital single ‘REMEMBER’. On the 24th, they will have their last fan-meeting and Nine Muses will end all official promotions.

We thank the Nine Muses members for being the best artist since August 12, 2010, and MINE, for always supporting and loving Nine Muses.

The Nine Muses members will promote as solo artists in various places. Please show the Nine Muses members support in their new start.

Thank you.

 

9Muses debuted August 12, 2010 with the single “No Playboy” and the single album Let’s Have a Party. Then, the group consisted of members Jaekyung, Bini, Rana, Eunji, LeeSem, Sera, Euaerin, Minha, and Hyemi. Since then, the group underwent several lineup changes with Hyemi being the only original member left.

 

Since 2011, Hyuna, Gyeongree, Sungah, Sojin, and Keumjo also served time as group members; the final lineup consisted of Hyemi, Gyeongree, Sojin, and Keumjo (who made up the sub-unit Nine Muses A) while Sungah remained on hiatus.

Former leader Sera now promotes as a soloist under self-founded agency OCTO; Gyeongree released a solo track, “Blue Moon,” in 2018. On February 12, 2019, it was announced Gyeongree signed on to appear on the History Channel’s web-variety show On-Site Reporting No Matter What. The show is an entertainment show that covers recent news while using fact-based analysis.

During their tenure, 9Muses failed to win first place across Korea’s music shows despite churning out hit songs like “Wild,” “Gun,” “Glue,” “Hurt Locker,” “Sleepless Night,” and “Remember.” They appeared on 2010’s Prosecutor Princess OST and had collaboration tracks with several artists including Seo In-Young, ZE:A, MBLAQ, 2PM, Miss A, Dal*Shabet, B1A4, and Sistar. In 2016, they were named “Best Female Group” at the Korean Entertainment Awards.

In 2013, 9Muses were subject to the viral documentary Nine Muses of Star Empire (나인뮤지스 오브 스타 엠파이어) which followed the members’ lives and training processes. The documentary also shined light on some of the abuses potential idols experience as the film showed Star Empire CEO Shin Juhak smacking the members and emotionally abusing them. The film created a stir and caused K-Pop fans to call for changes in the industry even though change has appeared to have not taken place as abuses still occur in the industry.

 

 

9Muses close out their career with 15 released singles, one studio album, two single albums, and six extended plays. On February 14, 2019, their final digital single, “REMEMBER” will be released.

We will certainly miss 9Muses and their contributions to the K-Pop scene. What was your favorite 9Muses song?

—-Joelle Halon

For this article, I chose to list 6 Korean businesswomen based on their specialty, level of expertise and success, who currently operate in diverse fields of businesses. Most of the females listed here are well-known in Korea, some more so than others, but each have a unique story to tell regarding their business ventures.

It’d be fair to claim that Republic of Korea is a small country with staggeringly number of both seasoned and budding entrepreneurs. However, in this modern time and age, it is very also unfortunate to learn that the male gender tends to lead, own or dominate the large majority of the top positions in any kind of businesses – due to reasons like, male gender preference, prejudice against women and the crude existence of the glass ceiling – the latter being so ironically visible.

I initially wanted to discover very successful Korean female CEOs who are self-made – meaning, the ones who didn’t have financial aid or help handed to them by their family members – but it wasn’t easy to find many business tycoons who started off from basically nothing with no connections who made a huge success; male or female.

The reality is that most powerful contemporary business people in Korea are born with a silver spoon in their mouths or better still, born into conglomerate families – so quite a number of owners of top businesses and companies are blood-related, related through marriages or close acquaintances, even the actual percentage of the super-rich is extremely low. I must stress that running a reliable and prosperous business is not what anyone can do solely by themselves, since one of the key secrets in a profitable business/company lies in being strongly-connected with the right network of people, with the right business acumen and expertise for critical advice; not just monetary funding.

Although scientifically unproven – some believe that having a knack for business runs genetically – even if this was factual, the truth remains that running a hugely well-to-do business as a female in a society dominated by males, is incredibly difficult – but if great success is achieved, it is definitely worthy of commendation.

 

Luxury Fashion Brand Magnate – Kim Sung-joo

Kim Sung-joo (born 1956, in Daegu, Korea) is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holding AG.

Her late father was the Founder and owner of Daesung Industrial but since Kim was the youngest child, her older brothers received most of the inheritance. It is said that Kim borrowed the funds to start her own company from her family and Sungjoo Group was founded in 1990.

It has since developed into a reputable high-end fashion company, having launched brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Marks & Spencer and more in Korea. In 2005, Sungjoo Group acquired MCM Holding AG, a German luxury brand founded in Munich, Germany in 1976.

 

In 2012, Kim was listed in Forbes’ Top 50 Asian Business Women, as one of Asia’s 25 Top CEOs by Fortune and was invited by the United Nations to be part of “Innovation 101” at the Decide Now Act summit. From 2013 until 2017, Kim became the first Korean female to become the member of the APEC Business Advisory Council of the Asia Pacific Economy Council. In 2014, Kim became the president of the Korean Red Cross, as the first female to hold the post.

In 2015, she was awarded an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to the ties of U.K and the Republic of Korea. In 2017, she was appointed as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Fashion Council, Germany.

 

Department Store Franchise CEO – Chung Yoo-kyung

Chung Yoo-kyung (October 5, 1972) is the CEO and General Manager of Shinsegae is a South Korean department store franchise and the only daughter of Shinsegae Group’s business magnates, Lee Myung-hee and Chung Jae-eun. Chung is the granddaughter of Samsung’s Founder Lee Byung-chul and the niece of the company’s Chairman Lee Kun-hee. In 1999, Chung was made an executive of Korea’s largest retailing group at the age of 24.

 

 

Shinsegae was part of the Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung Group, before going independent in 1997. Shinsegae’s fashion unit Shinsegae International boasts of owning the largest number of global fashion brands, including Armani, Marni, Dries Van Noten, Moncler and Givenchy. In 2009, Chung was made the Vice President and since 2001, the retail group invested in real estate to secure the rights to import luxury fashion and beauty brands.

Chung’s current stake in the company is 21.44 percent, after receiving 1.5 million shares from her father, the Honorary Chairman of Shinsegae Group; making her the biggest shareholder. She and her older brother Chung Yong-jin, the Vice Chairman operate the family’s company, with their mother as its Chairwoman.

 

Korean-American Businesswoman – Toni Ko

Toni Ko (born ?? 1973) is a successful Korean-American Entrepreneur and Founder of NYX Cosmetics.

Ko was born and raised in Daegu, South Korea until the age of 13, when her family immigrated to the United States. She spent most of her teenage years working for her parents, who worked in the cosmetics industry. She briefly attended college but decided to drop out to pursue work full time for her parents.

 

 

In 1999, Ko founded her own cosmetics company – NYX Cosmetics – after being given $250,000 in seed money from her mother. She was 26 at the time and the company managed to make a turnover of $4 million in its first year and later sold the company to L’Oréal for $500 million in 2014.

After taking some time off for herself; Ko created Perverse Sunglasses company in 2016. She has won various awards including, the Entrepreneur of the Year from the Asian Business Association and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Beauty Bus Foundation. She is currently the founder and CEO of Butter Ventures, a venture firm in California that invests in start-ups, especially for women.

 

Billionaire Philanthropist – Hong Ra-hee

Hong Ra-hee (born July 15, 1945) is a Korean billionaire businesswoman, philanthropist and the former director of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Hong grew up in a wealthy family; her father served as the first Chairman of Joongang Ilbo, one of the top-selling newspaper companies in Korea.

She graduated from the top high school for girls in Seoul and later majored in Applied Arts at Seoul National University. Her late father-in-law is said to have spotted her and made her his daughter-in-law – later giving her a job as an Art Director.

 

 

Hong is credited for her contribution to the museum and various humanitarian works, but she’s probably the best known for being the wife of Samsung’s Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who is the wealthiest citizen in Korea, as of yet. The couple currently have a son and two daughters. Her eldest child, Lee Jae-yong is the Vice Chairman of Samsung Group. Her eldest daughter, Lee Boo-jin is the president and CEO of Hotel Shilla, one of Seoul’s leading hotels and conference centers owned by Samsung, while her younger sister, Lee Seo-hyun was formerly the head of Samsung’s fashion division, and will be in charge of Samsung’s Welfare Foundation and Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in the future.

The three siblings also had a youngest sister, the late Lee Yoon-hyung who tragically took her own life at age 26.

 

Model turned Businesswoman – Hong Jin-kyung

Hong made her first TV appearance on Korea’s Supermodel Contest in 1993, while still in high school and was awarded a minor prize and this wasn’t enough to further her modelling career. Due to her unique appearance, she was faced with setbacks in landing modelling jobs, so she spent a couple of years struggling to make ends meet.

Luckily, she was approached by Korean comedian Lee Young-ja, who offered her to play a comical character for variety shows with her, and this paved a way for Hong’s acting career in the showbiz.

 

With the sum that she earned from the TV gigs over the years, Hong launched her own premium kimchi business on shopping channel on TV, in 2005. She initially came up with this idea because she had a great kimchi recipe from her mother. Hong’s THE KIMCHI business took off in no time and sold out an outstanding amount.

Most celebrities who claim to own businesses are rarely hands on when it comes to doing the actual business side of things but Hong is said to be the complete opposite. Hong’s dumplings also became extremely popular and her bustling business is now known as Hong Jin-kyung Corporation; operated by herself along with her mother.

Hong is also a cancer survivor, after getting surgery back in 2014; she is said to be recovering well. She has also been very active in humanitarian work for over 12 charities since 2005.

 

Make-up Director & Businesswoman – Jung Saemmool

Jung Saem-mool (born January 19, 1970) is a Korean Makeup Artist/Director and businesswoman. She’s the one who is credited for setting the trend for “Transparent Make-up Look and Bright Lip gloss” over the “Dark-toned thick make-up and dark lip color” which were prominent in the mid ‘90s.

Jung’s career as a make-up artist began in 1991, and for the next three decades, she worked closely with top celebs like Lee Seung-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Kim Hee-sun, Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Hyo-ri, Tang Wei, BoA and countless others, and became the most sought-after make-up artist in the Korean entertainment industry.

Her philosophy when it comes to applying make-up is to consider the person’s skin type, bone structure, facial line and complexion, while maintaining the person’s natural look and unique qualities. She cites her mother as her inspiration, who is an artist.

In 1997, Jung opened her first studio: Jung Saem-mool Inspiration in Chungdam in Gangnam and opened her art academy in her name in 2005.

In 2015, she launched her own skincare products and make-up brand named after herself: JUNG SAEM MOOL which is continuously expanding into various department store chains and duty-free stores in Korea.

 

 

 

 

—- J.Chung.

The trend of preferring fur babies over human ones is taking root fast in the South Korean peninsula. More Korean singles are said to go for pets, especially dogs, rather than engaging in relationships for the sole purpose of fulfilling the supreme human role; filling the earth. In the previous decades, bearing children not just a role but a show of vitality for the couple, which was also associated with status within the society. For the millennials, the pet-caring aspect that started out as a hobby has turned into a pet-parenting fad, perceived as a vital element in family creation and sustenance. However absurd it seems, studies have proven that the trend is indeed taking root not only in the city, but also in the suburbs and upcountry regions despite the prevailing traditional beliefs in such areas. The pet industry’s boom in South Korea has resulted in the country’s birth rate of about 1.05 children per woman, which is among the lowest ranks globally.  What could have triggered the uptake such a bizarre custom? Are individuals losing their humane sense? Is this trend just a craze that will fade away soon or is it here to stay? Is raising pets a distraction for being single and an escape route from parental responsibilities?

 

 

Possible factors of preference for fur babies

 

1. Cost of raising children

With the economy rising by the day, the cost of living seems to skyrocket beyond most individuals’ daily gross earnings. This would be a considerable excuse for the millennials – a politically opinionated generation dependent on technology and aware of recession consequences- to give up or delay having children. The idea might be an arguable sense since raising children costs a fortune compared to keeping animals as pets. Korean parents are expected by the government to provide children with schooling resources, including the expensive tuition and private tutoring, which is a costly expense. This is regardless of the long working hours needed for sponsoring such activities as well as household budgets, which are a burden given the cruel economy. However this might be true, the opportunity forgone to raise children is an incomparable enduring bundle of joy; of curse coupled up with some inevitable yet manageable inconveniences.

 

2. Relationship issues

The typical Korean relationships are facilitated not by only love; as seen on K-dramas. Other matters such as getting along and money are also crucial factors as well. For the fear of dealing with daily heartbreaking issues with partners, a number of Korean singles are opting for pets, especially dogs, for their unwavering loyalty. Every day in Korea is a love day where partners go out in couple clothes; mostly celebrating their 100 or 200 days together. Such occasions are also accompanied by gifts, which are rather costly as they are perceived to represent various degrees of commitment and love. The relationship can thus become a financial burden, especially if one undertakes part-time jobs rather than just the normal job. Relationship matters such as not getting along can also be strenuous and result in un-productivity; by causing distraction, in various aspects of one’s life. At this point, the belief that raising pets is a distraction for being single and an escape route from parental responsibilities becomes valid. Consequently, relationship matters can spark the pet-raising desire since if it comprises complications during the dating stage, individuals consider it might prove overbearing when children are involved.

 

 

3. Mommy issues

Compared to the outdated generation X, the millennials are opting for more gender equality in all aspects of life, including child rearing. Raising a pet can facilitate the agenda since it can be undertaken by both the man and woman. Moreover, raising pets allows the woman to work on her career compared to having children that are far more demanding. As such, the struggle of balancing home life and a career is made easier, particularly with work-life balance being outdone by work-life integration over the years.  Although delaying child bearing so as to stabilize one’s financial foundation and status is worthwhile, the complete refusal to ever have children and replacing them with pets is rather preposterous, but yet, a persons choice. Moreover, preferring pets over children could affect the overall economy in later years, including when the fewer working population would have to support the larger aging one.

 

 

Overall, the mommy issues, relationship matters and cost of raising children are some of the contributing factors to the spurring preference for raising fur babies over human ones.  Although the matter that started as a hobby has arguable grounds to exist – referring to its supporters’ backup reasons, it is threatening the survival of families and sparking long-term effects to the economy.  The definite uncertainty lies in whether the act is just a millennial fad that will fade with time or if it will set up itself as another social construct in the human life. The “distraction for being single and an escape route from parental responsibilities” concept is becoming a part of reality that needs to be addressed. Regarding its humane status, raising pets is human but replacing them with children does not conquer with the generally accepted social beliefs. However, with the evolving generations –from generation X to millennials- where freedom of choice and disregard of societal values reigns, preferring fur children over human ones might be considered as normalcy. The choice narrows down from what the society wants to what an individual desires and considers as happiness. Welcome to the new modern millennial world.

 

 

—-Pe Arlkh

Dasik (which refers to tea and food) is a Korean traditional pressed dessert – a bite-size version of Hangwa that is consumed with tea. The sweet Korean confection boasts of a very unique and distinguished flavor that blends extremely well with honey and other often-used ingredients like pine pollen, fruit, black sesame, chestnut and soybean. The dough which is completed by being pressed into Dasik molds usually display various decorations of symbols, birds, flowers or writings carved on them, consisting of diverse colors.

Dasik was first introduced to Korea, roughly 1,600 years ago from India when Buddhism was introduced. So, the tea culture hugely influenced the culinary culture for the Korean royalty and the elites. In those days, it was not possible to cultivate tea because of the Korean climate, thus only the privileged could properly enjoy their tea.  

In time, the tea culture in Korea eventually became the norm and got widely spread during the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392) and during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), the trend gradually declined when Confucian doctrine was adopted in the country.

The Korean government designated certain holidays where delicacies would be prepared, as a way to encourage a healthy family culture and to release hard-working citizens from heavy duties and burden. The monthly holidays set include Seollal, the New Year’s Day, the first day of the first lunar month and Chuseok, Harvest Moon Festival, the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month… 

During these national holidays, Koreans would participate in a traditional ceremony called Charye or Jesa, where tea and Korean confections, along with other kinds of offerings which were served, in memory of their ancestors. The offerings of special delicacies were elaborately decorated with various designs and patterns – the colors of the Dasik were also selected carefully. The colors and textures of the delicacies were taken seriously into account during the process of selecting the ingredients and the arrangements were served by color on a serving plate, setting the tone of the celebration.

Below is a simple recipe for Dashik which you can easily follow. This recipe was put together by Professor Yoon Sook-ja who is the head of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.

 

Ingredients & Quantity

 

*20g of Green bean flour, 13g of Honey

*20g of Yellow bean flour, 13g of Honey

*25g of Black sesame powder, 9g of Honey

*10g of Pine pollen, 13g of Honey

*25g of Mung bean starch, 13g of Honey.

*25g Mung bean starch, 11g of Honey

*Strawberry Liquid: 7.5g (Half a tbsp) water, 3g of Strawberry powder

*13g (1 tbsp) of Edible oil

 

Preparation

Dissolve the Strawberry powder in water to liquidize it.

 

Recipe

1. Add Honey to the Green bean flour, Yellow bean flour, Black sesame powder, Pine pollen, Mung bean starch respectively.
2. Add 1.7g of Strawberry liquid to the Mung bean starch, rubbing by hand and then sieve finely. Add Honey.
3. Knead each content well and thoroughly – neither too hard or watery.
4. Oil the press mold, then put small amount of the dough in the mold and press down.

 

*Traditionally, Omija (also known as, Magnolia berry) was used instead of strawberry.

 

 

 

 

 

J.Chung.

 

Former Infinite member Hoya (real name Lee Howon), who is currently a solo artist and actor under Glorious Entertainment, began his mandatory military service February 7, 2019.

On February 5, Hoya shared a handwritten letter on his fan café addressed to HOLY (his fan club) with the announcement. The letter reads:

To HOLY

Hello, this is Hoya.

It’s already been a month since 2019 began, and the Lunar New Year is just around the corner.

Are you having a good holiday? It’s been nine years since I debuted. Time flies, doesn’t it? I think my 20s were so full of fans’ love that I couldn’t explain [my time] without them. I was truly happy because of HOLY. Thank you for giving me memories that I’ll never forget for a long time.

Actually, I am writing this letter to tell you some sudden news today. I’m going to join the army after this holiday. I’m sorry to all my fans who are surprised by the sudden news. However, since this is my duty as a citizen, I will spend my time becoming more mature than I am now. I hope you all will be happy while waiting for me. I’ll be back healthy. When we meet again, I’ll greet you as a better person. Thank you always, and I love you.

From,

Lee Howon (Trans. Cr. Soompi)

Hoya is the second person associated with Infinite to enlist. Kim Sungkyu enlisted May 2018.  Hoya left Infinite in 2017 when his contract ended. He decided not to renew.

 

We wish Hoya the best during his service!

—-Joelle Halon