HALLYU JAY PARK
Summer Rookies KOREAN
AUTHORS
“SOJU”
WHAT TO WATCH on
VIKI
BUSAN BEST DESTINATION
IN ASIA FOR 2018
BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT ESSENTIALS ON HOW TO STAY COOL | BIKINI FASHION
DIFFERENT TYPES OF KOREAN COLD NOODLES
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Contents H A L L Y U Summer 2018 Issue Number 40 4
KCON LA LINE-UP
24
Seungri Comeback Summer Rookies August COMEBACK Line-Up
35
Life in Korea: Attending BAP Concert
36
Jay Park Breaks Down SOJU Jeong Dong Su & EB Collab
40
What to Watch on VIKI
48
BUSAN: Best Destination in Asia for 2018
74
Get to know: KOREAN AUTHORS
81
BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT Essentials on How to Stay Cool Types of Korean Cold Noodles Bikini Fashion
AILEE, GOLDEN CHILD, PENTAGON, & ROY KIM
JOINS KCON LA ARTIST LINE-UP
THIS SUMMER
K
CON USA, the world’s largest Korean culture convention and music festival presented by Toyota, announced that K-pop artists Ailee, Golden Child, Pentagon and Roy Kim will join KCON 2018 L.A.’s artist lineup. KCON LA is taking place August 1012 at the Staples Center & LA Convention Center. The concert tickets will go on sale July 11 at 10am (PST); and convention, Klub KCON, and Artist Meet & Greet tickets will go on sale on July 13 at 10am (PST).
AND the million-selling hit “Bom Bom Bom” which became the fourth most successful song of that year in South Korea. Following the album’s success, Roy Kim earned “Best New Male Artist” from the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards and “New Rising Star Award in Disk Album” from the 2014 Golden Disk Award. Since his debut, Roy Kim has 3 studio albums, 1 EP album and 10 singles, scoring two number-one singles on the Gaon Music Chart. In February 2018, his latest single “Only Then” took number 2 spot on Billboard’s Korea K-Pop 100 Chart.
Roy Kim began his singing career after winning Mnet’s talent competition series Superstar K4 in 2012. He officially debuted with his first studio album, Love Love Love, in 2013. The album features nine tracks and spawned two hit singles: The lead single “Love Love Love”
Ailee is a Korean-American singer and songwriter. She was born in Denver, Colorado in 1989 and moved to South Korea in 2010, when she signed under YMC Entertainment. After being recognized for her singing on Singer and Trainee, she acted in drama series Dream High
2. Ailee received the “Best New Artist Award” at the Melon Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards and the Seoul Music Awards. She has also received a “Best Newcomer” and Four “Best Female Vocal Performance” awards at the Mnet Asian Music Awards for “U&I,” “Singing Got Better,” “Mind Your Own Business,” and “If You.” Ailee has currently released one studio album, four EP albums, and thirteen singles. She has also featured in the popular drama series Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’s OST “I will Go to You Like the First Snow” in 2017, winning her “Best OST” award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. Pentagon is a ten-member boy group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2016. The members are HUI, JIN HO, HONG SEOK, E DAWN, SHIN WON, YEO ONE, YAN AN, YUTO, KINO, WOO SEOK who were first introduced through the Mnet survival show Pentagon Maker. Pentagon made their official debut on October 10, 2016 with their first EP Pentagon, including title track “Gorilla.” The group released their second EP Five Senses in December 2016 and third EP Ceremony in June 2017. Ceremony became their first U.S. chart entry and took number 14 on Billboard’s World Album Chart. Pentagon then released their fourth and fifth EP Demo_01 and Demo_02 in
Sept & Nov 2017. Recently, Pentagon made a comeback with their sixth Korean EP Positive with critically acclaimed lead single “Shine.” Golden Child is a group under Woollim Entertainment who was first introduced through reality show 2017 Woollim Pick. Prior to their debut, some of the members featured in W Project which released music to spotlight Woollim trainees. The group currently consists of ten members: Daeyeol, Y, Jangjun, TAG, Seungmin, Jaehyun, Jibeom, Donghyun, Joochan, and Bomin. The group officially debuted on August 28, 2017 with their first mini-album, Gol-cha! With title track “DamDaDi.” On October 16, they released an OST soundtrack “Love Letter” for drama 20th Century Boy and Girl. On January 29, 2018, Golden Child had their first comeback with second mini-album Miracle featuring title track “It’s U.” The group also won “Global Rookie Top 5” award at the 2018 V Live Awards. In June 2018, Golden Child performed at KCON 2018 NY and announced the release of their first single album Goldenness. The following K-pop artists will also be performing at KCON L.A. this summer: Chung Ha, Crush, Davichi, Dynamic Duo, fromis_9, IN2IT, Momoland, NU’EST W, Seventeen, Twice, and Wanna One.
SEUNGRI SOLO COMEBACK
Released on July 20, Seungri has made his solo comeback with his first Korean studio album “The Great Seungri” with title track “1,2,3!” The album is available in two versions and contains nine tracks. His title track features lyrics written by Teddy and Seungri. Other songs on his album also feature WINNER’s Song Mino, Blue.D, iKON’s B.I, and DANNIC. And the music video for lead single “1, 2, 3!” was inspired by the film Grease. Soon after his album dropped on, Seungri topped iTunes album charts of 15 countries: Argentina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Estonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Seungri is also set to hold his first solo concert in Korea. The concert will be held at the Jangchung Gymnasium on August 4 and 5 and will be titled Seungri 2018 1st Solo Tour ‘The Great Seungri’ in Seoul.
Summer STRAY KIDS MY PACE
Debut: March 26, 2018
BANG CHAN WOOJIN LEE KNOW CHANGBIN HYUNJIN HAN FELIX SEUNGMIN I.N
r Rookies
JEONG SEWOON 20 SOMETHING
Debut: AUGUST 31, 2018
MXM YAYAYA
Debut: SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
YOUNGMIN DONGHYUN
KARD
BM | J.SEPH | SOMIN | JIWOO
debut: july 19, 2017 RIDE ON THE WIND
LOONA
favOriTe
Debut: AUGUST 7, 2018
VIVI | YVES |JINSOUL |HASEUL | KIM LIP| OLIVIA HYE
HEEJIN | HYUNJIN | GO WON | CHOERRY | YEOJIN | CHUU
My Life in Korea:
Attending B.A.P Concert Written by: Cassie Clifford
“B.A.P! B.A.P!” This is what I shouted amongst a venue full of fans. I remember it so clearly. It was a moment I will never forget. On the weekend of July 21st-22nd, B.A.P had their 2018 LIVE – LIMITED concert in Seoul. They are my favourite K-POP group, so I didn’t miss the chance of going. This was their first domestic concert in nine months and as a fan of a group whose future is uncertain, this was the concert you had to attend, no matter what. The boys started the concert with their debut song, “Warrior” and after about 150 minutes, ended their concert with the song “B.A.B.Y”, which is dedicated to their beloved fans with the same name. During this concert, I cried so much. At the beginning, the big screens showed many video clips of their performances from debut to the present, and words showing their song titles appeared one after another. On the second day of the concert, the boys mentioned that this may be their last concert together as 6, because their contracts are ending soon. As I mentioned at the
beginning of the article, nothing is certain for the moment. I’ve seen B.A.P five times, in three different countries. I am so happy to be living in South Korea and to have seen them here, where their home is.
JAY PARK BREAKS DOWN
“SOJU” “Everybody drinks it. Right when you turn the legal drinking age to grandmas and grandpas.”
“Of course you pour each other a shot. You never wanna pour your own. It’s bad luck.”
PRODUCE SEASON 1 & 2 CONTESTANTS
JEONG DONG SU EB (CHOI EUN BIN) COLLABORATE ON NEW SINGLE
“GON IAN HAE”
Produce 101 Season 1 contestant, EB (Choi, Eun-Bin), and a Season 2 contestant, Jeong Dong-Su (ARKAY), releases a collaborative digital single, “Gon lan hae”. EB has been busy with various projects, recently collaborating on a single with a contestant of Mnet’s High School Rapper Season 2, Ha Seon-ho. Jeong, who had made his presence felt with his unique character on Produce 101 Season 2, released a dance song made with artificial intelligence A.I.M. that would cool down the heat of the summer, “Because of You,” in June, establishing himself as an R&B artist. DONO, who had taken part in albums of JBJ, KARD, Stellar, UP10TION, etc., produced the
new single, “Gon lan hae,” raising the quality of the song. On the calm minimalistic hip-hop beat, EB intones soft melodies and an edgy rap and Jeong appealingly sings the hook. They talk about the dilemma occurring in a clumsy love where two people cannot dare to approach each other but just keeps their feelings to themselves. Furthermore, EB and Jeong both co-penned the song, the lyrics, and the rap. In addition to live clips adorned with minimalistic visual arts and album artwork taken based on multiple themes, they plan to reach their fans in various ways including being baristas for the fans for a day.
WHAT TO WATCH on
Let’s Eat (Season 3)
VIKI
Let’s Eat is back for a third season directed by Choi Kyu Shik. Goo Dae Young (Yoon Doo Joon) is now in his 30s and feels like he’s in a slump with work and in life. As he tries to take stock of his life, he decides to revisit all the foods that he enjoyed during his 20s with his college friend Lee Ji Woo (Baek Jin Hee).
LET ME INTRODUCE HER
This mystery melodrama follows a woman named Eun Han after going through a dangerous surgery for a new face and suffering from amnesia. She meets Kang Woo, who has also suffered in his life. The two begin to work together to put back the missing pieces of their lives.
WITCH’S
LOVE
TIME
Witch’s Love stars Yoon So Hee as Kang Cho Hong, Kim Young Ok as Maeng Ye Soon and Go Soo Hee as Jo Aeng Doo all playing witches. They’ve managed to live below the radar in Seoul while operating a restaurant. The trio’s quiet lives become complicated when their building landlord, Ma Sung Tae (Hyun Woo), shows up one day to face a traumatic incident that happened to him in that building when he was a little boy.
For a man who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the suffering and hardships others go through every day are not something he can relate to. One day, he unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder incident and meets a woman who is
trapped in time by what happened. He is drawn to her, feeling responsible and guilty for what he had done. Before he can even realize, his feelings towards her grow. He struggles to find the truth so that he can allow himself to love her.
YOUR HONOR
Identical twins Han Soo Ho and Han Kang Ho may look exactly alike, but they could not be more different. Han Soo Ho becomes the youngest person to be a judge, while Han Kang Ho racks up five criminal records. Watch to find out what happens when Han Soo Ho disappears and his criminal brother is released from prison and takes over his brother’s judge duties.
FAMILIAR WIFE Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) works at a bank and has been married to Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min) for five years. When a strange incident happens one day, Joo Hyuk makes a decision that impacts his life and those around him in unexpected ways. Suddenly, the life he had with Woo Jin and his best friend, Yoon Joong Hoo (Jang Seung Jo), are gone and he is leading a very different life.
HIDE seek
&
Hide and Seek explores the fate of the heiress to the nation’s largest cosmetics conglomerate, a woman who had to live that life in her stead, and the desires and secrets surrounding the two women. Lee Yuri cast as Min Chae-rin, Uhm Hyunkyung plays Ha Yeon-joo, Song Chang-eui portrays Cha Eun-hyuk.
UNIVERSE
MARTIAL
Lin Dong (Yang Yang) is forsaken by his own clan. But when he comes across a stone talisman with magical powers, his life will never be the same again. As he travels the world, his many adventures help him to hone his skills as a martial artist. He also meets two very different women, Ying Huan Huan (Zhang Tian Ai) and Ling Qing Zhu
(Wang Li Kun), who not only capture his heart but also help him fight to keep a demon sect from taking over the world. Will the unassuming Lin Dong become the world’s great martial arts hero? “Martial Universe” is a 2018 Chinese drama series directed by Zhang Li. It is based on the novel Wu Dong Qian Kun by Tian Can Tu Dou.
YOUTH
When five college students share a house, they also share their experiences with life and love. Han Yi Tong (Wang Yan Zhi), Ni Jin (Yang Zhi Ying), Chen Chen Chen (Esther Yu), Lin Xiao Chun (He Dou Lan) and Zhang Sheng Nan (Vian Wang) are roommates who share a house while attending the same university. Can they support each other through the many challenges they face? “Youth� is a 2018 Chinese web drama series.
EVOLUTION OF OUR LOVE
Ai Ruo Man (Zhang Tian Ai) is a successful career woman, but her strong personality and independent nature tends to chase men away. Lu Fei (Zhang Ruo Yun) is a gentle, easy-going man who loves to cook, clean and tend to his garden. Women appreciate his kind spirit, but not enough to marry him. Ai Ruo Man and Lu Fei have been best friends for the past 15 years. As they both enter their 30s, can they help each other find the mate of their dreams? “The Evolution of Our Love� is a 2018 Chinese drama series directed by An Zhu Jian.
BUSAN LONELY PLANET’S
BEST DESTINATION IN ASIA FOR 2018
Busan is Korea’s largest port city, filled with endless excitement and pleasant surprises. Every year, tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country and around the world flock to the cities many beaches to relax or to attend festivals. The city annually hosts Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and regularly holds events at the world’s largest department store. Info from: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr
GUKJE MARKET Gukje Market is the filming location of the Korean film “Ode to My Father,” which was a big hit in 2014. The film garnered more than 14 million viewers and the market subsequently became a major tourist attraction of Busan. In particular, Kkotbunine (name of the shop), which appeared in the film as the main actor’s store, is a must-see in Gukje Market. The history of Gukje Market dates back to 1945. This time-honored market was opened following Korea’s liberation from colonial rule and goods that were used during wartime were being sold here. Its maze-like alleys are packed with a variety of stores selling clothing, general merchandise, kitchenware and etc., adding more fun of exploring every nook and corner of the market place.
BIFF SQUARE BIFF Square was created with the opening of the first Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in 1996. Busan’s major movie theaters are clustered in this district, contributing to the city’s profile as a center of the film industry. A wide array of film-related sculptures is installed along the approximately 500 metered-long street and hand prints of famous movie celebrities can also be seen embossed on the ground. Visitors can have fun trying to locate the hand prints of their favorite actors, actresses or directors. A must-try specialty of the BIFF Square is ssiat-hotteok (Korean-style pancake stuffed with seeds). Ever since it was featured in the popular Korean variety show “Two Days, One Night,” this delicacy has become so popular that customers often line up to buy one. Ssiathotteok has a distinct chewy texture of various seed filling, and is widely enjoyed for its sweet and delightfully salty taste.
JAGALCHI
MARKET
Jagalchi Market comes into view right after crossing the crosswalk in front of the BIFF Square. It is one of Korea’s foremost seafood markets, where visitors can vividly soak up the fishing village atmosphere in the urban center. The origins of the market’s name, Jagalchi, are diverse, but the most plausible story is that the market used to take place on gravel (jagal in Korean) and that many of the fish sold here at that time ended with the letter “chi,” such as myeolchi (anchovy) and galchi (cutlassfish). The market is located inside a large building. The first floor of the building is the main fish market selling a huge selection of sea products, while the second floor contains spaces where you can eat the fresh seafood purchased from the market. In addition, the area behind the market building has a variety of sculptures and it is an ideal spot to watch the sight of fishing boats entering towards the market.
GAMCHEON CULTURAL
VILLAGE
The picturesque Gamcheon Culture Village has earned many nicknames with a few popular ones being Korea’s Santorini” and “Lego Village.” Originally a poor hillside neighborhood, the village was named its current name in 2009, when local residents and artists in the Busan region began refurbishing the entire village into an art village. Rows and rows of small houses closely huddled together along the hillsides and the ones that are empty have been turned into unique areas to provide cultural and art experiences. Enjoy a wonderful time taking a stroll through this charming village and make sure to climb up to the ‘Haneulmaru Observation Deck’ for a beautiful panoramic view of the village. It is also an excellent spot to take pictures against the colorful backdrop of the village.
TAEJONGDAE Taejongdae was named after Silla King Taejong Mu-yeol, who was so entranced by its exquisite coastal views that he decided to reside for a while and enjoyed shooting arrows in the area. The harmony of luxuriant forest, rocky cliffs, and the vast ocean unfolds a breathtaking scenic beauty. A number of famous attractions are located throughout Taejongdae including Sinseondae Cliff, Mangbuseok Rock, and Yeongdo Lighthouse, which is considered the iconic symbol of Taejongdae. There are three ways for travelers to discover Taejongdae: walking along the road, taking a ride on Taejongdae Danubi Train, and boarding the Taejongdae Gonpo Cruise Boat. All three ways will allow you to fully enjoy the natural wonders of Taejongdae, but we recommend taking the Danubi Train for a time and cost saving option. With a single ticket, you can conveniently hop on and off the train repeatedly at any stop you wish, giving you a greater freedom to explore this scenic place.
seomyeon Seomyeon district of Busan is more often than not known as the ‘Core of Medical Tourism.’ Around the intersection of Busan Seomyeon district, professional medical facilities, pharmacies, cosmetic and other medical related businesses are gathered here, thereby living up to its name ‘Seomyeon Medical Street.’ Since the first medical building that was established here during the late 1990s, others began to set up in the vicinity and there are about 250 medical related businesses in this district today. In addition, a ‘Seomyeon Medical Street Festival’ is also held annually with themes such as virtual cosmetic surgery experience, body fat measurement, skin age measurement, and other free experience programs. The Seomyeon Medical Street is the best place for medical tourists to enjoy and sightsee. Besides, there are several cafes with great ambiance, as well as department stores for those who would like to have a cup of tea or simply shopping.
GWANGALLI BEACH Gwangalli Beach is a 1.5 kilometer-long stretch of fine sandy beach. It is touted to be one of the top three beaches in Busan and becomes packed with vacationers during the peak summer season. During the day, the reed parasols along the shore create exotic scenery. At night, the beach offers marvelous views of the colorfully lit Gwangandaegyo Bridge, the iconic landmark of Busan. The beach takes on an especially vibrant and beautiful look in October, when the annual Busan Fireworks Festival takes place. It is Korea’s largest-scale fireworks festival and visitors flock in from all over the country to take in the splendid fireworks show.
HAEUNDAE BEACH For many Koreans, Haeundae Beach is the first destination that comes to mind when they think of Busan. In fact, it is probably the most widely known beach in the country. High-rise buildings surround this popular vacation spot in downtown Busan and a string of famous hotels stand along the coastline. The most vibrant season of the year at Haeundae is none other than summer! During its peak season, the beach bustles all day and night with young people flocking in from all across the country. Haeundae Beach is not only great for some summertime splash fun, but also offers fabulous night scenery. Frequented by dating couples at late night hours, The Bay 101 is the new up-andcoming hot spot in Busan. Also a yacht club equipped with a gallery and gourmet restaurants, it is an ideal place to enjoy cultural and leisure activities or to dine with spectacular views. Near the yacht club, an array of street food carts invite visitors to taste fresh seafood while looking out on the night sea.
CENTUM CITY Centum City is where you can enjoy both shopping and cultural life. This trendy district is filled with modern skyscrapers and uniquely designed buildings. Some of the most notable buildings in the area include Shinsegae Centum City, registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest department store in the world or Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (also known as BEXCO), and Busan Cinema Center, which is the venue of the opening and the closing ceremonies of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). It takes a great deal of time to look around the Centum City, as there are numerous high-rise buildings with spacious interiors. Therefore, it is best to figure out the places you want to visit in advance and set aside a fixed amount of time for shopping.
HAEDONG YONGGUNGSA TEMPLE
Famous for its magnificent sunrise, Haedong Yonggungsa is a temple where the sun rises first in the country. Unlike most other temples nestled deep in forested mountains, it is situated on the coast, looking almost like a majestic underwater palace. The temple is also repleted with various attractions. Welcoming visitors at the entrance to the temple grounds are the Sibijisin, otherwise known as the twelve zodiac figures, such as a mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, and etc. Other attractions within the precincts of the temple include Deuknambul, a Buddha statue that is said to grant the birth of a son if you touch its nose and belly and the “108 Longevity Stairs,� which is said to make your life longer every time you climb up and down the steps. On Buddha’s birthday, the temple offers particularly mesmerizing scenes of the colorful lotus lanterns against the ocean scenery.
NURIMARU APEC HOUSE Designated as Monument No. 46 of Busan, Haeundae Dongbaekseom Island was originally an island and is still referred to as one, but is now connected to the mainland through years of sedimentation. As indicated by its name, the island is richly covered with camellia trees (dongbaek in Korean). Also located on this island is Nurimaru APEC House, which is a three-story structure, built to be used as a conference hall during the 13th APEC summit meeting, which was held in November 2005. Its exterior is a modernistic expression of a traditional Korean pavilion, and its interior design is a visual display of Korea’s traditional culture. About 30 minutes to an hour should be adequate to look around this place while taking some photos as souvenir. In addition, there is a costal walkway in the vicinity, so visitors can go for a stroll and enjoy the beautiful seascape.
SONGJEONG BEACH Located in Songjeong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Songjeong Beach is relatively quiet compared to Haeundae Beach or Gwangalli Beach. As a result, Songjeong Beach makes for a nice place to enjoy a romantic and leisure stroll. The old Songjeong Station near the beach is also worth a visit. Following up the wall next to the station will get you to the abandoned railroad tracks. A range of interesting artworks cover the tracks, where trains once ran. Take you time to look at the artworks and take pictures against the scenic backdrop. It is also nice to enjoy about an hour’s walk along the railroad tracks.
DALMAJI-GIL Dalmaji-gil, also known as the Montmartre of Busan, is an uphill road extending to Mipo Port and Cheongsapo Port. The road got its name Dalmaji (literally translated as “greeting of the moon”) from the scenic view of the moon over the ocean. It is lined with an array of cozy cafés and restaurants, so you can take your pick to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. The charming neighborhood is not only a great place to spend an afternoon tea time, but also worth a visit at night. The brilliant illuminations from cafés and restaurants add a picturesque feel and present quite a different scene from the day time. Make sure to spend some time at Moontan Road if you happen to come here after dark. You can watch the moon glisten on the sea and take a romantic night stroll along the moonlit forest promenade.
GET TO
KNOW
KOREAN AUTHORS
HAN KANG
She won the Man Booker International Prize for fiction in 2016 for The Vegetarian, a novel which deals with a woman’s decision to stop eating meat and its devastating consequences.
Before the nightmare, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary life. But when splintering, blood-soaked images start haunting her thoughts, Yeong-hye decides to purge her mind and renounce eating meat. In a country where societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye’s decision to embrace a more “plant-like” existence is a shocking act of subversion. And as her passive rebellion manifests in ever more extreme and frightening forms, scandal, abuse, and estrangement begin to send Yeong-hye spiraling deep into the spaces of her fantasy. In a complete metamorphosis of both mind and body, her now dangerous endeavor will take Yeong-hye— impossibly, ecstatically, tragically—far from her once-known self altogether.
KYUNG-SOOK SHIN She is the first South Korean and first woman to win the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012 for Please Look After Mom.
An international sensation and a bestseller that has sold over 1.5 million copies author’s Korea, Please Look After Mom is a stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their missing mother - and their discovery of the desires, heartaches and secrets they never realized she harbored within. When sixty-nine year old So-nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, and vanishes, their children are consumed with loud recriminations, and are awash in sorrow and guilt. As they argue over the “Missing” flyers they are posting throughout the city - how large of a reward to offer, the best way to phrase the text - they realize that none of them have a recent photograph of Mom. Soon a larger question emerges: do they really know the woman they called Mom? Told by the alternating voices of Mom’s daughter, son, her husband and, in the shattering conclusion, by Mom herself, the novel pieces together, Rashomon-style, a life that appears ordinary but is anything but. This is a mystery of one mother that reveals itself to be the mystery of all our mothers: about her triumphs and disappointments and about who she is on her own terms, separate from who she is to her family. If you have ever been a daughter, a son, a husband or a mother, Please Look After Mom is a revelation - one that will bring tears to your eyes.
MIN JIN LEE She is the author of the novels Free Food for Millionaires (2007) and Pachinko (2017). Yeongdo, Korea 1911. In a small fishing village on the banks of the East Sea, a club-footed, cleft-lipped man marries a fifteen-year-old girl. The couple have one child, their beloved daughter Sunja. When Sunja falls pregnant by a married yakuza, the family face ruin. But then Isak, a Christian minister, offers her a chance of salvation: a new life in Japan as his wife. Following a man she barely knows to a hostile country in which she has no friends, no home, and whose language she cannot speak, Sunja’s salvation is just the beginning of her story. Through eight decades and four generations, Pachinko is an epic tale of family, identity, love, death and survival.
YOUNG-HA KIM
His first novel, published in Korean in 1996, was I Have the Right to Destroy Myself. It has been translated into English, French, German, Czech, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Mongolian.
I don’t encourage murder. I have no interest in one person killing another. I only want to draw out morbid desires, imprisoned deep in the unconscious. This lust, once freed, starts growing. Their imaginations run free, and they soon discover their potential... They are waiting for someone like me. A spectral, nameless narrator haunts the lost and wounded of big-city Seoul, suggesting solace in suicide. Wandering through the bright lights of their high-urban existence, C and K are brothers who fall in love with the same woman - Se-yeon. As their lives intersect, they tear at each other in a struggle to find connection in their fastpaced, atomized world. Dreamlike and cinematic, I Have the Right to Destroy Myself brilliantly affirms Young-ha Kim as Korea’s leading young literary master.
SUN-MI HWANG
An author and professor who is best known for her fable The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, which has also been made into a successful animated film in South Korea, Leafie, A Hen into the Wild. This is the story of a hen named Sprout. No longer content to lay eggs on command, only to have them carted off to the market, she glimpses her future every morning through the barn doors, where the other animals roam free, and comes up with a plan to escape into the wild—and to hatch an egg of her own. An anthem for freedom, individuality and motherhood featuring a plucky, spirited heroine who rebels against the tradition-bound world of the barnyard, The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly is a novel of universal resonance that also opens a window on Korea, where it has captivated millions of readers. And with its array of animal characters—the hen, the duck, the rooster, the dog, the weasel—it calls to mind such classics in English as Animal Farm and Charlotte’s Web. Featuring specially-commissioned illustrations, this first English-language edition of Sun-mi Hwang’s fable for our times beautifully captures the journey of an unforgettable character in world literature.
JANG EUN-JIN
In 2004, Jang won the Jooggang Daily New Writers Award for her debut titled Kitchen Laboratory, which was eventually published as a book in 2008. Communication—or the lack thereof—is the subject of this sly update of the picaresque novel. No One Writes Back is the story of a young man who leaves home with only his blind dog, an MP3 player, and a book, traveling aimlessly for three years, from motel to motel, meeting people on the road. Rather than learn the names of his fellow travelers—or even invent nicknames for them—he assigns them numbers. There’s 239, who once dreamed of being a poet, but who now only reads her poems to a friend in a coma; there’s 109, who rides trains endlessly because of a broken heart; and 32, who’s already decided to commit suicide. The narrator writes letters to these men and women in the hope that he can console them in their various miseries, as well as keep a record of his own experiences: “A letter is like a journal entry for me, except that it gets sent to other people.” No one writes back, of course, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some hope that one of them will, someday...
hwang sok-yong
Hwang’s work can be divided into three categories. The first deals with the loss of humanity and devastation of life due to modernization, war, and the military system; The second category expresses the desire to reclaim healthy life and rejuvenate damaged values and; the third are in the category of historical novel.
Based on actual events, The Guest is a profound portrait of a divided people haunted by a painful past, and a generation’s search for reconciliation. During the Korean War, Hwanghae Province in North Korea was the setting of a gruesome fifty-two day massacre. In an act of collective amnesia the atrocities were attributed to American military, but in truth they resulted from malicious battling between Christian and Communist Koreans. Forty years later, Ryu Yosop, a minister living in America returns to his home village, where his older brother once played a notorious role in the bloodshed. Besieged by vivid memories and visited by the troubled spirits of the deceased, Yosop must face the survivors of the tragedy and lay his brother’s soul to rest. Faulkner-like in its intense interweaving narratives, The Guest is a daring and ambitious novel from a major figure in world literature.
CHANG-RAE LEE He is a Korean-American novelist and a professor of creative writing at Stanford University.
A stunning story about how love and war inalterably change the lives of those they touch, The Surrendered is elegant, suspenseful, and unforgettable: a profound meditation on the nature of heroism and sacrifice, the power of love, and the possibilities for mercy and salvation. With his three critically acclaimed novels, Chang-rae Lee has established himself as one of the most talented writers of contemporary literary fiction. Now, with The Surrendered, Lee has created a book that amplifies everything we’ve seen in his previous works, and reads like nothing else. It is a brilliant, haunting, heartbreaking story about how love and war inalterably change the lives of those they touch. June Han was only a girl when the Korean War left her orphaned; Hector Brennan was a young GI who fled the petty tragedies of his small town to serve his country. When the war ended, their lives collided at a Korean orphanage where they vied for the attentions of Sylvie Tanner, the beautiful yet deeply damaged missionary wife whose elusive love seemed to transform everything. Thirty years later and on the other side of the world, June and Hector are reunited in a plot that will force them to come to terms with the mysterious secrets of their past, and the shocking acts of love and violence that bind them together. As Lee unfurls the stunning story of June, Hector, and Sylvie, he weaves a profound meditation on the nature of heroism and sacrifice, the power of love, and the possibilities for mercy, salvation, and surrendering oneself to another. Combining the complex themes of identity and belonging of Native Speaker and A Gesture Life with the broad range, energy, and pure storytelling gifts of Aloft, Chang-rae Lee has delivered his most ambitious, exciting, and unforgettable work yet. It is a mesmerizing novel, elegantly suspenseful and deeply affecting.
YEONMI PARK
Her memoir In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom was published in September 2015. Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be “completely free,” she had to confront the truth of her past. It is an ugly, shameful story of being sold with her mother into slave marriages by Chinese brokers, and although she at first tried to hide the painful details when blending into South Korean society, she realized how her survival story could inspire others. Moreover, her sister had also escaped earlier and had vanished into China for years, prompting the author to go public with her story in the hope of finding her sister.
KRYS LEE
She was a finalist for Best New American Voices, received a special mention in the 2012 Pushcart Prize XXXVI. An unflinching portrayal of the Korean immigrant experience from an extraordinary new talent in fiction. Spanning Korea and the United States, from the postwar era to contemporary times, Krys Lee’s stunning fiction debut, Drifting House, illuminates a people torn between the traumas of their collective past and the indignities and sorrows of their present. In the title story, children escaping famine in North Korea are forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to survive. The tales set in America reveal the immigrants’ unmoored existence, playing out in cramped apartments and Koreatown strip malls. A makeshift family is fractured when a shaman from the old country moves in next door. An abandoned wife enters into a fake marriage in order to find her kidnapped daughter. In the tradition of Chang-rae Lee’s Native Speaker and Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, Drifting House is an unforgettable work by a gifted new writer.
Amidst the Crazy Heat
How to Stay Cool
portable hand fan
ALWAYS HYDRATE
TYPES OF NAENGMYEON KOREAN COLD NOODLES BIBIM NAENGMYEON
It is served with a spicy dressing made primarily from gochujang (red chili paste) and eaten all mixed.
MUL NAENGMYEON
It originates from Pyongyang and is mainly made from buckwheat and the broth of beef or pheasant. It also uses dongchimi broth or a mixture of it, while adding the sliced pieces of the radish to the dish. Vinegar, mustard oil, and sugar is added according to taste before eating.
JINJU NAENGMYEON
What’s unique about it is that sliced yukjeon(Korean-style beef pancake) is topped with other common toppings such as sliced cucumber, pear and pickled radish.
Yeolmu NAENGMYEON
What is unique about this variety is that it is served with yeolmu kimchi.
Bikini Fashion
ELLEJAY Puka Black and White Striped String Bikini Bottom
Kingdom and State Bombshell Blush Swan High Waisted Bikini
Tropical Leaf Padded One Piece Swimsuit
HALLYU
HALLYU AUGUST HITS