KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – K-Pop idols appear to be present in virtually every aspect of Korean media. They’re acting in television and web dramas, hosting and guest starring on variety shows, promoting various brands and products, and even competing in the Korean E-Gaming scene. On November 1, S.M. Entertainment officially…
FASSA SAR WRITES — Korean filmmakers and actors put pressure on President Park Geun-hye to release the names of 9,473 film artists – including film-makers, actors and studio executives – that have allegedly been put on a secret list that would deny them government financial and logistical support for their…
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR SPENCER H. KIM WRITES FROM SEOUL — Just as we often need Ministers of Bad News, we also need Ministers of Good News. As anyone who knows me knows, I love the book by former U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, “The Arrogance of Power.” The title grabs you,…
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – South Korea, not known as a world-beater as a foreign investor, has pledged $10 billion in energy and infrastructure investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The extraordinary pledge came at this year’s Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference. KOAFEC is the meeting of a consulting group founded…
RYAN DAO WRITES — Toei Company, the Japanese film and television production company behind the wildly popular “Power Rangers” series in the U.S., will be celebrating the end of their “Superhero Year” with the premiere of “Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders” (English…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – The governor of Jakarta has once again caught the attention of the Indonesian media and public with his feisty and straightforward personality. In late October, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama encouraged Thousand Island residents to vote for whomever leader they choose, regardless of their religious affiliation.…
CLEMENTINE TODOROV WRITES – In late August, at a press conference for his first official visit to Bangladesh, U.S Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that the Bangladesh media should cool it on terrorism coverage. “Perhaps,” Kerry said, “the media would do us all a service if they didn’t cover…
Pictured above – in triplicate no less!- is well-known Prof. Hans Schattle of the Political Science Dept. of Yonsei University, one of South Korea’s best and always one of Asia’s top-rated universities. The picture was snapped during a recent Wednesday night class in the Life Science Building on the gorgeous…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – October in a U.S. election year often unveils some scandal. This year is no different, except the scandals have gotten weirder and this time Qatar is in on the mischief. According to emails leaked by Wikileaks, in 2012 Qatari representatives sought a 5-minute meeting with Bill…
KATIE TRINH WRITES – Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, posts Nick Ut’s photo of “Napalm Girl” on their Facebook page. However, within hours, Facebook removes the photo because the image violates the company’s standards on nudity. Pulitzer Prize recipient, Nick Ut, photographed the Vietnam war with hopes of stopping the war…
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – The Philippines and the United States have enjoyed a decades-long marriage, but there’s trouble brewing in paradise. Many people didn’t take Philippine President Rodrigo “Rody” Roa Duterte seriously when he said he was considering cutting ties with America and cozying up to Russia and China.…
SABRINA VERDUZCO WRITES – In the smartphone showdown between Samsung and Apple, iPhones have the global upper hand, but in South Korea, Samsung has been reigning supreme. So it is no surprise that the consumer safety recall of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones has sparked a panic. Videos of…
DYLAN JOSEPH WRITES – American-style football has come to China. On October 1, more than 11,000 Chinese fans turned out to watch the Qingdao Clipper take on (and defeat) the Guangzhou Power. It was the first big match for the China Arena Football League (CAFL), and league owner Marty Judge…
JESSICA LEGASPI WRITES–On October 3rd, The Washington Post released an exposé entitled “In Your Phone, in their Air,” on Chinese villagers suffocating on the pollution produced by neighboring graphite plants, resulting in the industry falling under strict scrutiny. The exposé was written by Washington Post writer, Peter Whoriskey, and was…
RYAN DAO WRITES — After a long 12-year hiatus, the legendary king of monsters makes his triumphant return of the silver screen with “Shin Godzilla” (“Shin Gojira,” or internationally known as “Godzilla Resurgence”), a modern-take on a classic Japanese icon. “Shin Godzilla” is the 29th installment in the Godzilla franchise…
BRADLEY CAVANAUGH WRITES — Day five of anti Trump demonstrations: The Los Angeles Police Department broke up the march downtown last night (Nov. 12), making arrests and sending demonstrators into a rout. Filling up an entire city block, the march continued for hours, blocking traffic. Eventually reaching the homeless encampments…
