RYAN LIPPERT WRITES– If a hotel in Pyongyang catches fire and the media doesn’t mention it, does it still burn? Of course it does! Last Thursday, the Koryo Hotel, one of the tallest and best-known buildings in North Korea’s capital, caught fire. In a city populated by approximately 3.2 million…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) announced that it has banned top K-Pop group, Big Bang, from appearing on its weekly music show, Inkigayo. It has been reported that the staff of Inkigayo had made the decision to ban the five member band when two of its…
YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Summer is the season of sun, fun, and numerous nerd conventions throughout Southern California. These are notorious for attendees that cosplay, and I’m no exception. But as I prepare for Anime Expo 2015, the largest anime convention in North America, I can’t help but lament certain aspects.…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Look out, Lady Gaga! Kim Jong-un’s poker face may be harder to read than your own. As debates over the actual extent of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities continue, Kim Jong-un asserts that his regime has advanced their nuclear weapons technology. The North Korean government has even…
YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Stories about children exposed to domestic violence or other abuses are shocking to read about, but as journalists we don’t want to add insult to injury. Thanh Nien News has been prolific in exposing the Vietnamese media’s abuse of child rights, specifically, incidents where the media breaches their…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – English-speaking K-Pop fans no longer need to experience one-sided love from their idols and favorite groups from behind their computer screens. After School Club (ASC), produced by Arirang, is a web-talk show that allows international fans (fans not domestic to South Korea) to live video chat…
ASIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL WRITES – Staff writer Yvonne Epps accepted the Loyola Marymount University Writing Award for First Place in the Journalism-News category on April 23. Read her award winning article, Vietnam: A Step in the Right Direction for Social Media Freedom, here! Congratulations, Yvonne!
MICHELLE VARINATA WRITES – Picture a world of rainbows , puppy dogs and smiling children running through rose-scented gardens. Sure, it’s a dream. But for some, even imagining such a scene could prove impossible, so harsh is their reality. As one of the world’s most family-oriented societies, Indonesia prioritizes family…
SHUTING LI WRITES – As interracial marriages are increasing every year in America, Chinese women are getting more attention in the interracial marriage pool. American men can’t seem to get enough of their exotic, cute, and sweet image. However, American’s love of Chinese women may lead them into dealing with something they are…
MIA MARTIN WRITES – A Japanese artist has pleaded not guilty to obscenity charges for allegedly selling 3D images of her vagina. Megumi Igarashi, 43, doesn’t deny she distributed the material, but in the trial that got underway this week insisted it’s not obscene. Instead, Igarashi, aka Rokudenashiko (“good for…
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES — Remember the scenario of a notorious masked bandit snatching an old lady’s purse, only to get caught/intercepted by police or a helpful stranger? While occurrences like this still exist in today’s world, crime has evolved with the times and has entered the digital age. The recent…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – In late March, CL, leader of K-Pop girl group 2NE1, was nominated for TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015. CL, whose birth name is Lee Chaerin, was the only Korean out of the 158 figures nominated for the list. Other individuals that were nominated for…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES- Only in North Korea would a national leader claim to have climbed the highest mountain in the country, take a picture (in which he looks neither tired nor properly equipped to accomplish such a task), and then describe such an accomplishment as if he just had a…
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— Vietnam has come a long way since the start of the year. We’ve seen major progress with the acceptance of social media and dips with press freedom, but the road is still jagged and, if they don’t watch their step, they might end up hurt. The Economist reported…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – Qatar’s proposal to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup was overly ambitious from the outset. They needed massive funds to build new cities just to house new stadiums. In the beginning, Qatar appeared to have money to burn due to a lucrative oil market. Nevertheless, the country…
NICK ARMER WRITES – Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post correspondent, was charged with serious crimes by Iranian authorities on April 20 after being detained and held by the government for over nine months. The White House and the Washington Post have denounced the charges against Rezaian, who is an American…
