Interested in Korean Pop Culture?!

I write about K-dramas (and more!) from a Korean perspective. Won't you join me?

Hello and welcome to K-Culture With Jae-Ha Kim! I started this publication in 2023 to share my enthusiasm for Korean entertainment (K-dramas, Korean films, K-pop).

My reviews and essays often include cultural context about what is being presented — things that non-Korean speakers may have missed. I also write about the immigrant experience, which includes some of the lingering damage many of us went through in order to fit in.

Here’s the link to an index of some of my K-drama reviews.

What are my qualifications? I’ve been a journalist for many years and even won an award or two. You may have read some of my work about Korean films, dramas, and music in outlets like Rolling Stone (USA | Korea | India), Mashable, Salon, Victoria & Albert Museum, TODAY, Teen Vogue, Variety, MTV News, and the Chicago Tribune.

I’m also a voting member of the Television Critics Association.

But the thing I’ve got going for me that a lot of my peers don’t have is that … I’m an actual Korean! Well, make that Korean American. I’ve spent more years in the U.S. now than in my birth country. But you know what they say: You can take the girl out of Seoul, but you can’t take the… Oh, you know what I mean!

I’m happy to report that many of my 5,000+ subscribers engage regularly with me and provide introspective perspectives that I hadn’t thought about. And sometimes, it’s fellow Substackers who include me in their own newsletters, like Niko Batallones’

Nicksy Once Monthly

:

And

Elizabeth Tai

’s Tai Tales:

Back when I started in journalism, I was never assigned to cover any Korean acts, because no one in the U.S. was interested in them. I primarily wrote about western groups.

I don’t know if you’ll be able to find me…

And when I did get assigned to cover an Asian act, they were never Korean.

That said, it was a pleasure to interview the Japanese punk rock band, The Blue Hearts, whose “Linda Linda” remains one of my favorite songs ever.

I’m with the band.

But now, it’s a completely different era. Even though no one wanted to know about anything Korean when I was a kid… Today, I get to interview some amazingly talented Korean acts like BTS, Epik High, ATEEZ, Monsta X, Blackpink, Eric Nam, Xikers, and The Rose — and I also have the opportunity to take my child backstage to say “hi!” to many of them.

Woosung (of The Rose), #SonOfJae, and DJ Peter just hanging out in Chicago.

So… what do you think? Here’s your chance to get free Korean-centric content delivered weekly to you and the opportunity to interact with other Korean culture fans. If you want to join us, hit the little button below.

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A huge thanks to fellow Korean Americans

Alexander Chee

(for telling me I should start telling my stories here) and

Maangchi

(who was one of the first people to recommend my newsletter). 감사합니다!

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To get a feel for what I write about, here are some of my posts that have resonated with readers:

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© 2024 JAE-HA KIM | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED