"Go back home. You're not wanted here."

I am grateful that I grew up in America without being so oppressed due to the fact that I'm Asian-American. Other Asian-Americans have been less fortunate. So it shocked me to hear the words "Go back home. You're not wanted here" directed at me today. I do put up the disclaimer that the words could've been directed to someone else since I didn't turn around at the words. I don't know how the guy responsible for these words even look like. However there were only two of us and I can't help but be upset.

It's funny that this happened today. In one of my classes, an African-American friend shared her story and how she was wrongfully treated for being black. It has been a very eye-opening day.

I know this blog post is more like a journal entry than about Korea. However I do wish to relate this to the subject of Korean-Americans. Perhaps you yourself have Korean or Korean-American friends here in the United States. Perhaps these friends of yours are always happy go-lucky and you're an admirer of Korean culture and have a twinge of jealousy because they're Korean. I sure have had white friends who've expressed this jealousy to me (in a nice way). Yet as it is for all other ethnic minorities in a predominantly white nation, it's not easy being Korean-American.

When I talk to my American friends, I am usually not conscious about my skin color or the fact that I look different than them. The way I see it, the person in front of me is the same human being as I am. There is only one race: the human race. In other words, I almost forget that I am "different" in this land of the free. And this has allowed me to avoid getting hurt for pretty much all of my life, and I am thankful that this is the way I am.

Today, however, I had to flinch at those words "Go back home". Home. What a complicated word. If he meant "home" as in where I was born, then it's a matter of going back to another state and not another country. He probably meant where my heritage is or where my parents are from. But in his eyes, since I look Korean I must also be directly from Korea. I am heartbroken and a little enraged at his ignorance.

Following this logic, if his ancestors happen to be European immigrants then that must mean his home is a country like Ireland or Germany, right? In that case, the United States of America is not his home either. Wait a minute, the real "home owners" are the Native Americans. I guess I'm not the only one who should "go back home".

Then the words "You're not wanted here" followed. No one wants to hear those words, regardless of their skin color, their family background, their socioeconomic status, etc. I can't decide which of the two is worse: "Go back home" or "You're not wanted here."

My Opinion on Korean Singers Acting

In South Korea, there is a prejudice about idol group singers acting: it's that they're awful at it. Producers of Korean drama series often hire idol group singer to gain attention for their new show and to garner more viewers. Often times, these plans backfired because the idol group singer's acting would be unbearable to watch and viewers have even stopped watching the series altogether.

There are quite a few idol singers that do not fit this negative stereotype and these singers include Kang Min Hyuk (CN Blue), Jung Eun Ji (A-Pink), and Lee Joon (MBLAQ). But these were the names that popped up a couple of years ago. Nowadays boy group members Lim Si Wan (ZE:A) and D.O. (EXO) are acclaimed for their acting while for girl group members Suzy (missA) and Hyeri (Girls' Day) are. There are still so many more singers who are part of either a boy group or girl group who have impressed us all with their acting.

Suzy (miss A) in KBS mini series "Dream High" episode 1 (Click here for source)

The truth is that almost all K-pop groups have at least one member try their hand at acting. If the member(s) are good at acting, then the group's fame can rise also. Even if the role they play is a lovable character, if the acting is poor, they will only receive criticism. 

I found in my research that drama producers often use these idol-actors because drama sets are less safe than movie sets, so veteran actors and actresses prefer to be in movies over dramas. And still the producers prefer to feature idol-actors, who are already known by the public audience, over newly debuted actors. This is not necessarily fact but more of a claim.

I personally have mixed feelings about Korean singers acting. If he or she is just a singer, so not categorized as an "idol singer", then I tend to have more of an open heart to them. I also hold the prejudice that it's the idol singers who can't act. Of course, if the singer is good at acting despite the fact they're actually a singer, then I support their acting career.

Si Wan (ZE:A) in MBC mini series "The Moon Embracing the Sun" (Click here for source)

The rest of Korea and myself, however, cannot help but pose doubts over any idol singer acting for the first time. In fact, we tend to doubt the drama itself will be any good if there's an idol singer in it. There have been plenty of cases where the idol singer's acting was of low quality. These idol singers who are poor at acting may just take away a possible role for an actual actor or actress to play. This is one of the reasons why idol singers are highly distrusted and even detested as a whole. Sometimes, the plot may be genius but the idol actor's don't uphold it with their acting.

That is why I am greatly impressed when idol singers can act well. They break the prejudice that they can't act. And it is always a delight to learn that the gorgeous idol singer who can sing and dance well also can act. I think it's this rare group of idol actors who really stand out as celebrities because they have many talents. 

I think idol singers should only be allowed to act, while they are still part of their idol group, if they can actually act. Not every member in a typical K-pop group have the vocal skills to stand alone if the group is to disband, so typically, these members who were loved for their looks rather than their singing start their acting career after their singing career ends. I don't think there's anything wrong with that; there are actors and actresses today who are active only as actors/actresses who used to be part of a K-pop group in the nineties, and they usually have acquired professional-level acting skills. So I'm not discouraging previous members of K-pop groups from starting anew with acting. 

But if the group hasn't disbanded and the members are active in a group, then I think only the members who can act should be given opportunities to do so. However, idol singers still do bring their group attention by appearing in dramas even if they can't act. So I doubt that all of a sudden only those who have the acting skills in K-pop groups will be in dramas. But if a K-pop group member who is awkward at acting is going to be in dramas, they should play minor roles in the dramas and not the lead role where they will have the most camera time. This has all been my humble opinion on Korean singers acting. 

What I Mean By "Proud Korean"

I identify myself as a Korean-American, yet I have proclaimed myself to be a "proud Korean" on several occasions. These occasions include the time I marveled at the displays of the Folk Village on Korean broadcast television, the time when figure skater Yuna Kim won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics, the time I listened to Miss Korea Honey Lee sing a Korean epic song, and more. They are the times when I viewed South Korean traditions and when South Korea gained worldwide renown.
And these are purely Korean, which is why I specifically say "proud Korean".

South Korean flag; Picture source: flagpedia.net

When I proclaim I am a proud Korean, I proclaim the pride I feel to have the same Korean blood as the rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon Jae, the members of Girls' Generation, actor Park Bo Gum, the founder of Samsung, and many others who are loved by people all over the world. South Korea is not the United States of America where it is almost guaranteed that Hollywood stars will be loved all over the world. South Korea is small in geographical size and still has ways to go to gain worldwide recognition. That is why when the spotlight falls on South Korea I find myself giddy and delighted for the nation itself and to point out I too am a Korean.

When I proclaim I am a proud Korean, I proclaim my deep admiration of the various traditions that have developed Korea. These include traditional instruments such as the kayagŭm or the Kaya harp, the traditional attire called hanbok. I find Korean traditions to be beautiful. Of course modern day South Korea is far from these traditional roots in that South Korea has become western in some ways while still maintaining a distinct South Korean style. I find it regretful that these Korean traditions are under-appreciated nowadays and is rarely visited by the new generation of South Koreans. Yet when the pure beauty of traditional Korea is revealed, I am quick to call myself a "proud Korean".

Miss Korea (2006) Honey Lee performing a Korean epic song along with the kayagŭm in hanbok.
Picture source: Saram Entertainment found in Sports Hankooki

I think it is also because I have always admired Korea from afar that I desire to affiliate myself with these Korean traditions and achievements, to shorten the distance between me and Them (the Koreans). I was also raised in Korean culture, taught the Korean language, and fed Korean food. However the American culture that has always been around me often infiltrated into my development as a person, making me different than Them and giving me totally different experiences than Theirs. But I am not completely different. I'm Korean-American, not just American nor just Korean. There is still Korean in me. So when I say I am a "proud Korean", I join in with rejoicing with Korea over its achievements and sharing in the pride of being Korean. It's how I brag about all that Korea is and has been.   

South Korea's President Park Geun-hye to Focus on North Korea?

The elections for Parliament were held on April 13th (Korean Standard Time) and for the first time in 16 years, there are more members in Parliament from the opposing party of the President. In this case, the progressive Minjoo party has taken over the majority of the seats in Parliament while Saenuri, the conservative party that President Park is also a part of, lost its majority. President Park has two years left in office and analysts say she may turn her attention to foreign policy, namely North Korea, to leave some kind of legacy. And the analysts are not looking at this move favorably.

I am not at all familiar with South Korean politics and I learned the above information from an article on New York Times. There are so many different subjects that the article discusses and I am not knowledgeable enough to speak on most of them. There is one that I want to give my two cents on though: blindly seeking out and punishing sympathizers of North Korea.

I recently read about the Korean War in depth for the first time in my life. Under the authority of the first president of the Republic of Korea, Syngman Rhee, thousands of civilians and prisoners died for allegedly being spies for the North. The extremely unfortunate thing here is that too many of the innocent died among those who were truly guilty.

This "purging" of the Communist spies continued on in Korean history. Former President Park Chung-hee, father of current President Park Geun-hye, is said to have authorized "witch hunts" for Communist sympathizers during his term. I only found this out from reading the New York Times article. The article doesn't go into deep detail about this yet I can imagine that much innocent blood must have been shed.

President Park Geun-hye, along with the Saenuri party, are harsher towards Pyeongyang while the Minjoo party leans toward more of a reconciliation with the North. If it is at all possible - I think both are right in their beliefs about how to deal with the North. To elaborate on my inexpert opinion, some in the North should be punished while the South should work for reconciliation and reunion with the North as a whole. I don't believe that all North Koreans should be punished. In fact, many civilians found guilty by the North Korean regime are themselves victims of the country. I think the civilians who aren't in trouble by the North Korean government are also victims. The article specifically states that the Saenuri party wants to punish "Pyeongyang" as opposed to "North Korea", which I infer as meaning punishing the oppressive dictator in command and those responsible for the horrific inhuman crimes rather than everyone in the North. To add to that, I think those who have committed inhuman crimes out of ignorance should be spared from punishment - although I'm sure there will have to be exceptions.

I too don't look to kindly on South Korea leaning towards going on yet another craze about purging out any Red influence. I don't want that to happen in even the slightest bit. I shed tears as I read about the truly innocent people who were executed under the accusation of supporting the Communist North during the Korean War. Of course, South Korea should continue to be wary and keen about fishing out any spies in its domain. However I think the times have changed and we shouldn't repeat history by shedding innocent blood. Don't ask me to choose between the conservative way or the progressive way of dealing with the North. But I firmly stand on the belief that South Korea should carry out careful interrogations and other procedures to seek out any spies rather than go on an out-of-control witch hunt for North Korean spies. I applaud South Korean intelligence for doing so successfully already. And I think the witch hunt may be unlikely in modern times. We should still be mindful.

Is TWICE Girls' Generation II?

Is TWICE Girls' Generation II?

The short answer to that is: there can never be a "Girls' Generation II."

Let me elaborate on a more serious note. Netizens have criticized JYP Entertainment's newest hot girl group TWICE for being too similar to Girls' Generation, and they have gone as far as accusing JYPE of copying the concepts of Girls' Generation. You can check out the details in allkpop's article here.

Concerning their outfits, they've only "copied" Girls' Generation once with the cheerleader outfits. Let's be honest here: even the most avid fan of Girls' Generation has to admit that no one girl group has ownership of cheerleader outfits. I say that netizens are overreacting here.

However I think they overreact even more: when I first heard of the rookie girl group TWICE and saw their debut group photo, Girls' Generation didn't even come to mind. Yet netizens are criticizing their pose for that picture because it's similar to Girls' Generation's picture for their album "GENIE". The only similarity in the pose is that they're all standing. Last time I checked, standing in pictures is very common. To tell you the truth, I've seen "better replicas" of Girls' Generation in other Asian countries, and TWICE does not come close to the severity of those other non-Korean girl groups.

Now regarding the concept for each member - I think this isn't copying either. TWICE has nine members, the same as Girls' Generation in the past. You can't expect all the nine members to have the same personalities. And having a "cute" concept or a "multi-talented concept" isn't anything unique that people should call them out for copying.

These netizens do not know the motives of JYP Entertainment just as much as I don't know its motives. Perhaps they are trying to follow the concepts and tactics for Girls' Generation because Girls' Generation is deservedly the Queen Group of K-pop. I don't think this is necessarily bad. As long as they don't start matching outfit styles and song concepts together and straight-out duplicating outfits, I don't see any replicating going on here.

K-Pop Labels: So many rookies... So many groups... How?

If you haven't heard yet, SM Entertainment has launched a new boy group project called NCT. It's not a typical boy group project as members are subject to change or divide into sub-units. It currently consists of 40 members.

I pause at that number 40. 40. That means there were 40 trainees under SM, waiting for the day of their debuts. Does that shock anyone else?

I've done further research about this group NCT and I had to deliberately remind myself a couple of times that this not a group that has officially debuted yet. Project groups confuse me. Anyway, although there are 40 members in the group, only six have been revealed to the public and the oldest of these was born in 1994 while the youngest was born in 1999. 

I note the age here because whenever a new group emerges from a company that already holds their label on another group(s), the new group is naturally younger than their senior group(s). I once half-predicted that the K-pop boom will end, that there will soon be a day where the K-pop industry will exhaust itself with new boy group and girl group after another until rookie groups are no more. But what actually happened is that new groups continued to emerge and have risen to fame, pushing off older groups to veteran status. And new groups are still debuting today. And these rookie groups have gotten young.

If my past self thought ever thought there were just too many groups, my past self was wrong to worry back in 2013. 

So there seems to be no end to the formation of K-pop groups every single year. And this shows that there are more trainees under various labels waiting their turn to perform on stage, on camera. I want to know how that is possible. The competition in the K-pop world is fiercer than ever yet entertainment companies keep pumping out more? Are they stubborn? Are they simply trying to rid themselves of hopeful trainees? I doubt that since it appears these labels accept more and more with how young K-pop stars are nowadays. (I suppose K-pop stars have always been young, but I'm pointing out the fact that young members in rookie groups indicate labels are still recruiting trainees).

In 2013 and now, there have been many unseen groups broken up. Yet the new K-pop group keeps forming. And I want to know...how? I mean, why? And how do these rookie groups survive the fierce Korean entertainment industry?

A lot of this has been partial rambling and partial critical thinking. I've been reading the Naver Webtoon called 아이돌 연구소 (Idol Laboratory) that outlines the mechanics behind K-pop groups surviving in the ocean of K-pop groups (perhaps I'll talk about this webtoon exclusively in another blog post). So I guess I do know how in terms of mechanics but I'm asking why labels keep pumping out more and more groups. It's more of a rhetorical question.

New Boy Group Project NCT to Revolutionize K-Pop?

The K-pop world is such a busy world and I'm going to quickly disclaim any notion that I'm an expert on today's K-pop. Unless it's a group I really like, I don't follow up with new albums. Sometimes I don't even follow up with a group I'm a fan of because I'm old and simply don't have time.

However, I am aware of what goes on in the Korean entertainment industry through allkpop. And in their article that talks about SM Entertainment's new boy group project NCT, they explain how the group is made so that members can divide up into subgroups and so that members can always be added or changed. There's currently 40 members in NCT! And rumor has it that this new system will be effective and that NCT will revolutionize the K-pop industry. So at the end of the article they ask readers if they too think that NCT will have such an impact in K-pop. 

So what do I think? I think no.

I make myself clear again that I'm no expert on the K-pop world nowadays. This also means I don't know any of the members in this new boy group project, let alone any of their songs. 

This concept of a "boy group project" feels foreign to me, though I know what it is. Red Velvet, SM's latest and much adored girl group, also publicized themselves through SM Rookies before they officially debuted under the name of Red Velvet. So really SM Rookies and this boy group project is debuting... but not officially. It's confusing. But the point of this is to ensure the public knows and becomes familiar with these faces before they officially debut. It may be confusing but it's yet again a genius move on SM's part. 

Going back to my answer - I don't think NCT will "revolutionize" K-pop because first off, there are too many members. I don't know about anyone else but once I take interest in a new idol group, I go through the tedious process of learning each member's names and keeping track of the individuals. The key word here is tedious. Even if the system of the group NCT is supposedly different so that members can form various sub-units and even leave the group, there's still 40 of them. And that is an overwhelming number. And there have been groups who've debuted with a crazy number of members. I don't recall any of them being successful as the original group member count.

This article on allkpop speculates that SM came up with this new system for NCT so that another Luhan, Kris, and Hankyung won't happen again. If that is true then their new system seems to be a fit solution. But they could've made various groups with the current 40 members rather than clump them altogether under the same name. I don't know, maybe I don't even have a right understanding of how all this works. But I feel like this is just a uniquely SM card and I just don't predict this to take over all the systems of idol groups in K-pop.

Marriages between Celebrities: Korea or Hollywood

There's been very recent news of an upcoming marriage between an actor and an actress in the Korean entertainment industry and this reminded me of the Korean blog post I read this week. The blogger talked about how celebrities take dating too lightly, only marry if they get pregnant, and then divorce soon after although they swore their love "to death do us apart". 

This is not a peculiar thing that only applies to Korea - it's no secret that Hollywood stars have a lot of marriage troubles as well.

But I find it sadly interesting that Koreans have been increasingly taking marriage lightly - at least Korean celebrities have. 

Of course not all Korean celebrities have marriage troubles. Plus marriage issues for Korean celebrities aren't really anything new. 

But Korean culture as a whole takes marriage very seriously. That's how traditional Korean culture goes - marriage isn't a light matter. Parents of both sides need to give their approval (as you may have probably seen in K-dramas, in which case the mother of the rich man almost never approves), and Korean parents are very picky about whom to entrust their son or daughter to in marriage. 

However I see a steady decline in this tradition and culture. Sure, parents are still involved in some way but not as much as before. I'm not advocating tyrannical, forced arranged marriage situations. I just feel like you should have your parents meet the love of your life and see what they have to say. Parents are older and wiser. And I feel times have just changed a lot. 

As for me, I want to see Korea go back to the old way of things. Back when they didn't need to "eat the cake before the wedding". I don't know how much of this is true in real life, but I've heard "conspiracies" of eating the cake first in Korean comedy shows and I think maybe in a K-drama as well. It's sad to even hear such tricks devised on T.V. for a fictional scenario. Of course, I do wish for the true marital happiness of Hollywood stars as well. But Korea used to be more tight about marriage and I want that to be restored.

Review of the K-Drama "Moorim School"

KBS aired their drama, "Moorim School", at the start of this year. The cast of "Moorim School" was very impressive for including top actors like Shin Hyun Joon, Lee Hyun Woo, Lee Bum Soo, Kan Mi Yeon, and Shin Sung Woo. The cast also includes many non-Koreans, adding diversity to the Moorim Institute. There was lots of anticipation for this upcoming series before it aired its first episode.

However "Moorim School" didn't garner the positive attention it had expected to receive. In fact, there were some who looked down on the drama series even before it was first aired.

I started watching the series myself this past week and I've watched eight out of 16 episodes.

I think it has a lot of the same themes as other school-setting dramas by KBS, "Master of Study/God of Studying (공부의 신)" and "Dream High". It also has the usual love triangle and the main character as an orphan as other dramas do. Despite this, "Moorim School" still has its own unique story and is engaging in its own way.

Perhaps it's just me who can deal with its "childish" story, but I don't even find it to be childish. Cheesy? Yes, but what Korean drama isn't? Even "Descendants of the Sun" (태양의 후예), the hot K-drama today, has cheesy lines.

Then others say that the story of "Moorim School" is pretty good but they can't stand the acting. I honestly didn't catch any bad acting until I read what critics were saying online, then I started noticing. Of course, none of the above mentioned top actors are criticized for poor acting.

So what I mean is that I am enjoying "Moorim School". At the end of each episode, I find myself wanting watch the next and I think the idea behind it all is genius: Moorim is an institute where they teach the students to be moral human beings through various athletic training and acquisition of life skills. I think "Moorim School" was so underrated.

As a fan of Lee Hyun Woo, I was upset when netizens criticized how he isn't playing "better" or "more mature" roles while other actors his age are. I'm afraid that these responses may have impacted Lee Hyun Woo himself a bit, but thankfully, due to his supportive fans, he quickly bounced back.

And I was happy to find an article today about how Lee Hyun Woo's growth as an actor is evident in "Moorim School" - from singing (the character he played is an idol star) to showing off his built body to showing his care and love for his love interest... Even his outfits on the show have turned heads. I'm grateful for this positive article because it's true. I think he does a great job of showing his character's emotions and thoughts through even just the slightest changes in his facial expressions. I echo the article that Lee Hyun Woo really did carry and express the internal conflicts of his character. And I look forward to seeing more of his character and the unfolding the story of "Moorim School".

Former f(x) member Sulli's Controversial Instagram Posts

Ever since Sulli departed from the girl group, f(x), it's as if she's been set free and she's been taking more explicit photos - both at photo shoots and on her own through her Instagram account. Finally Korean netizens have determined Sulli's Instagram posts symbolize sex.

I personally am still in the process of getting over Sulli leaving f(x), not necessarily because I am her fan but because I think f(x) is complete with five members. Generally speaking, I like the original versions. 

And this latest buzz about Sulli's posts on Instagram doesn't help either. 

I get that she's no longer a girl group member so she has less of a responsibility to uphold some kind of model image. And really, she's free to post whatever she wants. But the truth is - her past as a girl group member has not been completely erased as many of her fans have liked her since her f(x) days. She still has fans who remember the innocent maknae and that's just one 

reason I too look down upon her Instagram posts. 

I think this also brings out the "incarceration" of idol group members. K-pop stars, especially if they're a new idol group, rarely post explicit content because they have an image to uphold. And idol group members tend to garner younger fans. If Sulli was still part of f(x), she would have cleaner posts on Instagram.

I also believe that Sulli has a lot of potential for continual stardom without all this voluntary sex appeal on social media. She's a natural beauty with acting in her resume since she was just a child. 

There's a mix of responses in the comments sections of her controversial posts and from the Korean netizens online. I read one say (defensively, I think) that Sulli is still young and childish, while another, a fan, expresses her disappointment at Sulli. 

I am also disappointed and just regretful about all of this. Again, I wish she would've stayed in f(x). I wonder then if there would have been this problem even. 

The Korean War and Unity in the Koreas

I've spoken a few times on the unification of the two Koreas. I've been studying the Korean War lately and I think I can make more educated statements this time. The book I'm reading is Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea by Sheila Miyoshi Jager.

First off, I want to share my surprise about discovering that I really didn't know anything about "6.25" ("Yook-ee-oh", as the fateful day is called in Korea) or the Korean War. Growing up and going to school in America really has not taught me anything about this. I shamefully confess that prior to reading the book, even my notion on what "6.25" is was faint.

June 25, 1950 (hence 6.25) was the day the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), under Kim Il Sung and the support of the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea. The United States were suspicious about the North's military strength and didn't take hints of invasion seriously while Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Republic of Korea (the South) was more cautious. And the war began.

I've learned that a lot of the fate of the Koreas were determined by foreign powers, the United States and the Soviet Union. At the end of World War II, only these two nations were interested in the Korean peninsula. By then Korea was also divided by ideology and unification seemed impossible. This problem was solved by the creation of the 38th parallel, the DMZ, which was set by two Americans. It was also two United States army colonels who proposed that the Soviet Union take the north and the United States take the south (U.S. Department of State - Office of the Historian website). Even after Korea's liberation, fueled by President Truman, from Japan, Korea was still in the hands of foreign nations.

Generally speaking, the North was unified in their hatred for Japan and the United States (which had divided Korea with the DMZ line) and ruled in communism with the influence of Soviet Russia. As for the South, they slowly learned to be a republic nation under the influence of the United States. And Kim Il Sung wanted the rest of the Korean peninsula to share in their so-called "equality" and "prosperity" under communism and had invaded. In present day, perhaps the North still feel this way - that the South Koreans are pitiful. But they think because they don't know.

And we all know that the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a treaty, with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north and the Republic of Korea in the South.

In my previous blog post, I had ruled out that unity in Korea would be more difficult because of the clash of two very different ideologies. But now, I wonder why I thought that. The unification of the two Koreas itself is proof that there's no such thing as the clash of ideologies. If the clash of ideologies still persists then there was never unity to start with. And once the two Koreas unite and become one Republic of Korea, those who were brainwashed and uninformed in the North will find out all the truths. If there was a way to instigate unification, then the next step, which is the "de-brainwashing" of the North Koreans would be achieved in no time.

The book I'm reading goes into massive details of background events and the various causes and effects of the war. The big effect of the war remaining today is the Korean peninsula divided at the 38th parallel. I hope one more thing can be added to this Korean War history some day - that there's unity and peace in Korea at last...

Plastic Surgery and South Korea (2)

As I read an article about yet another alleged cosmic surgery accusation of a Korean celebrity, I just sigh in frustration.

There have been so many celebrities who have debuted with a natural face and then have gone under the knife who didn't need to. When it seems like nearly all celebrities have gotten plastic surgery and there’s that one newly-debuted singer with a slightly shorter nose, it delights me. That’s because that singer is still gorgeous and this is a declaration that there is such a thing as natural beauties in Korea. And there really are.

So it almost devastates me to come across articles raising questions of plastic surgery on a celeb and see the pictures myself and learn that he or she did. And most of the time, their “before” face was a lot better than their “after” face.

And it’s one thing when these people who didn’t need the operation are celebrities. It’s another when it’s just non-celebrity, ordinary people.

Celebrities live in an entirely different world where they are highly pressured to improve their looks with every new movie or music album. Some girl group or boy group members just never get the recognition they so deserve just because they’re not as good-looking as the rest. And there have been such highly talented idol group members who’ve been outshined by the “visuals” of the group who have gone under the knife and gained more fans afterwards. So I reiterate that celebrities feel every temptation to “fix” their faces.

But the frustrating thing, and I find it also to be annoying, is that this pressure is also in the South Korean society as a whole. An office-walker who works in front of the computer most of the day is not like the celebrity who makes an appearance on national television, yet she (and it’s mostly “she’s”) feels inferior to the pretty office-worker next door.

And I get it. I do. I’m a girl too. I know it may not just be feelings of inferiority. I get that you just want to look better and feel better.

However I challenge the Korean society with this question: Are looks everything?

I’ve also heard that looks do matter very well to the employers hiring secretaries for the company. So people get plastic surgery for that. I’m not blaming the fact that employers can’t help but notice the looks. We all notice the looks. But should looks be part of the standard for getting hired? I argue that that is rather extreme.

I also heard that when you walk the streets of Korea, all the faces you encounter are super gorgeous. But they also all look the same.

The last time I visited Korea was seven years ago. I don’t recall seeing identical faces all over the face back then. So this points out the changes to Korean society as well.

Plus I also don’t like South Korea’s reputation as the “plastic surgery nation”. I think that’s just humiliating.

It’s great to take some time on your looks. But it shouldn’t be everything. And I feel like to Koreans it’s everything. I’m calling out to all the natural faces in Korea: Don’t go to the clinic. Don’t “fix” your face. Natural is more beautiful. 

Expectation vs. Reality: Male Characters in Korean Dramas

I've been wanting to give my two cents on a topic that I'm not really an expert on: Korean men in Korean dramas versus Korean men in real life.

I'm not an expert on this because frankly, I haven't encountered many fully-blooded, Korean-raised Korean males in my life. I've encountered many Korean-American men, but we Korean-Americans are different anyway.

Then I got to meet one for the first time in years. And by "years", I mean about ten years. And ten years ago, I was too young to care about what Korean men are like. I haven't just met this Korean guy once, I see him every week. So again, I don't have substantial amount of information since it is just one guy, but I do have some information. Just keep in mind that this post is highly subjective :)

Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo in "Descendants of the Sun"
Click here for picture source

The too-good-to-be-real male character in K-dramas who carry a girl's backpack for her, walks the girl home, and gets beaten up by gang members to protect his love interest is an overly-used stock character. This kind of male character is in virtually all K-dramas. I don't make this point to say that Korean men aren't like this in real life. Yes, apparently some actually do offer to carry your backpack (I don't know about getting beaten up for the girl, though...), but it's not that swoon-worthy as it is in K-dramas. I came to realize this through experience, and it was a very shattering experience for me.

That's because I can carry my own backpack myself. A part of me was flattered but another part me felt kind of insulted.

I'm sure it also depends on who the guy is. Just putting that out there.

Also, in K-dramas, we don't normally see much of the bad side of that too-good-to-be-real male character. There's no perfectly nice human-being after all. So for me, I just got the impression that he was making such offers not out of a genuine heart, but because he's done this a lot before. And when an action just feels like it's duplicated, it's not so special anymore. In K-drams, we don't see the bad side of that character but the character is also played by an extremely good-looking actor. I mean, who wouldn't fall for a guy that ties your shoelaces for you if that guy is Song Joong Ki?

Of course, guys can do nice things for a girl they like. In fact, they actually do. I'm not criticizing that. Why would I?

But if there's one thing I realized, it's that dramas are dramas. You think your life would be so much better if there are Song Joong Kis in your life. There are plenty of nice guys, but none of the perfect guys you see in K-dramas. I want to reiterate that there are plenty of nice guys. But don't expect someone like Park Hae Jin or Taecyeon from that real-life guy in your life. That's not fair to him nor to yourself.

My Opinion on the Korean Women in 100 Most Beautiful Faces

Twelve female celebrities in South Korea made the Independent Critics list of 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2015, and you can read more about that here. In particular, NaNa of the Korean girl group After School snagged the number one spot for the second time in a row. The article I linked asks our opinion and I've got plenty to share. Please note that my opinions are only mine and I intend no harm.

First, I understand the standards of beauty in the eyes of Koreans and other Asians are very different from the eyes of the Western world. Consequently, this list of 100 Most Beautiful Women doesn't accurately reflect the way Koreans would order the most beautiful faces of their country. Koreans idealize big eyes, especially eyes with double-eyelids (쌍꺼풀: the crease in your eyelid), narrow chins, white skin, tall nose, full lips, all in a small-sized face. Western people typically favor Asians without the double-eyelids, and Americans in particular prefer tan skin.

To give you my personal opinions now, I agree that NaNa is pretty. She is. And she also has a nice personality as well, based on her performance on television and netizens' posts about her. And as a fellow Korean, I'm so proud that a Korean woman seized the number one spot on this list. Let me also point out that South Korea was the third country with the most women placed in this list.

But I think, in my Korean eyes, another Korean woman could've taken that spot. A lot of other Koreans say the same, some express their opinions rather more harshly that Nana's face isn't exactly number one worthy. But I personally appreciate her humble response to this - she even apologized in a recent airing of Radio Star.

What really puzzles me is that Song Hye Kyo was listed as 67. 67! I understand she's competing with beautiful women all over the world, and the fact that she made the list is a great accomplishment in and of it self. Actually, it only makes sense that she's on the list - she's one of the top most gorgeous Korean celebrities! So it doesn't make sense that she was the only top most gorgeous Korean woman to be on this list. What about Kim Tae Hee or Jeon Ji Hyun, whose names are up there along with Song Hye Kyo's? There are numerous more Korean women that I can think of but weren't on this list - Shin Min Ah, Lee Min Jung, Girls' Generation's YoonA (!!! Seriously.), Red Velvet's Irene, f(x)'s Krystal, Sulli... and more!

I personally think Song Hye Kyo is the most gorgeous celebrity in Korea, and again, she's competing with the rest of the world here. So if anything, I think she should beat the other Koreans. I mentioned that I think Irene of Red Velvet should've been on the list, she's considered prettier than fellow member Seulgi who made the list. Seulgi has big eyes without the double-eyelid, which I think may make her more gorgeous to western eyes than Irene. Although, Seulgi's crease-less eyes are enviously pretty! But I personally think Seulgi is gorgeous as well. And if all of these newer girl group members are going to make the list - then, YoonA has to be in it. She is the prettiest girl group member in Korea.

So far I gave you my personal opinion - I looked up what Koreans are saying about the list. A few have gone as far to investigate the credibility of the Independent Critics, and I learned something disappointing as well. As credible and important the Independent Critics sound, they're just a blog ran by an individual, ordinary person who enjoys listening to K-pop. So Koreans don't view this list as something incredible anymore and just see the list as kind of biased.

And the Koreans have gone as far as bashing poor NaNa. I find it a bit odd that Koreans are making their way to find out the credibility of the Independent Critics and then go on to bash NaNa for being on some biased list. Okay, I was curious about who the Independent Critics are too, but I don't think that gives reason to criticize NaNa. I'm not talking about stating that another Korean should've been number one, like I did, but downright trash-talking about her. Some of the comments I've seen are so severe I dare not rethink them even. Talk about Team-Kill. And I think that's really unnecessary.

Regarding Jessica, Former Member of Girls' Generation

If you follow K-pop at all, you must know that Jessica is no longer part of Girls' Generation as of September 2014. Around that time, she also left S.M. Entertainment. I didn't know about her leaving S.M. until very recently, and she finally signed with a new label not too long ago.

As a big fan of Girls' Generation, I'm not over Jessica's absence in the group. Girls' Generation just doesn't seem whole as just 8 members (though their recent albums slayed). I think it's like rubbing salt on the wound, or to use a Korean proverb it's like fanning the flame for her to have left S.M. Entertainment also. It's harder for her to go back to Girls' Generation then.

There's very little, if hardly any, of the truth about these K-pop stars' private lives that we get to know as outsiders. So I don't know what Jessica or the members of GG feel or think when they hear fans like me wanting for Jessica's return to the group. Of course one GG member indirectly said Jessica will be welcomed back on the radio. But I don't want to believe that nearly fifteen years of ongoing friendship can really be permanently broken. 

Along with this shocking news of Jessica no longer being part of Girls' Generation, there was a lot of scandal about Jessica's relationship with Tyler Kwon. Again, it's not like we know the whole story here. If there's one thing that was resolved about Jessica and Tyler Kwon is that they're not getting married anytime soon (or so that's how it was the last time I checked). If you click on the first hyperlink in this blog post, you'll see that Jessica actually signed a contract with Tyler Kwon's label. I'm not trying to judge or condemn here, but I just want to express my worry about this. If fifteen years of friendship could be shaken, what's there to say about a relationship with a man you certainly haven't known for fifteen years? If there's a negative change in their relationship, will Jessica leave that label too? 

Personally, I think the best option is for Jessica to just rejoin Girls' Generation. 

Upon watching today's episode of "Mask King"...

"Mask King (복면가왕)" does not fail to surprise. Today's episode was full of so many surprises with a satisfactory range of performers - from Miljenko Matijevic of Steelheart, the first foreign singer on the show, to girl group singers SoJung and Hani.

Click here for picture source
Top: SoJung of Ladies Code; Middle Three Pictures: Miljenko Matijevic of Steelheart; Bottom:  Hani of EXID

If you've read my previous blog post you'd know how concerned and skeptical I was of the show hosting a foreign singer. Today's episode, which revealed the "Quiet Lightning Man" to be Miljenko Matijevic, proved me wrong. I don't really know of any other singers from outside of Korea who would be able to make an appearance on this show, seeing as Matijevic is a veteran rocker so popular among Koreans. (But then I'm not that knowledgeable about singers allover the world). It wouldn't be an understatement that his appearance on the show was very captivating, and "Mask King" rightfully snagged #1 on viewer ratings among the shows that aired at the same time. 

But it wasn't Matijevic and then the surprise was over. Before Matijevic, another singer made a surprise appearance: Ladies Code SoJung. I had tears in my eyes when her identity was revealed. If you follow K-pop, you should know about the hardship Ladies Code went through in the year 2014. Honestly speaking, I didn't have any interest in the group until the accident. I am delighted that the group has finally returned on stage with a new album, without the addition of new members. To go back to SoJung, her voice remained echoing in my head even after she ended her performance. I want to hear more of her voice and I plan on listening to Ladies Code's new song (as soon as I'm done studying for midterms, of course). The celebrity audience thought she was a much older, highly-experienced, professional singer but she's none other than another girl group member. It was truly prejudice-breaking.

But that wasn't all! The female singer who beat Matijevic and made it to round 3 was revealed to be a girl group singer as well - and EXID's Hani, too! Again, I haven't really followed K-pop for a long time, but Hani is famous enough for me to know who she is and EXID is famous enough for me to know as well. But Hani is well-known for her beauty and dance skills, even I knew that. Her vocals? She wasn't really known for that until she was on this show. I especially enjoyed her performance of JYP's "Honey". Again, the celebrity audience members guessed her to be an experienced, older singer but they were very wrong. I chime in with the other Korean viewers - prejudice can be a scary thing. You don't expect girl group members to sing so well, it's a stereotype. I think "Mask King" is a wonderful show that gives back hope to so many people in the entertainment industry. 

It's been very amusing how hard-to-guess and unpredictable the singers behind the masks have been. I'm excited to see who else will come on the show and take up the challenge to not only beat the "Mask King" but also to continue breaking the public's prejudice.

Introducing Korea's Hot TV Show: "Mask King"

I mentioned before that along with Gag Concert, I watch "Mask King (복면가왕)". This is a music show where any famous person - comedian, actor, singer, athlete - can come on stage and sing without anyone having prejudice against them because they're wearing a mask! So the performer can showcase their singing skills while the audience comprised of ordinary people and celebrities try to guess who the performer is.

Click here for picture source

But this isn't a plain concert. It's a competition. Those who perform compete with another through a series of rounds to reach the "throne". And the competition continues as more performers are recruited for more episodes as they try to take the throne. 

I can't help but think as I watch that this is yet another incredible idea for a television program. Countless numbers of boy group and girl group members prejudiced as incompetent singers have redeemed their reputations, old-time singers could enjoy the stage again, and lots of comedians have surprised the public with their sweet vocals. 

And I just love how "lenient" Korean television is. Can you imagine America having a show like this? Isn't the thought of Zac Efron, Scarlett Johansson, and Anne Hathaway pulling on a mask, coming on stage unidentified except with a nickname they made up, singing on stage (all three of these actors can sing, by the way. You can find out who else in Hollywood can sing here)? But this is the difference in cultures. Also, most Hollywood actors and actresses who can sing do sing in their movies, so I guess it's not too much of a surprise there. But who knows. Maybe Jimmy Fallon can sing too.

There's something that has concerned me, however. I read an article informing that "Mask King" will now recruit singers of foreign countries on the show as well. The comments were unkind as people complained that it's because there's a limit to singers in Korea. But I doubt that. This show allows more than just singers to come on the show. Plus I think this Korean show should be limited to Korea, just because, how are Korean viewers supposed to guess who's behind the mask? One of the people who commented on the article also said, "I don't even think Adele knows where Korea is". Then another commented that the article didn't say the show will invite singers from America, necessarily. Whichever country the singer may be from, why do they want to make themselves known in Korea? I think that's a valid question. Sometimes change can be hard and I don't want this show that I've come to like to change its structure so much.

The Korean-American Dilemmas - The College Student's Edition

I've written a post with the topic of the Korean-American dilemma before and today I bring to the world an updated, lengthier version - The College Student's Edition! I have to put up the disclaimer though that this is highly personal and subjective.

In fundamental terms, there's not much of a difference between the dilemmas as a Korean-American in high school and a Korean-American in college. But there are a few specifics I'd like to share (or ramble) about.

The Food. For this one, you don't even have to be Korean-American. You can just be a student raised in a 100% American family and still disdain college cafeteria food. I personally have grown up eating Korean food for all three meals a day - except for when school was in session, I ate the school lunches, but that was about it. If you dig around my blog enough, you'll find that I like food a lot. Especially Korean food. Back when I was in high school, I heard of a Korean-American college student who came home during break with a list of Korean dishes he wants to eat. I've become that student myself.

Television. I really don't watch a lot of Korean television compared to a lot of other Koreans and Korean-Americans, but I watch a fair amount myself (which you could probably tell from my blog posts). But being a college student means not having enough time to even do your homework and get enough sleep. My family and I watch "Gag Concert", "What Should We Eat Today? (오늘 뭐 먹지?)", and recently "Masked Singer (복면가왕)" on Sundays. It's been hard to take that time to watch these shows with the family, as the tradition goes, with all the schoolwork I've got. Though now that I think about it, this is probably a dilemma for any college student who watches TV enough.

The Language. This is also the personal part. I understand the majority of Korean-Americans aren't fluent in Korean. But even if you're not fluent in Korean (I can testify to this looking at another Korean-American student on campus), you just have those few Korean words you want to use but can't. How is this different from when you're in high school? Well, in college, you're surrounded by non-Koreans. You don't live with your Korean family anymore, which means you don't have anyone to speak Korean to after a day of classes. This is also subjective in that my collge has very few Koreans, which is the situation I'm in. Oh the frustrations. I'm paranoid that I'm forgetting the Korean language increasingly as I do life with Americans.

Leaving the House. American culture and society emphasizes individuality much more than Korea does. Koreans are all about relying on each other and helping each other out, not that Americans are unhelpful. Nor does this mean Koreans are needy people. To explain further, it's neither strange nor uncommon for the newly-turned-18-year-old child to leave the house and move into a nearby apartment in America. The typical Korean parents look at that and say, "Why should my child go out and waste money like that? My child can just live with me and save money." And I think it's just harder for us Asians to say goodbye to our parents. Again, not because we're needy, but it's because of the way our parents raise us. I don't know how to explain further without causing misunderstandings, but there's something about us Asian families.

I live on campus myself, and I go to a college in the city I've grown up in for the past decade. Still, my parents are always worried about me. Of course, American parents worry for their child too. In the beginning of the year, my parents frequently messaged me asking if I've eaten. My parents actually calculated and compared the cost of living on campus and commuting. So leaving the house can be a dilemma for the Korean-American college student for the parents and the student (but this includes any college students, not just Korean-Americans).

Korean Exchange Students. My school has an extensive exchange program so we have a lot of international students. In fact, we are sister schools with two colleges in Korea! Here's the personal part again: I just haven't interacted with many Korean-Koreans in my lifetime because I've always lived in smaller cities with a small Korean population. I've rambled sufficiently on this blog about how Korean-Koreans and Korean-Americans are so different. Koreans and Americans think so differently (refer to the previous paragraph for an example). The Korean-American? We don't even know if the way we think is Korean or American half the time. We apply the Korean mindset when we should be applying the American one and vice versa. To go back to language, although I'm fluent in Korean, I find that my mind tends to turn blank when I talk to these Korean-Koreans (think of it as you being unable to speak Spanish to your Spanish teacher when you can speak it well with your classmates otherwise). And along with the language, it's that difference of mindset and culture again. Interacting with these Korean-Koreans in college have been quite an experience for me. So I'm declaring this one a dilemma of Korean-Americans as well.

And finally, The Boy (or Girl). This was the only dilemma of the Korean-American I talked about in my previous blog post. What I mean is the issue of that cute boy on campus not being Korean. And this is the subjective part again: I go to a college where there's like one other Korean and a considerable amount of exchange students from Korea. And exchange students kind of don't count. They're here for a semester or two then leave. I personally want to marry a Korean-American (though I don't think this was really solid a couple of years ago) and my dad said I need to move to a bigger city for that. I took his word of concern(?) lightly but being in a college with very few Koreans, the reality hits me: it's going to be mighty difficult for my wish to come true. I think this has been on my mind more now that I'm in college and people around my age actually get married now.

There's so much more to this subject that I'm going to elaborate more, because I can. There's so much more to it, which is probably why I wrote a whole blog post on it those couple of years ago. Aside from actually finding my Korean-American future husband (which again is highly personal and subjective), what if I fall in love with someone who's not Korean-American? I don't mean to close any doors. I'm not the only one who's changed, my dad is now open to me marrying a man of any ethnicity/race, as long as he's a faithful Christian (my mom on the other hand won't accept a non-Korean son-in-law). So what if I get a non-Korean boyfriend? It's not simple as, "Just get married then". Will his parents like me, an Asian? Will they be okay with that fusion of two cultures in their family? Will they be okay with half-Asian grandchildren? With Americans who live in America, finding your partner is easy. It would be for me too, if I were to have grown up in Korea. Most of you readers (who are of this "majority race") probably don't think about this stuff. I could go on more, but I think this does it.

If you know a Korean-American college student - give them a hug. (To be fair, any college student deserves hugs. I use a lot of parenthesis in this post).

The Playground between the North and South Koreas that is the Borderline

As I read New York Times' article on this mini battle going on at the borderline of North and South Koreas, I couldn't help but think, "Is this a children's game?"

South Korea's sketch-comedy TV show, Gag Concert, has been pumping out new corners with veteran comedians back on the stage, and one corner's name can be translated in English into "Tinderbox Situation" or "Volatile Situation" (일촉즉발). This corner's setting is on the borderline of the two Koreas and the so-tense-that-it's-funny-situation is the foundation of the corner's jokes. Although this new corner was broadcast on television two weeks ago, I've only seen the recent broadcast this past Sunday. I heartily laughed as I watched and thought to myself that this was a genius idea for a Gag Concert corner. Then today, the New York Times article reminded me of the sound-wars going on at the Armistice Line that I read about weeks before, and then it dawned on me how the comedians may have come up with the idea for their corner.

I laughed watching "Tinderbox/Volatile Situation" not because I think the situation of the two Koreas is humorous, but because the idea of the South Korean guards taunting the North Koreans with chocolate and talks of popular South Korean TV shows is funny and I think it's funny because I wonder if this actually happens in real life. And I think a part of me wants it to because I want at least those few North Korean guards at the border to realize that South Korea is well-off enough to have chocolate and quality entertainment without their beloved leader Kim Jong-Un. So this corner raises questions about how likely it is for the staged situations to occur in real life and what the implications would be. And all of this is highly amusing.

But now that I think about it, the reality is that those guards standing at the Armistice Line dare not even twitch, let alone chat among themselves about Korean girl groups. So what do they do instead? One side blasts girl group music while the other parachutes trash, apparently.

I think this reality may actually be more entertaining than the jokes by "Tinderbox/Volatile Situation". It's really inspiring enough for a group of five comedians to make a comic segment out of it. Even so, I personally prefer these comedians' version because the reality that we're all stuck with is this children's game of throwing balloons at each other, while the North tests missiles and the South deploys an American defense system and ticks off China (you can read more about this here). At least on Gag Concert, we can see pseudo-North Koreans show envy for South Korea and dream about the day when they won't have to be envious anymore.    

TV Shows of Children and Food Shows in Korea

A couple of years ago, when I was blogging here regularly, I posted a couple times about children and television in Korea (one of which you can check out here, this should lead you to the other post as well). Back then there was an influx of shows with little children in it - mostly those of celebrities. Today, while we still have such shows such as Superman is Back (슈퍼맨이 돌아왔다), they have certainly gone down in number.

The genre of TV shows which have replaced the children shows is the genre of Food Shows. Some are cooking shows, but others are just plain food shows. You watch people eat food deliciously. Delicious food, I may add. The trend of "muck-bang" (먹방) is still around, but in a more subtle way. But it's still there. In fact, there are a couple of webtoons devoted to this trend where food is drawn and presented very appetizingly. Even shows where they teach you how to cook will often have the cooks eat their finished dish scrumptiously in front of the camera.

In fact, I doubt that viewers watch cooking shows to improve their testing skills. They most certainly can learn to cook through these plethora of shows yet it appears that the goal of these cook shows are for entertainment. My personal favorite, and really the only one I watch, is called "오늘 뭐먹지?" (translated to roughly, "What Should We Eat Today?") and you can learn how to cook by watching it but it's more entertaining with the hosts funny and witty remarks. They've jokingly complained how people watch their show for entertainment and not for the serious goal of learning to cook. I don't cook myself and I watch it!

There are more shows that involve food and cooking: "냉장고를 부탁해" ("Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" - celebrities bring in the food in their 'fridge and cook something with them), "Tasty Road" (based on what I've watched - it's two pretty girls eating pretty food), 한식대첩 ("The Grand Battle of Korean Food" - cooks from all over the nation come and compete by making only Korean food and professional judges root out the final pair of winners), and more.

The change in this trend of TV shows in Korea is very interesting. Shows featuring little children are still on television but they are few in number compared to just a couple of years ago and today, there are numerous food shows in a wide variety which have replaced shows featuring children.

Changes in the Korean Entertainment Industry (Grace is back!)

Hello, everyone! I know it's been almost a year and a half, and I'm not even sure if I've ever had unofficial subscribers/followers on my blog, but I am back to blogging regularly! I'm grateful to find that people still visit my blog even though I haven't posted in so long.

A lot has changed in South Korea in the year and the half that I wasn't blogging. A lot has changed in my personal life too. I am no longer a high school student, I'm a college student now! As I skim through my last few blog posts, I see how lacking I was in my writing skills back then, and I'm determined to post better polished blog posts. I am excited to be back blogging again!

To start off my series of blog posts anew, I want to go back to how there have been many changes in Korea, I want to expand on particular the Korean entertainment scene and its changes as of this year, 2016. First off, as I was looking back on my previous blog posts I noticed how upset I was about Dongho leaving the boy group U-KISS. Now this previous-youngest-member of the group is married.

I also talked about the departure of members Nicole and Ji Young from the girl group KARA. Now the group has officially disbanded.

Asia's girl group who shine the best when all nine members are present together now has eight members.

These are just "mildly" sad news in comparison to the shocking news of other Korean celebrities. To generally describe the shocking news, I will just say that they involve lawsuits and I won't mention the names but will drop some hints. One singer is popular enough to have been in the first episode of the K-drama Dream High, playing the role of a popular singer. As I watch that episode again, after the scandal has been released, I'm saddened to think that he will no longer be invited to make such appearances in shows again. He's not a role model for rookie singers anymore. Then there's an actor who is so prominent that he's made himself known in Hollywood. I even used him as an example for celebrity endorsements in Korea and I don't think he's worthy for such considerations anymore. I had good images of these two celebrities and I can't look at them the same after these scandalous news about them.

To shift the unhappy mood, the K-pop industry didn't cave but continues to thrive even after a year and a half. In my previous "ancient" blog posts you can see how concerned I was over the future of the K-pop industry. I thought there were just too many boy and girl groups all the time. That hasn't changed, but an impressive number of boy groups and girl groups have pressed their way through all the competition and gained fame. To name just a few, there's BTS, AOA, EXID, and VIXX, Honestly, I haven't been keeping up with K-pop in so long, I just hear the really "big news" of K-pop. So the fact that those four groups popped up in my mind implies they're prominent enough. Like I said, I haven't been keeping up with K-pop so the level of fame of these groups are over my head, but I came to the point where I realized these newer groups are slowly replacing the older, kings and queens of K-pop. This saddens me too, although it's not the same as what I talk about in the previous paragraph. Maybe this just shows me how old I am.

So there's my very broad overview of the changes in the Korean entertainment industry. Famous names have been disgraced, older K-pop groups seem to be resigning their thrones to the rookie groups. Time flies.