Korean American veteran screenwriter and producer Elaine Ko was promoted to supervising producer on the wildly popular sitcom Modern Family earlier this month, according to news reports.

The Hollywood Reporter stated that Ko signed a two-year deal with 20th Century Fox TV, the studio which makes the ABC comedy, which will begin its fifth season next September.

Ko previously worked on the show as a staff writer and then producer and received a Writers Guild of America Award for an episode she wrote called “Virgin Territory.” Continue Reading »

Park discusses ‘creative economy’ vision with Facebook CEO
Yonhap News

President Park Geun-hye met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on day, he latest in a series of meetings with chiefs of global information technology giants aimed at seeking advice for her “creative economy” vision.

Zuckerberg arrived Monday for a visit that reportedly also includes meetings with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the world’s largest social networking service firm and the world’s biggest technology manufacturer.

“Including myself, Cheong Wa Dae is using Facebook for communication with the people,” Park said during the meeting. “It is pleasing to meet people via Facebook, but it is even more pleasing to meet (you) face to face like this.”

Why Is Vice Hiding Its Kim Jong-un Interview?
The Atlantic

In an appearance on Rose’s show on May 24, Smith said the final episode of Vice would include an interview with the North Korean leader. Smith didn’t give any details about what the supreme leader said, but he confirmed that a documentary is finished, that he and his team “have the interview,” and that they “show” Kim in the documentary. But when the episode finally aired late last week, it looks like the Vice cameras had to be shut off while they had lunch with the young leader. All the juicy bits that Smith teased to Rose were… missing. There was no footage of him speaking with Vice’s correspondants at all.

Two conclusions could be drawn drawn here: 1) Vice is sitting on an interview with Jong-Un for some reason, possibly for a non-HBO Vice documentary for which the brand has become so notorious; or 2) Smith misled Rose about having an “interview” to trump up the HBO finale, which had already been trumped up to death with the whole Vice-orchestrated Rodman trip. Both seem possible. Smith confirms that Vice spoke with Kim, which is true. They presumably spoke over lunch while the cameras were off, in an elaborate meal after Rodman and Kim watched that basketball game together. And Smith confirms Kim is shown in their footage, which is also true of Friday’s HBO episode — Kim is on camera doing various strange things throughout the episode. But there’s never a clear-cut confirmation; Smith lets Rose (and the viewer) believe what they want to believe.

20 N.Korean Defectors Arrive from Laos
Chosun Ilbo

Twenty North Korean defectors have recently arrived in Seoul after weeks under the protection of the South Korean Embassy in Laos.

They boarded in Vientiane and arrived safely, a diplomatic source said Monday. Once they have been questioned they will be resettled here.

Their safe arrival follows the high-profile repatriation from Laos to North Korea on May 27 of seven teenage defectors who had reportedly been coerced by North Korean agents while the South Korean Embassy twiddled its thumbs.

South Korea Toughens Sex Crimes Law
Wall Street Journal

South Korea took a big step toward clearing legal hurdles in the fight against sex crimes against women and minors.

The government has made more than 150 revisions to the current law related to sex crimes that will take effect on Wednesday. One of the biggest changes is the abolishment of a 60-year-old law under which a prosecutor can’t pursue a sexual assault case if a victim and an attacker reach an agreement on not taking legal action.

Critics have said the law often led to situations where attackers bully victims into dropping legal complaints.

8 Arrested in Tokyo Fights Involving Anti-Korean Group
New York Times

The police said on Monday that eight people were arrested after fistfights broke out between ultranationalist Japanese shouting anti-Korean slogans and counterprotesters on the streets of Tokyo, where public violence is rare.

Among those arrested was Makoto Takada, 41, better known by his pseudonym Makoto Sakurai, the leader of an anti-foreign ultraconservative group that has recently gained attention for staging repeated demonstrations in an ethnically Korean neighborhood. During those marches, members of the group have waved Japanese war flags and shouted slogans like “Kill Korean residents,” raising calls for the creation of anti-hate-speech laws.

Psy Excited About Prospect of Recording Song with Brian May
Chosun Ilbo

Psy may collaborate on producing a song with Brian May, guitarist of the legendary rock band Queen, according to MTV News UK. “The rock legend revealed he had brunch with the Korean phenomenon in London this week to talk about working together,” it reported on Sunday.

May described Psy as “a very thoughtful man and a significant artist,” adding that they have a couple of ideas to work on and that the guitarist was enthusiastic about the project, MTV News said. May also reportedly said Psy surprised him with his “encyclopedic” knowledge about Queen.

Eat Psy’s Favorite Foods at Bibigo Korean Restaurant
LA Weekly

This summer at all three Los Angeles locations of the Korean restaurant Bibigo, Korean pop megastar Psy, also known as the King of YouTube — or his actual name Park Jae-sang — is everywhere. On the front windows, the servers’ T-shirts and even on the menu. Millions of people dance like him, and now everybody can eat like him too, as Bibigo is offering a special menu of Psy’s choosing. Already a big fan of Bibigo in Seoul, whenever Psy is in L.A., he visits the Bibigo on posh Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

Until July 31, customers who order his favorite dishes receive a scratch card with the chance to win prizes like a Bibigo voucher, bag or Psy mask (!!), and can enter to win a trip to Seoul. The winner will be announced August 19, 2013.

Park Chu-young Ends Days with Celta Vigo on Sour Note
Chosun Ilbo

Park Chu-young, who is on loan from Arsenal to Celta Vigo in Spain’s La Liga, has been fined for not showing up for the last match of the league season.

Spanish media outlet Terra reported on Monday that he “showed a strange character when parting ways with the team.” It added that he refused to attend the last game of the season against Espanyol on June 2.

According to club regulations, Park, who was not on the roster due to injury, should have been in the stadium to support his teammates, but he proved a no-show at the venue.

Former Carmel Valley standout golfer Michael Kim shines at U.S. Open
Del Mar Times (Calif.)

Michael Kim was 7 when he moved to the United States from his native South Korea. He knew little about golf at the time, and everything he did know was through the prism of the Tiger Woods phenomena.

“I grew up watching Tiger,” Kim said in a recent media conference call.

“When I just started getting into the game Tiger had just finished his 2001 season. Who could not like golf when that was happening?

Kim still considers himself a huge Tiger Woods fan. But these days, he doesn’t just watch his childhood idol from the comfort of his living room sofa.

Can I Get a Venti Cup of Ignorance, Flavored with Assumption, Please?
Holt International (blog)

I was on my way to meet one of my best friends at the Grove in Hollywood. It is a famous landmark, filled with shops, restaurants, and the Farmer’s Market. They have a Starbucks in the Barnes & Noble there, so to kill time, I went to get a coffee until my friend arrived.

(To preface, the tsunami had just struck Japan, so you can see where this story is going).

The line was long, and when it was my turn, I ordered my coffee and waited for the barista to ring me up and ask for my card. There was an awkward silence.

Out of nowhere she said, “Hey, are you okay?”

Korean artists create Venetian Wonderland
Deutsche Welle (Germany)

A collective exhibition by some of South Korea’s top artists has opened at the Venice Biennale. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, ‘Who is Alice’ takes visitors on a journey to unreal and fabulous worlds.

Imagination, surrealism and fantasy run wild in this exhibition created by Chuyoung Lee, the curator of Korea’s National Museum of Contemporary Art. Located in a 14th century Venetian palazzo, tucked down an alley away from the swarm of tourists, visitors immediately feel like they have stepped into an enchanted world. The sensation continues as they are invited upstairs to explore an array of mixed media pieces that provoke, inspire and amuse.

This Weekend: 5th Annual Korean BBQ Festival + CicLAvia
LA Weekly

A Korean barbecue dinner can be an event — copious helpings of bulgogi matched with ice cold soju. So it stands that a gathering of Korean BBQ restaurants would make it a full-blown party, which is what’ll take place at the 5th Annual Korean BBQ Festival on Sunday, June 23.

Organized by the Korean American Coalition, the upcoming festival will bring Palsaik Samgyupsal, Star King BBW (I and II), Yongsusan, and KAC’s Kickin’ Ribs to the grills this time around. Cocohodo’s walnut pastries and Orion Choco Pie will provide the sweets. And Kooksoondang Brewery Company and Singha Beer will supply the brews, soju cocktails, and makgeolli (rice wine) for the Beer & Wine Garden.

29 Things You Can Actually Buy In South Korea
Buzzfeed

It’s true. You can actually buy all these things!

Prosecution starts probe on ex-spokesman’s alleged sex abuse
Yonhap News

Prosecutors said Thursday they have begun looking into allegations that President Park Geun-hye’s now-fired spokesman sexually abused a Korean-American woman in Washington in May.

Yoon Chang-jung is accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a young Korean-American intern of the Korean Cultural Center in Washington during his trip to the United States early last month as a member of Park’s entourage.

Around 1,000 women including members of rights groups and the United Progressive Party soon filed complaints against the disgraced former spokesman with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

South Korean Agents Accused of Tarring Opposition Before Election
New York Times

Nine agents from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service wrote more than 5,000 posts on the Internet in a psychological warfare campaign against North Korea since 2009, using some of them to attack domestic opposition parties and their candidates ahead of South Korea’s presidential election in December, state prosecutors said on Friday.

The agents’ top supervisor, Won Sei-hoon, the former director of the intelligence agency, was accused of overseeing the online operation and was indicted on Friday. Prosecutors said they did not indict the nine agents because they were simply obeying Mr. Won’s instructions — a decision that the political opposition called a whitewash on Friday.

Mr. Won, who was not arrested, faces trial on charges of breaking the national election law, which bars government officials from using their influence to affect a vote, and of violating a separate law that prohibits government intelligence officials from meddling in domestic politics.

Ethics Commission fines two Villaraigosa donors in mayoral money laundering case
Southern California Public Radio

Two donors to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s 2009 election campaign have been ordered to pay $35,000 in fines as a penalty for campaign money laundering, the Los Angeles Ethics Commission said Thursday.

Cindy Baek, who works in the real estate title industry was fined $15,000. She is accused of soliciting donations from business acquaintances to the Villaraigosa campaign, which is legal, and then reimbursing those who gave, which is not. She reimbured $6,000 in contributions that were given in others’ names in June 2008, the Ethics Commission report said. City and state laws require campaign donors to give only their own funds in their own names. Baek did not return a call seeking comment about the fine.

The commission also fined Young Ran Kim for laundering $8,000 contributions to the Villaraigosa for Mayor 2009 campaign.

Objections to Fort Lee’s memorial to comfort women continues
Northern Valley Suburbanite (N.J.)

The torrent of angry emails objecting to Fort Lee’s decision to commemorate comfort women has not stopped, but the borough, last week, saw support emerge from a powerful source: the New Jersey Legislature.

A Senate panel passed a resolution on June 3 acknowledging the suffering endured by comfort women, backing their fight for redress from the Japanese government, whose military created brothels, or “comfort stations,” during World War II to sexually serve the armed forces.

“Some of these women were sold to ‘comfort stations’ as minors, others were deceptively recruited with the promise of employment and financial security, and still others were forcibly kidnapped and sent to ‘work’ for soldiers stationed throughout the Japanese occupied territories,” said Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), a co-sponsor of the bill, in a statement. “Although many have long since passed, they still deserve the dignity of having these crimes acknowledged by their perpetrators with the hope that it will never be repeated again.”

Korean medical program at Holy Name drawing 40,000 patients
Bergen County Record (N.J.)

After undergoing heart surgery in New York, Kyoo Hwan Lee was seeking a local hospital for follow-up care. His friends told him to go to the Korean Medical Program, but they weren’t sure where it was.

Five years later, the Fort Lee resident laughs when he explains how his Korean-American neighbors knew about the program but didn’t know Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck by name. Today, the community hospital has helped build such a strong program that 40,000 Korean-Americans have come for screenings or treatment and other hospitals have reached out to its leaders for help in creating or expanding their own programs for Koreans.

“We have far exceeded our expectations,” said Dr. Hee K. Yang, medical director of the program. “Usually, ethnic programs lose money, but ours is one of the first that is money-making.”

The program has a roster of 80 Korean-American physicians with hospital privileges and costs about $1.7 million to run annually. It has received $2.9 million in donations and $571,000 in products and services from donors since 2008.

Korean Tiger Moms Scrimp for Tutors in Blow to Spending: Economy
Bloomberg

Housewife Ahn Jee Eun began looking for a job to supplement her husband’s income after the cost of sending her twin three-year-old daughters to pre-school pushed the family’s bank account into the red.

“My husband and I are spending about half of our income on education,” said Ahn, 34, who pays more than 1.7 million won ($1,500) a month on private tuition fees. “I’ve been cutting down on grocery shopping to make sure my kids socialize in good places and learn stuff they’re supposed to learn.”

Education expenses have helped push the nation’s household debt toward record levels, sapping households’ ability to spend money on other goods — private consumption fell the most last quarter since the 2009 global recession. President Park Geun Hye this week set up a task force to scale back excess high-school testing in a nation where four out of five elementary school pupils get additional private tuition.

Vince Vaughn’s ‘Sullivan & Son’ Returns Despite the Odds
Yahoo TV

The gang hanging at “Sullivan & Son” on TBS – which includes executive producer Vince Vaughn – certainly has plenty to toast when their second season premieres on Thursday.

For starters, they may want to do a shot in honor of the fact that they’re even getting a shot at a second season. And then there are the big guest stars.

In fact, Ken Jeong plays prominently in the season premiere, and “Big Bang Theory” star Kunal Nayyar is also set to appear.

The first season had to contend in the ratings with such television behemoths as the Summer Olympics and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, but still managed to squeak by well enough to earn a round two. Then, just as the gang was gearing up to return to the set, creator Steve Byrne’s jaw was broken by another person and had to be wired shut.

Ultra Korea Draws Dance Music Favorites
Wall Street Journal

Beyond the dominance of K-Pop, South Korea boasts a vibrant electronic dance music scene.

About 100,000 people are expected in Seoul’s Olympic Stadium on Friday and Saturday for Ultra Korea, according to the event’s organizers. While smaller than Ultra’s home base of Miami, the Korea edition stands out as one of the world’s top parties.

“Some of hottest partiers in the world,” are in South Korea, “more so than Vegas or Ibiza,” says Choi Hun, CEO of Octagon, the highest-rated South Korean club on DJ Mag’s Top 100 Clubs list, referring to two of the better-known dance music capitals.

Army reality TV shows a hit in South Korea
ITN (U.K.)

Army reality TV shows have become unmissable viewing in South Korea as episodes see people face early starts and gruelling tank-firing exercises.

Reports suggest more people are tuning into shows like ‘The Real Men’ which follows people as they are put through their paces military-style.

Screens in public places have become focal points for watching the programme with both men and women taking an equal interest.

In South Korea, it is mandatory for men to serve around two years in the army.

Miranda Kerr Poses Topless on Vogue Korea
E! Online

Miranda Kerr seems to be in a nude mood as of late.

Just weeks after the former Victoria’s Secret model released a topless photo as part of her Kora Oranics skincare line campaign, she’s baring all again. This time on the cover of Vogue Korea.

Kim Jong-un Advertises Vodka in Manhattan
Chosun Ilbo

A vodka ad featuring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un went up on Lafayette Street in the heart of Manhattan on Wednesday.

In the ad, Kim is seen petting a white cat with bottles of vodka flying at him like missiles. It bears the slogan, “American Quality, North Korean Pricing.”

Idol Groups Go Out of Fashion as Water Park Models
Chosun Ilbo

With their striking looks and enviable physiques, idol singers have proven a natural choice to promote water parks across the nation. But that is changing as the park operators look to other TV personalities and models with a friendly image that people can relate to.

Caribbean Bay in Yongin, Gyeonggy Province is now finalizing the details of a contract with a TV celebrity in his 40s who looks decidedly unfit to promote its facilities.

“We thought that choosing stars who come across as the kind of friend you’d like to hang out and have fun with is more in line with current trends, rather than just going for a girl band or a star with a great body,” said a staffer from the park.

This Weekend’s Must Taste: Kalbi Bowl from Chris Oh & Perry Cheung
Los Angeles Magazine

From tonight until Sunday, June 16, Seoul Sausage’s Chris Oh pops-up at ‘this is not a pop-up’ at Tiago Espresso Bar + Kitchen in Hollywood. This is the first time diners can taste Oh’s food in a sit down environment, and he’s serving a menu item that sounds like it will complement this weekend perfectly.

The five courses include a spicy tuna tartare with cucumbers, cilantro, and sesame rice crackers; a five spice duck confit salad with roasted figs and frisee; braised pork belly with spicy rice cakes and ramen; and steamed buns. But it’s the main course—a bowl of kalbi short ribs with Korean country potato salad, kimchi cheddar cornbread, and sriracha honey butter—that is this weekend’s must taste. While dads around town will be grilling their hearts out this weekend, we’re going to be eating some Korean fusion in Hollywood.

Anthony Pettis Injured, Korean Zombie Steps into UFC 163 Title Fight Against Jose Aldo
MMA Weekly

A controversial title fight between No. 1 lightweight contender Anthony Pettis and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has been sidelined.

Pettis injured his knee, forcing him out of the UFC 163 headliner. Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie,” has agreed to step in and take his place, challenging Aldo for the belt.
UFC president Dana White on Friday tweeted news of the change.

Pettis hurt his knee, Korean Zombie will now face Jose Aldo for the title on the Aug card in Rio Brazil.

Korean Antiquities to Go on Show in San Francisco
Chosun Ilbo

Over 100 relics from the royal court of the Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910) will be showcased in San Francisco this fall. The special exhibition will be held at the city’s Asian Art Museum from Oct. 25 until Jan. 12.

It will feature relics that were used in rites of passage and celebration ceremonies during the period and will occupy the museum’s heavily-frequented ground floor.

The pieces to be put on display will be loaned from 10 organizations including the National Museum of Korea, the National Palace Museum of Korea, and the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Obama picks Korean-American diplomat as ambassador to Malaysia
Yonhap News

U.S. President Barack Obama announced his decision Wednesday to nominate Joseph Yun, a Korean-American career diplomat, as ambassador to Malaysia.

Yun has been serving as acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs since Kurt Campbell left the position last month.

If confirmed by the Senate, Yun will succeed Paul Jones, the current ambassador to Malaysia. A date for his confirmation hearing by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has not been yet.

Peering into the North Korean economy, via satellite
BBC News

Amid the current tensions between North and South Korea, much focus has been on their shared industrial zone, where economic output has ground to a halt. The furlough is said to have cost the cash-strapped North some $90m (£58m) in wages, and the South’s businesses much more. But as Curtis Melvin, of the North Korea Economy Watch blog, explains, discerning anything about the state of Pyongyang’s finances is always fraught with difficulty.

Koreas ‘Trustpolitik’ Process Hits Another Snag
Wall Street Journal

South Korea’s hopes to kickstart its “trustpolitik” process with North Korea were dealt another setback by a verbal attack from the North over the collapse of planned high-level talks earlier this week.

North Korea struck at the core of South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s plans to rebuild inter-Korean trust, accusing the South of “sinister intentions” to undermine what would have been the first senior-level dialogue between the two sides in six years, according to a statement attributed to a spokesman for the North’s committee for inter-Korean affairs.

“We have nothing to expect from the talks between authorities of the north and the south,” North Korea said in the statement, which was released in English, using the lowercase to denote the two sides as the state doesn’t recognize two separate Koreas. The original Korean version stated the North had “not one bit of regret.”

North Korean schools in Japan: An accident of history may soon disappear
The Economist

A TOKYO schoolyard is an unlikely venue to find North Korea’s red star fluttering in the wind. Children inside the Tokyo Korean Middle and High School study textbooks in Korean beneath portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. When classes end, the girls shed their traditional jeogori dresses for anonymous teenage clothes and blend back into the city.

This school and around 70 more like it in Japan are an unusual legacy of Japan’s difficult relationship with Korea. Large numbers of Koreans came or were brought to Japan during the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula between 1905 and 1945. At the end of the second world war, about 700,000 of them stayed on rather than return to their homeland, which was by then sliding into the Korean war that would split the country into two bitterly opposed states. They were stateless for 20 years until 1965 when Japan recognised South Korea, at which point Koreans in Japan could become South Korean. Those who didn’t became North Korean by default and went to North Korean schools. The schools are an accident of history, often more about continuing a connection to the homeland than about ideological indoctrination.

Michael Yun declares victory in Ward D Jersey City council race
NJ.com

Central Avenue businessman Michael Yun has declared victory in the Ward D Jersey City City Council race.

He was pitted in today’s runoff contest against Assemblyman Sean Connors, who was supported by Mayor-elect Steven Fulop.

Store owner convicted of sexually assaulting employee
Times-Colonist (Canada)

A 58-year-old convenience store owner has been convicted of sexual assault causing bodily harm to one of his young employees.

On Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Arne Silverman found James Hak Cho guilty of the offence, which took place at the store in March 2011.

Cho was acquitted on the charge of administering a stupefying drug to commit the sexual assault. The case has been adjourned until June 19 to set a date for sentencing.

Affirmative action and breaking the ‘bamboo ceiling’ for Asian Americans
Los Angeles Times

Any day now, the Supreme Court will announce its decision in the Fisher vs. University of Texas case, which could invalidate the use of race-conscious policies in college admissions. Some Asian American groups, such as the 80-20 Education Foundation, have been among the most vocal and visible in opposing what’s broadly termed affirmative action. They believe getting rid of race considerations will work to the advantage of Asian Americans, who on average have held more extracurricular leadership positions and have higher test scores and grade-point averages than whites, yet have the lowest acceptance rate to elite private universities.

They are not wrong to worry about Asian admissions. The circumstantial evidence for a “bamboo” ceiling on Asian admissions is mounting. According to a 2009 study by sociologists Thomas Espenshade and Alexandria Radford, Asian Americans must score 140 points higher on the SAT to have the same chance at admission to private colleges as whites. College enrollment trends show that the percentage of Asian Americans in many Ivies has stayed flat — between 15% and 18% — in the last 20 years, even though the college-age population of Asian Americans has doubled.

Still, affirmative action is a red herring for those who are truly concerned about discrimination against Asians in higher education.

Census Shows Continued Change In America’s Racial Makeup
NPR

Asian-Americans were the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in America, now comprising almost 19 million people, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

And the state with the fastest-growing Asian population? South Dakota. Home to Mount Rushmore, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little Town on the Prairie,” and now Kharka Khapangi — a Bhutanese refugee who moved from the state of Washington to Sioux Falls, S.D., in 2011.

“It’s easy to find a job here in South Dakota, so people from other states, they are also moving here,” Khapangi said.

South Dakota’s Asian population grew just more than 7 percent last year, to almost 12,000, which may not seem like much compared to the 6 million Asians living in California. But the Census Bureau says it shows just how much the Asian population has grown overall throughout the country to become the nation’s fastest-growing racial group.

Korean-Americans to host South Bay luncheon to honor American veterans of the Korean War
San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)

As they have done for more than 25 years, local Korean-Americans are hosting a luncheon to thank American veterans who fought in the Korean War.

The 26th Korean War Veterans Appreciation Ceremony is scheduled for June 24 at the New Vision Church, 1201 Montague Expressway in Milpitas. The ceremony, which includes presentation of plaques to veterans, is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch and entertainment at noon.

All Americans who fought in the Korean War are welcome to attend. This year the children of Korean War veterans are also invited to attend.

Black Rain Drenches Southwestern Port City
Chosun Ilbo

A mysterious black rain drenched an area around 10 sq.km in the southwestern port city of Yeosu for half an hour on Tuesday night. Cars, agriculture produce and buildings were covered with dirty residue.

Locals blamed pollutants spewed out from the smokestacks of nearby factories.

“You could see shiny metallic particles in the dust,” said one resident who owns a farm in the region. “I’m afraid my farmland was tainted by this weird substance.”

U.S. Olympic Skater’s Sabotage Gets Day In ‘Court’
NPR

Months of claims and counterclaims come to a head in a hotel conference room in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, when the International Skating Union considers the deliberate sabotage of a speed skate involving an American Olympic medalist and, allegedly, his former coach.

The ISU’s disciplinary commission is scheduled to hear testimony behind closed doors from Simon Cho, a Vancouver Olympic bronze medalist in short track speedskating, former American short track coach Jae Su Chun, and at least two witnesses.

Cho confessed last October to deliberately bending the skate blade of Canadian athlete Olivier Jean at an international meet in Poland in 2011. Jean’s skate wouldn’t track properly on the ice and he was forced to withdraw from a relay.

The Warholian Questionnaire: Margaret Cho
Huffington Post

Comedienne, author, actress, activist, singer-songwriter, fashion designer: Perhaps the only thing Margaret Cho doesn’t do is mince her words. As a female, Korean-American artist and activist, the tattooed, tough-talking Cho has won fans and honors by defying gender, racial and sexual stereotypes at every step, always irreverently, always happy to make the establishment squirm. We figured that made her just right for one of our Warholian questionnaires: No doubt Andy would have admired Cho’s uncanny ability to work both inside and outside the Hollywood celebrity mill — and to wield an unflattering mirror when things get garish. Andy famously painted celebrities and car wrecks. Cho explains why today’s best Warholian subjects are a little bit of both.

What to Eat Now: Seaweed
TIME.com

The hype: “In Korean culture, seaweed is like bread,” says Jin Jun, the founder of SeaSnax. “It’s a very sacred part of our culture. It is served to us in soup on our birthday and given to women for three weeks after childbirth. In ancient Korean folklore, the tradition came about by watching whales eat seaweed after giving birth. According to our elders, it is supposed to replenish and rejuvinate the body.”

Other seaweed snack brands, like Annie Chun’s, Sea’s Gift and Trader Joe’s, also tout a variety of health perks, including low fat and calorie counts, and richness in minerals. especially the low calorie count. And, per Sea Gift’s website, “seaweeds offer a tremendous range of therapeutic possibilities.”

The Shiny, Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic K-Pop Future
io9

Korean pop music is rigorously produced, stunningly choreographed and filled with beautiful people. Most K-Pop groups are manufactured through contests and production companies looking to capitalize on swoon-worthy heartthrobs. So when this effervescent music turns to dystopian and post-apocalyptic motifs, things get weird.

‘Mistresses’ Cancellation Likely? Four Reasons the New ABC Drama Might Not Get the Ax
Yahoo TV

ABC’s new drama “Mistresses” has only aired two episodes so far, but the show is already in trouble. The “Mistresses” series premiere on June 3 was ABC’s lowest-rated premiere for a scripted series since 2011′s ill-fated “Combat Hospital.” Ratings for the show’s second episode were slightly lower.

Those numbers are a big cause for concern, but “Mistresses” fans shouldn’t start crying just yet. There are actually several reasons why “Mistresses” might get picked up for a second season, despite the show’s rocky start.

John Huh ready for first U.S. Open
Glendale News-Press (Calif.)

It hasn’t quite sunk in yet for John Huh that he’s on the verge of completing the grand slam tour of major championships within the first 18 months of his burgeoning career.

The 2008 Crescenta Valley High graduate has already participated in the British Open, PGA Championship and the Masters. Now, he’s set to participate in the United States Open.

Huh will make his inaugural appearance in the 113th U.S. Open, when he tees off at 4:51 a.m. PDT Thursday at Merion Golf Club’s East Course in Ardmore, Pa.

Memphis Grizzlies target Nets executive, coaches
USA Today

While the Memphis Grizzlies continue to search for their next head coach, they’re looking at making a front-office addition as well.

They have received permission to speak with Brooklyn Nets director of basketball operations Milton Lee, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

An interview date has not yet been set, but the Grizzlies are looking to bolster the leadership in their front office and are considering Lee for a senior executive position. Lee has headed the Nets’ D-League operation while working with general manager Billy King and assistant general manager Bobby Marks.

Park Chan-ho Reflects on Three Decades of Baseball in Book
Chosun Ilbo

Park Chan-ho, the first Korean to play in Major League Baseball, will release a book about his 30-year career. After announcing his retirement while playing for Korea’s Hanwha Eagles last November, he spent five months writing essays on his life as a baseball player.

In the book, Park, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994 while still a student at Hanyang University, uses the analogy of how a faulty product can taint the image of its country of origin to illustrate how he was always careful to be a good ambassador for Korea abroad.

South Korean protesters burn effigy of Kim Jong-Un
AFP via YouTube

A radio show host was fired after writing an racially offensive blog post on the station’s website which singled out Korean players on the LPGA tour for being “too good” and hurting the tour’s popularity.

In the poorly edited, typo-ridden post published last Sunday on the site for Rochester, N.Y. radio station WHAM 1180 — which has since been deleted but is still currently viewable via Google cache — radio host Craig Schaller says there are “just too many gosh darn foreigners on the US tour, and more specifically, I’m talking about Koreans (and asians in general).”

Schaller, apparently inspired after watching last weekend’s Wegman’s LPGA Championship which took place near Rochester, writes that most of the Asian female golfers don’t speak English, which makes it “hard for us americans to connect to these players when they can’t communicate with us.” Continue Reading »

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