West 32nd (2007) - 웨스트 32번가 (We-seu-teu 32-beon-ga)

Kimchi & Big Apple

2008/02/28 | Source | Permalink |

Koreatown in New York Never Sleeps

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

NEW YORK ― Luminous skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle of yellow cabs, poker-faced pedestrians and a dizzying mosaic of different cultures: it's New York City.

In a way, the Big Apple continues to symbolize the great American melting pot. For a "genuine" New York experience, a visit to Little Italy or Chinatown ― or the newly emerging hotspot Koreatown ― is essential.

Seoul in New York: West 32nd Street

On West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway lies a small block lined with Korean-style stationary stores (Morning Glory), supermarket (Han Ah Reum) and cafes galore. West 32nd Street, with its anarchic array of neon signs that read "BBQ" and "Open 24 Hours", takes you back to Korea.

Flushing, Queens may be the ultimate Korean district in New York (and on the east coast), but it has that distinct "Korean American" quality that sets it apart from mainland Korea. Like Los Angele...| More

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NY Times Writer Explores Koreatown in Manhattan

2008/01/25 | Source | Permalink |

New York Times reporter Seth Kugel, in his Thursday (Jan. 24) article "From Bib Bim Bop to a Huge Spa", featured several Korean spots in Manhattan, together with a four-minute video clip.

Introducing West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway as "firmly surprisingly, overwhelmingly Korean", the writer said this is where many New Yorkers and visitors first taste kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), bulgogi (marinated grilled beef) and bibimbap (spicy vegetable mixed rice). The area is also where Koreans and Korean Americans gather for parties and social events.

Kugel started at "Kunjip", "a standard Koreatown restaurant" offering generous portions of do-it-yourself barbecue and several brands of soju. He later visited "Woorijip", a reasonably priced buffet; "Bon Chon Chicken", which makes Korean-style fried chicken; and "Han Gawi", a vegetarian spot with free mushrooms and tofu.

Plenty of Korean art are also scattered throughout the city, notably at the Metropolitan Museum...| More

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Why would Hollywood be interested in Korean stars?

2007/12/27 | Source | Permalink |

- Strategic casting to target Asian market based on the popularity of the Korean Wave.
- Jang Dong-gun, Ha Jeong-woo, Song Hye-kyo are the first ones to make their debut in Hollywood as the main casts of American film.

One after another, an increased number of Korean stars, including Jang Dong-gun, "Rain", Lee Byeong-Heon, Jeon Ji-hyeon, Park Joon-hyung and Song Hye-kyo, had been cast in American films.

But, why would Hollywood be interested in Korean stars?

According to the analysis produced by the Film Promotion Committee, the average annual film marketing growth in America from 2000 to 2005 had been around 31,6 billion dollars. Comparing it against England (2nd – 5,2 billion) and Japan (3rd – 4,6 billion), the American market is approximately 6 time larger, the biggest market in the world. In particular, the film industry had been dramatically advanced and countless American actors are being already appearing in their films. Therefore there's seems no suitable reason t...| More

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Cosmic crisis hits intergalactic star

2007/11/21 | Source | Permalink |

It's not often that you find yourself identifying with creatures from another planet.
But that's what happened to actress Grace Park in the American television series "Battlestar Galactica".
Park, 33, plays pilot Sharon Valerii who discovers that she is actually a Cylon from the furthest reaches of space.
Cylons were created by humans, and, understandably, Valerii is faced with an identity crisis when she discovers the truth.
In her own life, Park has faced her own identity issues, though none as dramatic as discovering she comes from another planet.
But the show's storyline ― the space battle between the Cylons and Earth ― has taught Park a lot about identity, love and politics, the actress said.
Park was born in Los Angeles, raised in Vancouver and is ethnically Korean. But she considers herself more Canadian than Korean, even though her parents brought her up with a strong sense of her Korean identity.
And when she visits Korea, Park said she doesn't feel li...| More

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Song Hye-kyo Makes U.S. Debut in Indie Flick

2007/11/21 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Following Jang Dong-gun and Jeon Ji-hyeon, actress Song Hye-kyo will also make her U.S. screen debut. But instead of heading to Hollywood, the 25-year-old left for New York Nov. 21 to take part in a low-budget independent film project.

In the psychological thriller "Fetish", Song will play the role of a Korean woman with supernatural powers, who possesses an American woman's body in order to steal her husband. She will star opposite Austrian actor Arno Frisch, who is well known from the 1997 film "Funny Games".

Korean filmmaker Son Soo-peom will helm the project. The New York University graduate is the silver medallist of the 2002 Student Academy Awards and was invited to the Cannes Film Festival that same year for his short films. Sohn makes his feature film directorial debut with "Fetish".

Casting director Susan Shopmaker ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Michael Kang's "The Motel" and "West 32nd") took note of Song in her latest film "Hwangjin...| More

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aja aja fighting!muaaaahhh!:) mharacute 2007-11-23 00:13:12