The Korea Times

'Banned Book Club' authors make major statement by canceling US tour

With a heavy heart, American illustrator Ryan Estrada canceled a four-month trip to his home country with his Korean wife and collaborator, writer Kim Hyun Sook. After years of planning, and Kim quitting her day job, they ultimately decided that the United States is no longer a safe place to travel. "All it'd take is for a border guard to even suspect Hyun Sook was attending a book conference to falsely accuse her of planning illegal work and have ICE drag her handcuffed to a concrete cell. Finding out she writes BANNED books might put them in a mood to make things worse," Estrada said in a social media post on March 13. "WHO KNOWS how much worse things will get by the summer when we planned to leave, or while we were there. She wrote her book about living under a dictator to warn us that it was possible. Time has proven that it is, and I don't plan to make her relive it." Estrada and Kim, both Busan residents, gained global recognition with the release of "Banned Book Club," their graphic novel published in 2020 based on Kim's experiences at university in the 1980s when Korea was under

Apr 24, 2025By Jon Dunbar

'Banned Book Club' authors make major statement by canceling US tour

Global Community

DJ Utility Vest offers 'audio pilgrimage' of Korean afterlife rituals

There's a lot of Korean heritage on display in DJ Utility Vest's latest album. Translated into English as "Preparing for the Afterlife," it offers 13 electronic music tracks, as well as five spoken-word pieces taken from interviews, sermons and conversations that dive into spirituality with a distinctly Korean setting. "Over the last few years, I’ve been diving deep into Korean burial traditions, reading up on them, researching, watching documentaries and trying to understand the cultural and spiritual layers," he told The Korea Times. "While exploring all of this, I kept up a longtime habit of hunting for obscure albums, digging through flea markets around Seoul, mostly Dongmyo and Myeong-dong. I collected old cassette tapes, vinyl and Buddhist CDs, and I'm always trying to find sounds that feel dusty, aged and slightly out of tune with the present." DJ Utility Vest takes his privacy seriously, going so far as to not reveal what city he resides in or whether he's a Korean national or foreigner. He hides behind layers of alias and anonymity, the outermost two being his signature: He

Apr 23, 2025By Jon Dunbar

DJ Utility Vest offers 'audio pilgrimage' of Korean afterlife rituals

Global Community

Hechyeomoyeo prepares to wrap up 10th group exhibition with big closing party

The 10th Hechyeomoyeo (HCMY) group art exhibition is wrapping up this Friday after an action-packed 20 days. The exhibition brought together 270 artists — after pledging to cap the number at 200. Each received a space on the wall at Light Gallery in Yongsan District to display their work. The result was a mosaic of all kinds of different art displayed around the four walls of the gallery. According to Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith, the main organizer of HCMY, 120 of the participating artists were first-time exhibitiors. "Two of the artists have been in nine of the exhibitions," he added. "About a dozen have been in less than that but more than a few." The number of new people reflects the openness of the concept, inviting literally anyone to display their work or contribute in some other way. "What I like about Hechyeomoyeo is it's a bit more relaxed, a bit more free-form," said Barend Harris, a British maker of games, illustrations, music and software who displayed his art, as well as performed music during the event's run. He said he preferred the concept to many other art galleries, wh

Apr 15, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Hechyeomoyeo prepares to wrap up 10th group exhibition with big closing party

Global Community

Joep van Rhijn's flugelhorn cannot tell a lie in jazz album 'Between Fact & Fiction'

Dutch trumpet player Joep van Rhijn teams up with Korean pianist Yoonseung Cho on a new 50-minute album that explores the tension between fact and fiction. "It started with just an interest in the discussion about misinformation and different bubbles people are living in," van Rhijn, a long-term foreign resident, told The Korea Times. "That's a very serious topic, but in my opinion in music — or art in general — this tension between fact and fiction is what makes it magical." The eight songs on "Between Fact & Fiction" are pensive, minimalist and gentle, while also displaying the warm sensitivity van Rhijn is known for. Van Rhijn admitted that fact and fiction are a complicated theme to explore using the abstract music of instrumental jazz. "In instrumental music, it's hard to have a storyline which is clear for the audience. I guess it's similar with pictures or paintings in which there is a general mood or feeling and every viewer kind of creates their own story. And that's exactly what I like about music," he said. "The flugelhorn is my voice, it's just a tool, so it can't be dish

Apr 14, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Joep van Rhijn's flugelhorn cannot tell a lie in jazz album 'Between Fact & Fiction'

Global Community

More Canadians in Korea need to register to vote by mail

As the date for Canada's next federal election draws nearer, time is running out for Canadians living overseas to register to vote. Overseas Canadians can apply on the Elections Canada website to receive a voting kit in the mail. Registration remains open until April 22 at 6 p.m. Ottawa time, but with that date just six days before the election on April 28, that's cutting it dangerously close. "We really urge people to apply for their special ballot as soon as possible," said Elections Canada spokesperson Diane Benson. "We need to approve your application, send the voting kit to you and you need to get it back to us by the deadline on Election Day. You have to take into account how long it might take to get through both Canadian and international postal systems." To add your name to the International Register of Electors, you must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on polling day, be living outside Canada and have lived in Canada at some point in your life. You need to show one form of identification, which can include a passport, Canadian citizenship certificate or card or

Apr 9, 2025By Jon Dunbar

More Canadians in Korea need to register to vote by mail

Global Community

Japan's Texas 3000 set to tour Busan, Seoul

A lot of bands have insisted they're absolutely not emo. But Texas 3000 seems to claim the title "midwest emo" despite being located in Japan, far from the U.S. Midwest, and also the fact that their complex, noisy sound defies easy classification. "To be honest, I don’t think any of us have ever listened to emo," Jojo, the band's guitarist and vocalist, told The Korea Times. "Sakiyama, our drummer, loves Tool and Meshuggah, and his Instagram handle is @johnbonhamfreak. Kirin, our bass player, loves Khruangbin, Elliot Smith and jazz fusion. I’m a big '00s-era David Pajo and Jim O’Rourke fan. But we’re a rock n roll band, and our music is definitely emotional." Their music may sometimes sound a little closer to emo, but things aren't always so straightforward or linear. Their sound is a little more versatile rock if an artist took a pair of scissors to it or a looper. Their latest album, "Weird Dreams," released April 2, makes great leaps between genres across five songs. Starting with "Strange Cherry Red," a pretty straightforward alternative rock song, before skipping to hip-hop

Apr 6, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Japan's Texas 3000 set to tour Busan, Seoul

Global Community

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Why are Filipinos raving about this Itaewon chicken restaurant?

FRYb, a small restaurant just south of Itaewon's QuyNhon-gil, describes itself as an "American Fried Bistro." However, members of the local Filipino community have noticed something else about it. Perhaps it's the lowercase "b" in "FRYb," which officially stands for "bistro" but somewhat evokes the name of the iconic Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee. I won't dispute fried chicken's American origin, but a few distinct features in FRYb's menu reveal that this is American food brought to you via the Philippines. Fried chicken and spaghetti are both common foods in the U.S., but paired together? That screams Jollibee. Chicken with a side of white rice and a little cup of gravy wouldn't be too unusual in the U.S., but it is also signature Jollibee. The Korean owner of FRYb stood by his claim that his food is American but added that he's added his own unique style to it. He then added that, yes, he went to high school in the Philippines, so he is certainly familiar with Jollibee. As soon as I heard about FRYb, thanks to a Filipino studying at Sungkyunkwan University, I immediately sought it

Apr 4, 2025By Jon Dunbar

[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] Why are Filipinos raving about this Itaewon chicken restaurant?

Global Community

Zine offers 'Totally Biased Guide to Korean Indie Music'

Korea's indie music scene is perpetually left struggling for recognition. It takes people like Maeng Joo-hee and Kim Yeong-jin to spread the word and raise its profile. The couple operates SUPERSONIC STUDIO, through which they evangelize about Korea's music scene. This includes organizing live concerts and cultural exchange events, as well as zine-making events and publishing their own content to share personal stories about being part of this underrated creative community. They're holding release party on Thursday for their collaborative zine project, the "Totally Biased Guide to Korean Indie Music," created in partnership with Sojanggak, a Seoul-based design and publishing studio. "Unlike the mainstream music industry, Korea's indie scene has grown around small live venues, where musicians and audiences can interact up close," Maeng said. "Festivals throughout the year also serve as important meeting grounds for the community. One of the best ways to understand the scene is simply by connecting with people who are already part of it." The launch event for the 'Totally Biased Guide to

Mar 24, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Zine offers 'Totally Biased Guide to Korean Indie Music'

Global Community

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK So long, TGI Fridays

After 33 years of offering an American-inspired family dining experience, TGI Fridays is leaving Korea. The restaurant presents a fading slice of Americana, and its decline is painfully on the nose, considering what's happening to that country. I decided to break my boycott of U.S. products so I could have one final TGI meal — on a Friday, no less. "Get the potato skins," a coworker said as I was leaving, "they're the only good thing on the menu." Presently, only four locations remain open in Seoul; I chose the one in Lotte Mall at Gimpo International Airport, the TGI Fridays of Korean airports — both peaked in the early 2000s. What's left to say about TGI Fridays that wasn't already said in the 1990s? It just has not been relevant for a long time. There are Korean men doing their mandatory military service right now who are probably too young to remember the restaurant in its prime. In its heyday, TGI Fridays was where Koreans celebrated family milestones, where the workers would probably sing you happy birthday, and where foreigners used to go for burgers that were slightly better t

Mar 21, 2025By Jon Dunbar

[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] So long, TGI Fridays

Books

'Molly Makes a Mess' offers Frankenstein tale for children

Daniel Daugherty has created a monster. His first children's book, "Molly Makes a Mess" tells the tale of Molly, a girl who is brash, brainy and messy. She attempts to deal with her messy bedroom by creating her own monster. And this tale goes disastrously wrong, all told in rhyming quatrains. "This book is a Frankenstein story for kids," Daugherty, an American resident of Jeju Island, told The Korea Times. "It's about creating a 'monster' with the best of intentions in mind. It's about solving a problem that didn't really exist in the first place and, in so doing, causing a new set of problems. Did I mention it's just a silly rhyming poem? It's just a silly rhyming poem." Molly's age is left ambiguous, although the author said the book is aimed at second and third grade English speakers who aren't afraid of encountering new vocabulary. Daugherty self-published the book after running a successful crowdfunding campaign last year. The book is available for purchase online. The book's titular character, Molly is a formidable figure — despite her laziness — and the kind of person who wou

Mar 19, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Jon Dunbar

Read more

'Banned Book Club' authors make major statement by canceling US tour

DJ Utility Vest offers 'audio pilgrimage' of Korean afterlife rituals

Hechyeomoyeo prepares to wrap up 10th group exhibition with big closing party

Joep van Rhijn's flugelhorn cannot tell a lie in jazz album 'Between Fact & Fiction'

More Canadians in Korea need to register to vote by mail

Japan's Texas 3000 set to tour Busan, Seoul

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Why are Filipinos raving about this Itaewon chicken restaurant?

Zine offers 'Totally Biased Guide to Korean Indie Music'

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK So long, TGI Fridays

'Molly Makes a Mess' offers Frankenstein tale for children

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