BY SHARON STERN

Last month we celebrated the talents of Korean athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics.  This month we follow up with an equally amazing group of Korean athletes who participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.  South Korea sent a total of 83 athletes – 46 men and 37 women – who competed in 17 different sports, to the Paralympics this year.  By the Closing Ceremony, South Korea had won a total of 30 medals (6 gold, 10 silver, 14 bronze), ranking 22^nd overall.  They won medals in Para Shooting, Boccia, Para Table Tennis, Para Badminton, Wheelchair Fencing and Para Taekwondo.

By SHARON STERN and EUN BYOUL OH

Disability in South Korea is a very complicated topic.  South Korea has, until recently, had a classification system for disabilities, completely dependent on medical evaluation and as a result, over-simplifying how social response is mandated, including exclusion of students in schools and access to education as well as access to employment.  The right to mobility as a basic human right, stated in documents such as the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has encountered cultural attitudinal challenges and therefore political challenges in South Korea.

BY SHARON STERN

We can’t and shouldn’t get through September without remembering the events of 9/11.  September 11, 2001 was a date in history that affected New York more than any other place in this country or the world.  Almost 3,000 people lost their lives and among them were 28 Koreans.  For those born after 9/11, the date may be more like a history lesson to remember.  For those of us that were alive, we will never be able to forget it.

By Eun Byoul Oh

August is always an exciting month for Korea—and we also had the Olympics this year.

Korea was liberated from Japan on August 15, 1945, after 35 years of brutal occupation. I remember one year someone asked me, “Eun, you are young, but why do you hold strong opinions on Japanese colonialism?” I was born in the 90s — I certainly grew up with Japanese Mangas and Nintendos. 

I dwelled on the question for a bit and came down to one conclusion: “Obviously, because I am Korean.” As we celebrate Korean culture, we thought it was appropriate for us to honor the Liberation of Korea and share the joy with our readers.

By Sharon Stern

South Korea is celebrating incredible success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.  We want to join in the celebration and congratulate the South Korean athletes for their 32 medals.

And as we write this, the ethnic Korean high school baseball team in Japan has won Japan’s famous Koshien baseball tournament for the first time.  This is Japan’s equivalent to the U.S. World Series.  It is another reminder of the Korean diaspora in Japan and the lasting effects of Japanese colonization.

Congratulations to team South Korea for a fantastic showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and beyond!

To read more about the history of South Korea and the Olympics or to see a list of South Korean medal winners this year, visit our blog post.

By Eun Byoul Oh

August 15 is Korea's Liberation Day, 광복절. 광복절(光復節) which means the "Day When the Light Restores." August 15, 1945 marked Korea's liberation from Japan after 35 years of annexation. Korea was annexed on August 29, 1910 after the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 went into effect.

Korea suffered greatly under 35 years of Japanese occupation, and the tactics of suppression of Japanese rule has changed throughout the 35 years of colonialism. Towards the end of the occupation in the late 1930s, Japanese Colonial Government of Korea accelerated its effort to re-identify Koreans as Japanese, in order to promote the policy of 내선일체 (One body of Joseon and the Domestic Japanese). The core of the 내선일체 policy of Japan was the decimation of Korean language and culture. The teaching of  the Korean language was prohibited, and Koreans were only allowed to speak and write in Japanese.

By Jon Oaks

For many Korean adoptees, observing Korean Liberation Day is an opportunity to explore and reclaim a sense of identity, bridging the gap between their birth heritage and the culture in which they were raised.

This year, the Korean Connection West Michigan held its Liberation Day Picnic at Millennium Park and Beach in Walker, MI, and invited adoptees from MIKA (Michigan Korean Adoptees) to attend. MIKA plays a vital role in helping Korean adoptees in Michigan stay connected to both their heritage and a broader community of individuals with shared experiences. Sharing information about events such as this is one way they foster that connection.

For adoptees outside of Michigan, KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) provides a list of organizations where adoptees can connect, share experiences, seek advice, and discuss topics related to Korean adoptee identity and heritage.

By Eun Byoul Oh

This month in Korean-American community, we are celebrating Young Korean Academy, also known as Hung Sa Dahn (흥사단).  The organization was founded by Ahn Chang Ho, who is known by his pen name Dosan.  The footprints of Dosan and YKA can be found in various parts of Los Angeles. Several places in Los Angeles bear the name of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho’s: Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Interchange, Santa Monica Fwy, Los Angeles; the Ahn Family House; Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho Memorial, 3750 Main St, Riverside, CA; and the post office in Koreatown, Los Angeles, was renamed after Dosan. Dosan also helped fund the Willows Korean Aviation School in Willows, California (very small town) that trained the Korean pilots for the resistance, two of whom later went on to be the first Korean pilots in the Republic of Korea Air Force.

To read more about the YKA, Dosan and how he educated young Koreans of the diaspora and organized resistance movements, read our blog post.

By Hannah Elliott

Pansori Pop and Traditional Korean Music

Pansori (판소리), a staple of Korean musical storytelling, is where a singer transforms a tale into an evocative performance. Rich in emotional depth, it marries narrative with powerful vocal prowess and rhythmic drumming. Born in the Joseon Dynasty, Pansori has carried tales of history, folklore, and moral lessons for centuries, becoming a cultural cornerstone in Korea. 

During the Japanese colonial period Pansori faced suppression, as Japan sought to impose its own cultural norms. Yet, this only strengthened Pansori’s role as a beacon of resistance and national identity. Korean musicians and artists covertly nurtured this tradition, defying suppression to keep the spirit of their culture alive. 

With liberation, Pansori not only survived but thrived, evolving into something unexpected and fresh—Pansori Pop. This modern hybrid infuses the ancient with the new, blending traditional vocals and rhythms with contemporary pop elements. Highlights include tracks like "Tiger is Coming" by LEENALCHI, known for their dynamic fusion of Pansori and modern beats, and "Blooming love" by ADG7 [Ak Dan Gwang Chil], which merges folk rhythms with a pop-y twist. 

LISTEN TO THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST HERE

By Joshua Kim

A Lucky Day (운수 좋은 날) is a short story written by Hyun Jin-geon in 1924. Hyun was a pioneer of realism in Korean literature and frequently wrote about life in Korea during the Japanese occupation. He even was imprisoned while working at a newspaper after erasing the Japanese flag from the uniform of Korean marathoner Sohn Kee-chung, who won gold at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games.

A Lucky Day (which can be read here) is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea and follows a rickshaw puller named Kim, who is struggling to make a living for his sick wife, himself, and his baby. On the day the story takes place, Kim is fortunate enough to have an unusually profitable day, earning more money than he typically would. However, his sense of joy is marred by the knowledge that his wife is gravely ill.

Throughout the day, Kim is torn between the excitement of his unexpected earnings and his concern for his wife. He drinks to drown his worries, convincing himself that the money will help his wife recover. Tragically, when he returns home, he discovers that his wife has passed away while he was out working. 

By Sharon Stern

There is so much happening in Dramaland this month that you might want to consider sleeping as optional.  We are spotlighting dramas that are set during Japanese occupation through liberation this month, honoring National Liberation Day.  There are a number of very good movies set in the same time period that we will list as well.  However, the list of new K-dramas coming out in August is incredible (and long) and we will link to a list of those, simply because of space.  Get out the highly caffeinated beverage of your choice and tuck in for excellent viewing, both new and old.

Just because you don’t subscribe to every streaming service, that does not mean you cannot see a drama or movie you are interested in.  Most of the streaming services offer free trials.  Most can be subscribed to for a single month.  Many offer free content.  We are only listing dramas and movies currently accessible in the US via streaming services.

The period of Japanese occupation was extremely difficult for Korea and Koreans, as you well know.  These dramas and movies deal with some traumatic subjects.  The movies listed deal with difficult subjects more directly and intensely than the dramas do, but the dramas have some very powerful scenes as well.  If you have trigger issues, watch the trailers or look for more information on Wikipedia or elsewhere before going all in.  This history is very important for us to know and not forget.

To see a list of Liberation era dramas and movies, find links to actors and trailers, visit our blog post.

To find a list of dramas that have come out in August, visit the link above or click here

By Sharon Stern

There are a large number of dramas of all types dropping this month.  There are several more that will begin in Korea, but don’t have a streaming connection in the U.S. yet.