By Sharon Stern

This is another month with a good variety of new K-dramas.  The plots may seem familiar, but the actors and details are all new.  Some fresh ideas include a female CEO, the setting of the International Space Station and a powerful Joseon queen.

By Jon Oaks

This year, the Omma Poom Park will open in Paju, South Korea - For Korean-American adoptees, Korean-American Day and the creation of Omma Poom Park underscore the importance of acknowledging heritage and identity.

By Eun Byoul Oh & Sharon Stern

This year, Seollal (설날), Lunar New Year, falls on January 29^th.  Seollal is one of the biggest national holidays in Korea. Let’s learn about the traditions of Seollal and if you’re in NY – The Lincoln Center is holding an event on Feb 1st celebrating the diasporic culture of Korea and China.

By Eun Byoul Oh

On January 8, 1932, Korean Patriotic Organization’s (한인애국단)’s member, Lee Bong Chang, threw a grenade at Japanese Emperor Hirohito, the emperor of Japan at the time. The incident is referred to as 이봉창 의거, the Patriotic Deed of Lee Bong Chang. The assassination attempt failed and Lee was promptly arrested, and was executed. Koreans remember the incident as one of the major attempts of the independence leaders to achieve liberty for Korea.

To celebrate Korean-American Day this month, we wanted to focus the newsletter on Korean-American history and stories. We are deeply honored to share the following pieces from the KCCNYC community reflecting on Korean-American Identity and what it means in 2025.

By Eun Byoul Oh

“We should write something fun and delightful for December, since it is a holiday season after all.” This is what I said to Sharon, our copy editor, as we were celebrating our November release. 

Well, then on December 3rd, I got a text from Sharon in the morning.  “WTF just happened in South Korea???!?  Martial Law??”

I was conducting a placement test for a new student when I got the text, and it was yet another peaceful morning until then. I turned on the TV to watch the armed forces cracking the windows of the National Assembly to barge into the building.

I was just in utter shock, and my family next to me, watching the scene, were flabbergasted. The images of military dictatorship in the history books were reenacted right in front of our eyes.

By Hannah Elliott

As the year draws to a close, this playlist captures some of 2024's most defining K-pop tracks. It’s by no means exhaustive—there’s always something that slips through the cracks—but it’s a vibrant snapshot of an unforgettable year.

By Sharon Stern

The list of K-dramas that drop this month is a little shorter than the last couple of months, giving us time to get caught up.  I’m sure Netflix wants to leave room for Squid Game 2 to shine as much as possible.

After the list of new dramas, I present a list of dramas with memorable holiday moments.

By Jon Oaks

The holiday season is often a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Yet for many adoptees, it can also bring a swirl of emotions, from nostalgia and longing to feelings of loss and disconnection.

By Amalia Tempel

The Korean American Association of Greater New York is hosting its 65th Annual Gala on January 13, 2025, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The gala will also honor 122 years of Korean immigration to the United States, recognizing a journey of resilience and growth. This will be an unforgettable evening to celebrate the vibrant legacy and future of Korean Americans.

By Joshua Kim

The novel is called Free Food for Millionaires. It’s the first novel by Min Jin Lee, who is most famous for her second novel, Pachinko. Ms. Lee is a  Korean American author known for her poignant and richly detailed storytelling. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in New York City, Lee studied history at Yale University and later attended Georgetown Law School, before pursuing her passion for writing.

By Eun Byoul Oh

The coup d'état of December 12, 1979 was is a military Coup led by Chun Doo Hwan and Singunbu (신군부, the New Military Faction) to overthrow Choi Kyu-hah government, which succeeded the Park Chung Hee regime after Park’s Assassination.

By Eun Byoul Oh
November is National Adoption Awareness Month and as I begin to write this month’s editor’s note, I get to reflect on all the adoptee students that I have met and taught in KCCNYC. This month’s newsletter features personal essays from 6 adoptees and their families - we encourage everyone to read each adoptee's stories for some time. They are powerful stories that we are honored to present to you.

By Hannah Elliott & Jon Oaks

This month in our playlist we are reflecting our adoptee’s journeys.  Here is a heartfelt collection of songs celebrating identity, resilience and the journey of adoptees.  These tracks reflect the themes of belonging, connection and self-discovery.  Please enjoy while you reflect with us.

By Jon Oaks
Growing up as a Korean American adoptee in the Midwest shaped my identity in ways I’m still discovering today. I was adopted from Seoul, South Korea, when I was about 3 months old, and was raised in Michigan communities where I was often the only Asian person in my neighborhood or school. Although my parents tried to introduce me to Korean culture through cultural groups, embracing my Korean heritage wasn’t too important to me as a child.