Film Features

"Space Sweepers" and the Strangeness of Korean Gender Politics

The Korean sci-fi blockbuster offers a window into cultural norms on gender.

Space Sweepers | Official Trailer | Netflix

Netflix / Youtube.com

On Friday Netflix premiered a new Korean sci-fi adventure movie called Space Sweepers.

The film's most notable achievement is its stunning visual effects, reminiscent of Blade Runner 2049 and Guardians of the Galaxy — despite working with around 1/10th the budget. These effects serve a story that is largely just a fun space adventure. But if we look deeper, Space Sweeper has some cultural insights to offer.

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Music Features

Good News for BTS ARMY — BTS Doesn't Have to Join the Army (Yet)

The newly passed "BTS Law" allows K-pop stars to defer mandatory military service.

Boyband BTS recognized for developing Korea's national culture

This week South Korea's National Assembly passed a law that is sure to have BTS ARMY cheering them on.

Generally speaking, all South Korean men are required to spend at least 18 months enlisted in the military, with the final cut-off for entry at age 28. But the new legislation — informally referred to as "The BTS Law" — will allow K-pop stars who meet certain requirements to defer until the age of 30.

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Jae-Joong Kim

Photo by Aflo/Shutterstock

In Kansas, a man was arrested for “making a terrorist threat" after coughing on an 11-year-old girl and telling her she was gonna get COVID-19.

In Las Vegas, a man was arrested after wandering in a WalMart pretending to have coronavirus symptoms. He said it was a prank. The coronavirus crisis has led to more American deaths than 9/11 and continues to ravage the world and strip families of their loved ones. So why did JYJ's Jaejoong think it was okay to claim to have the virus as an April Fools' Day prank? The answer: He's an idiot who doesn't take this seriously.

Yesterday, the 34-year-old announced on Instagram in a now-deleted post that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Fans around the world mourned the diagnosis, and before the K-pop idol could say "jk," his fake illness was making headlines. His label, C-Jes Entertainment RGC, in Korea even responded to the initial reports and were quickly working to determine his whereabouts in Japan so they could see who he'd interacted with and get those individuals tested.

The star has since issued an apology, which you can read in full English translation below, but we can all agree from the bottom of our hearts that this was a seriously d*ck move.

“I am also personally aware that it was something that shouldn't be done.

First, over the social media post I wrote, I want to express my sincere apologies to the people who have suffered because of COVID-19 and to the people who were disrupted in their administrative work.

Bad judgment. I knew that's what this was.

The current lack of awareness of response methods and the dangerousness of the virus outbreak.
I wanted to convey that message because I hoped that people would be more aware and therefore we could minimize the number of people who suffer because of COVID-19.

It's so scary to think that things like people spending time outside in the warm weather as spring arrives, or coming in contact with others in an enclosed space while making use of leisurely time as the start of the semester is postponed, could cause a secondary or tertiary resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

My father also recently had lung cancer surgery and he went to the hospital often.

When I saw the medical staff and patients at the hospital, I felt a bit angry and I wished that people thought of the virus as not someone else's problem, but their own problem.

Contrary to the people who actually are working hard to get us out of COVID-19, there are many people who enjoy their leisure time while dressing just as usual and not wearing a mask. When I heard that, I thought there needed to be more awareness.

In many different kinds of media and on the internet, there are both big and small requests for people to take caution, but there are people who do not listen to that, and I wanted to convey the dangerousness of the current situation to them one way or another. "Please, listen. Please. Don't get sick."

There are also confirmed cases among the people I know. This made me feel certain that this is not something that is happening far away, and it made me more scared.

Self-reflecting after losing someone is no help at all.

It's frustrating and hard but I want to try a bit harder than now and get through this difficult time together. My post today… it went very far, but I thought that if people paid a large amount of interest to it, then they might listen. This method has hurt a lot of people and I am receiving criticism for it.

For causing distress, I sincerely apologize to the government agencies and medical professionals who are working hard because of COVID-19 and to the many people who are following instructions to give up on their lifestyles and are doing all they can to overcome this.“

Memorial altar of K-pop star Goo Hara -

Photo by Chung Sung-Jun (AP-Shutterstock)

South Korea has long held one of the highest suicide rates in the world (10th, according to the World Health Organization), a fact that's painfully resonated this year with the suicides of two popular K-Pop stars: first 25-year-old Sulli and now 28-year-old Goo Hara.

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MUSIC

Best Ways to See More of Your Favorite K-Pop Idols

Can't get enough K-Pop? Check out these shows.

Most K-Pop stars have carefully curated social media to give fans glimpses into their personal lives, but for some fans those little glimpses will never be enough.

Luckily, you don't need to resort to desperate measures to feel a little closer to your favorite idols. Korean entertainment is a world of endless crossovers, so you can get your fix of idol goodness in a few different ways.

Variety Shows

As anyone who's seen Jack Black's appearance on Infinite Challenge can tell you, Korean variety shows are crazy. We don't really have an equivalent in the U.S., but if you imagine a group of celebrities spending a whole day doing wacky Ellen/Jimmy Fallon games, you should get the idea. While Infinite Challenge is no longer running, it aired from 2005-2018 and regularly featured K-pop idols, along with actors, comedians, and athletes. With that many seasons, they've had a huge number of K-pop guests participating in the craziness, like T.O.P from Big Bang doing a ridiculous dance battle.

A similar show that's still airing is called Running Man, where you get to see members of BTS getting piggyback rides. The show also regularly features members of Bigbang, Blackpink, 2PM, CNBlue, and Miss A. With all the crazy antics that go on in these shows, you get to see more of the silly side of your favorite idols. Another variety show, Village Survival The Eight, has featured Jennie from Blackpink working with other celebrities to solve a fictional mystery. Along with the clips on YouTube, full episodes of these shows can be viewed for free on Rakuten Viki.

CBS

Big Bang Theory fans love when hilarious scientist Sheldon Cooper rips out a signature "BAZINGA."

Throughout the long-running sitcom, Cooper has delighted Big Bang audiences again and again with his hilarious catch phrase. The first time I heard a "BAZINGA," I laughed so hard that milk squirted out my nose, and I wasn't even drinking milk. I love BAZINGA so much that I'm counting down Sheldon's all-time best BA-ZINGERS:

Side-Mouth BAZINGA

A classic BAZBIM, shot straight out the side of Shelman's face. NICE!