Kpop Bookshelf

S4E4 We discuss the book FLIP THE SCRIPT by Lyla Lee, which features a bisexual main character who is also a K-Drama actress! Does it get any better? We also consider the increasing amounts of queer K content in Korean media, and casting k-pop idols in BL (Boys' Love) K-Dramas. [ LINKS ] This is how South Korea is celebrating Bisexual Visibility Day [SBS] Embassies show solidarity at Seoul Queer C...

Season 4 Episode 3 We discuss the books THE SUMMER by Choi Eunyoung & CONCERNING MY DAUGHTER by Kim Hye-Jin *I mistakenly said out lesbian Kpop idol singer Maman's song was called Ordinary Day but it's called Obvious Story. Apologies for this error! Under The Radar – Magolpy [Soompi] Magolpy - Debut MV starring various other idols from g.o.d, Super Junior, TVXQ, etc [YouTube] Maman (aka Magolpy) -...

Season 4 Episode 2 Radhika and K^2 from the GoGoGayo! Podcast join us for a discussion about LOVE IN THE BIG CITY BY SANG YOUNG PARK, translated by Anton Hur. *Spoilers abound!* Some mature subject matter is discussed. Queerness in KPop - GoGoGayo! Podcast Author Talks: Sang Young Park 박상영 - The Korea Society [YouTube] [Duet] Dear Sang Young — by Alexander Chee [Korean Literature Now] To All th...

Season 4 Episode 1 LGBTQ+ Pride season! Our first episode will look at the essay, "Don't Be Afraid To Be The First" by Holland. This essay can be found in the anthology book We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights, edited by Amelia Abraham. Holland is an openly gay KPop idol. Find out about the sociopolitical history of queerness in Korea and about Holland himself in t...

BONUS EPISODE: Analyzing the book BRIGHT by former Girls Generation member Jessica Jung! I refer to Girls Generation as SNSD throughout this book, for clarity. LINKS Girls’ Generation Alum Jessica Jung Brings the World of K-Pop to the Written Word in YA Book ‘Shine’ [Variety] ‘Jung Sisters’ reveal their natural faces [The Korea Herald] Fan activism, cybervigilantism, and Othering mechanisms in K-p...

Season 3 Episode 3 In our final episode of the Tablo season of the podcast, we look at two books that he wrote: Pieces of You and BloNote.  We discuss Tablo's somewhat questionable acting career and the tragic hate crime murder of Thien Minh Ly in 1996.  LINKS Tablo to Hold Book Concert [The Korea Times] Tablo co-writes Amazon Studios’ comedy series ‘Neon Machine’ [Korea Herald] Tablo Di...

Season 3 Episode 2 My friend Linda, a Korean-American woman who was living in Korea during the TaJinYo scanadal that affected Epik High Tablo, joins us for a discussion of our reactions and takes on the wonderful podcast Authentic: The Story of Tablo!  LINKS Authentic: The Story of Tablo [podcast by Vice and iHeartRadio] Korean MBC: Tablo Goes to Stanford [YouTube] Footage of staff members at...

Season 3 Episode 1 - The Life of Tablo We examine a 2011 article called "The Persecution of Daniel Lee" by Joshua Davis where I persistently recommend you to listen to the podcast Authentic! If you're not sure what the TaJinYo scandal is that Tablo barely survived, check out the article, the podcast series, and this episode. Apologies for some salty language used when quoting someone else. The Per...

Bonus Episode: My fan account of attending BTS Permission to Dance On Stage in Las Vegas (D4)! Also, I include some tips in case you attend a future Kpop concert! Recorded this while very sleepy, so forgot to mention that some of the problems that existed on the other days of the show, such as people throwing objects at the members, were not something I observed taking place during the show I atte...

Season 2, Episode 4 Today's book is K-POP LIVE: FANS, IDOLS, AND MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE by Suk-Young Kim Concerts are coming back so we explore various degrees of live that are used in K-Pop, including concerts, music TV programs, the effects of fandom behavior, and the popular convention, KCON! Links to videos and sources used are here ! Don't forge to wear your masks to concerts! 

This episode covers the 2010 book KOREA'S ONLINE GAMING EMPIRE by Dal Yong Jin. We also use the article IT ALL STARTED WITH A BANG: THE ROLE OF PC BANGS IN SOUTH KOREA'S CYBER CULTURES by Inkyu Kang, which was taken from the book THE KOREAN POPULAR CULTURE READER. In the first part of the episode, it's just me talking about the rise of the gaming industry in Korea thanks to PC Bangs and government...

This episode is all about Korean cinema in the late 90s/early 2000s, with a tiny bit of Parasite discussion! The books discussed are The South Korean Film Renaissance: Local Hitmakers, Global Provocateurs by Jinhee Choi and  Virtual Hallyu : Korean Cinema of the Global Era by Kyung Hyun Kim Find all the links here !

S2E1! This episode is about the book POP CITY: KOREAN POPULAR CULTURE AND THE SELLING OF PLACE by Youjeong Oh! Check out the blogpost here ! https://kpopbookshelfpod.wixsite.com/blog/post/pop-city-selling-of-place-using-hallyu  

Trailer episode to put you in the mood for season 2 of KPop Bookshelf Podcast! This season is all about riding the Hallyu Wave! Dramas, Movies, Music, Food, Beauty, Gaming, and K-everything took the world by storm, and continues to do so today! Check out all the important links here !

What a ride this first season has been! Thanks to all of you who joined us.  In this episode: The theme of this season (yes, there was a theme) was WOMEN.  Future seasons will also be themed! Where to get some of the books I present in my podcast? I'll tell you! WE'RE TAKING A BREAK!! In order to get a chance to read more books, we will be on a brief hiatus until after the new year. But...

[Warning: we will be discussing grown up matters, so you may want to make sure you're listening where small or sensitive ears can't hear]. This is part 2 of our episodes on the book that caused a stir, Kim Jiyoung Born 1982! What do feminism, mental health stigma, spy cams, lack of  upward mobility, and the mandatory military service all have to do with how much some Korean people hated this...

Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo is the international bestseller that stirred up many headlines and even caused someone to file a Blue House Petition to stop the movie adaptation about the film. Find out what all the fuss is about in Part 1 of our 2 part episode about this book! All the links used for research can be found on the blog https://kpopbookshelfpod.wixsite.com/blog/post/kim-jiyoung-...

This is part 2 of our episode about the book Shoko's Smile by Eunyoung Choi. In this episode, we will dive into some of my thoughts about a few of the stories in this wonderful short story collection. Be aware that there will be spoilers! SHORT STORIES COVERED IN THE EPISODE: (for your reference) Shoko's Smile Xin chào, Xin chào The Secret Korean Language Society - The society's website with infor...

This week's episode is about the book, Shoko's Smile, a collection of short stories by Eunyoung Choi As many of the stories in this book revolve around a character who has lived through a major event, I present some historical context for some of the stories. kpopbookshelf.contactin.bio My Family’s Shrouded History Is Also a National One for Korea by Alexander Chee - Survivor of Korean troops’ civ...

In this episode we discuss the book From Factory Girls to K-Pop Idol Girls: Cultural Politics of Developmentalism, Patriarchy, and Neoliberalism in South Korea’s Popular Music Industry by Gooyong Kim. The Kim Sisters on the Ed Sullivan Show Wonder Girls - Nobod y SNSD on Letterman SNSD on Live with Kelly (guest co-host Howie Mandel) SNSD Featured in the Wall Street Journal [Soompi] Girls' Generati...

We discuss the lives of trainees as discovered through SHINE by former member of Girls' Generation, Jessica Jung, with the help of additional former idols and trainees. Website Girls' Generation Playlist About Jessica Lately Former Idols and Trainees Who Spilled the Cha From 9 to 8 - Articles about Jessica's Departure from the Group

Do you love Kpop and K Dramas? Do you also love to read books? Then check out KPOP BOOKSHELF, the podcast where we explore Korean popular culture through books! My name is Mina. I am a Kpop multifan and K drama fan in the United States. I myself am not Korean, nor do I have any Korean heritage, and I have never lived in Korea. So I want to get a deeper knowledge of Korean society, history, & cultu...