South Korea

Henry Rollins: George Bush's War Is Still With Us

[Look for your weekly fix from the one and only Henry Rollins right here on West Coast Sound every Thursday, and come back tomorrow for the awesomely annotated playlist for his Saturday KCRW broadcast.] See also: The Steubenville Rape Case Is a Failure The ten year anniversary of the invasion and ... More >>

Korean Sex Workers Exploited In L.A.; 'Madam' Eun Suk Sun Faces Charges In Korea

So get this: Eun Suk Sun allegedly ran a house (or, rather, apartment) of prostitution right here in L.A.'s Koreatown. But it isn't American authorities who want to take her down for it. Nope, it's Korean officials. And their wish might come true:

North Korean Missiles Could Reach California; U.S. Beefs Up Interceptor Defense

Can North Korea hit Los Angeles with a nuclear missile? Yes, theoretically. Its tests have been inconclusive and perhaps even unimpressive so far, but the United States government isn't taking any chances. Today Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that 14 interceptor missiles would be added to ... More >>

Wan Ryung Song: Alleged Korean-On-Jew Hate Crime At Wilshire Temple? Only In L.A. ...

You know what we love about L.A? It's vast diversity. It's just amazing. From the Bangladeshi store keepers to the Oaxacans along Venice Boulevard. You want Thai tacos? We know a place ... But before we break out in "Kumbaya," there is this little story about a Korean guy who doesn't like Jews. All ... More >>

Asians Surpass Latinos in Immigration to United States

Asians have, since 2009, surpassed Latinos in immigration to the United States, according to a new Pew study. So all you immigrant haters out there have a new group to target! Asians outpaced Latinos in sending folks stateside (36 percent of new immigrants in 2010 were Asian, compared to 31 percen ... More >>

Pulling Off the White Tablecloth

In the L.A. dining scene, it's no magic trick. It's casual.

Aziatix - El Rey Theatre - 3/31/12

Aziatix, Dawen El Rey Theatre 3/31/12 Since producer Jae Chong formed Aziatix a year ago, they've been on the cover of Newsweek in South Korea, sold out a 10-city U.S. tour last year, hit No. 1 on Japan's R&B and Soul charts, reached No. 4 on the iTunes R&B and Soul chart and were in two showcases ... More >>

10 Best Korean BBQ Restaurants in Los Angeles

Los Angeles' Koreatown probably doesn't need another BBQ place -- well, at least not another Korean one. There seems to be a restaurant with tabletop grills in every plaza, strip mall and food court, cannibalizing another one's business two doors down or across the street. Let's be blunt: Entreprene ... More >>

Know When to Fold 'Em

How Aloha Can You Go?

Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes: New Book Explains Hawaii and How the U.S. Became an Empire

Writer/radio commentator Sarah Vowell comes to town to sit down with Jeff Garlin and talk about her latest book, a funny and lively history of America's acquisition of Hawaii. Here's our Q&A:

Mr. Pizza Now Open in Little Tokyo

In Korea, Mr. Pizza Factory is as ubiquitous as Pizza Hut in our country, with more than 350 locations. But here in the U.S.? Last week, we had just one, tucked into an old office building in Koreatown. Now, notch it up to two: A location in downtown's Little Tokyo just opened. Despite the American ... More >>

Former Starbucks Exec Speaks Feb. 22 at Occidental

Flickr/Amir K.Starbucks​The public face of Starbucks may be a mermaid with long green locks and a star-topped crown, but behind the barista counters, it's been people like Howard Behar, not mythical creatures, pushing the coffee chain to success. Behar, former president of the Starbuck's Nort ... More >>

[Updated] Pinkberry Co-Founder Arrested at LAX

​Update 1/17 4:15 p.m. Pinkberry's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Design Laura Jakobsen responded to the Young Lee arrest with this statement that firmly distances the co-founder from the company's current operations. Mr. Young Lee has no involvement with Pinkberry, our partners or our m ... More >>

Dumbfoundead

Koreatown rapper inspires a tremendous following with his unlikely story

Jonathan Gold Reviews Soban

Tabloid Review

Los Angeles Film Festival 2011 Preview

Cannes 2011: The Quest to Avoid Lady Gaga Begins!

​ CANNES, FRANCE -- That faint noise wafting in mid-afternoon from across the Atlantic will not be the cacophony of bravos raising the Grand Palais roof in appreciation of the 65th Cannes Film Festival's opening attraction -- rather it will be the sound of the prolonged smooch that the fest's ... More >>

Roy Choi's "Modern Picnic"

A-Frame captures Asian-American flavor

SoCal's New $250 Million Metrolink Fleet Is Safest -- And Sexiest -- In Nation

MetrolinkThis Hyundai Rotem rail car is flyer than Vixen​If public transportation makes you want to mummify yourself with disinfecting hand towels and stay there in that sudsy little cocoon forevermore, maybe the stainless-steel rail beasts unveiled this morning by Southern California's Commut ... More >>

You Can't Go Home Again: Henry Rollins on Being Back in the USA, Autumnal Feelings and his Favorite Thomas Wolfe Passage!

Maura LanahanOur eminent columnist, Mr. Henry Rollins!​[The one and only Henry Rollins will be contributing a weekly column and far-reaching reportage to the music section of the LA Weekly. Look for your weekly Henry Rollins fix right here on West Coast Sound every Friday and make sure to tune ... More >>

Dak Dak Galbi

Playing musical Korean barbecue chairs

Eat Like a Montevidean at Uruguay Café Where to Watch the Uruguay Game

Jim Thurmanempanadas - beef (left), chicken (right)​ With the World Cup in full swing, it's time to welcome the cuisine of yet another country to the Los Angeles food scene, that of Uruguay. This nicely coincides with La Celeste, Uruguay's national team, advancing to the round of 16. Located ... More >>

Gogi Gui and a Movie?

CGV Cinemas, Koreatown's new 3-D triplex, is no secret

Mark Mack: Easy Builder

Whale Sushi At Santa Monica Restaurant Came From Japan Scientific Hunt

​Whale sushi purchased at a Santa Monica restaurant in September came from an endangered sei whale hunted in Japan under the guise of scientific purposes, a scientific paper published in the journal Biology Letters concludes. Scientists say genetic testing prove that that sashimi served at Th ... More >>

Norm the Lego Stormtrooper Tours Globe with Crystal Method

When Scott Kirkland of The Crystal Method left for tour last May, his young son gave him two Star Wars Lego figures to keep him company. One went missing. The other, a small Stormtrooper named Norm, went on to have the adventure of a lifetime. Scott KirklandNorm Trooper at Buckingham Palace​

Winding Down

Passing time and finding a new pragmatism in the movies of the ’00s

AFI Fest, A to W

Our critics' picks - and pans - from this year's free festival lineup

INCHES011: New Wax from Fool's Gold, Now-Again (Rare Psych!), Samiyam, and Inca Ore ( MP3s, chart)

In the unpredictable wake of music's digital rebirth, vinyl has experienced a modest boom in popularity, seen by many (with delicious irony) as a replacement for the awkward middleman that is the compact disc. INCHES seeks not only to review the output of L.A.'s healthy vinyl community (artists and ... More >>

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

Cedillo Rolls Up Another Opponent Longtime San Gabriel Valley politician Ed Chavez has removed his name from the Congressional race to replace Hilda Solis. Chavez announced his support of state Senator Gil Cedillo, who faces a tough challenge May 19 from Judy Chu, who sits on the State Board of Equa ... More >>

AFI Fest: A to W

Our comprehensive guide to more than 40 festival titles

I Yam What I Yam: Mr. Pizza Factory

Retooling an Italian tradition

On With Their Heads!

Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland

Let the Sunshine In

Last Thursday morning in Paris, the lineup was announced for the 60th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The announcement was made by Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux during a press conference held in a gilded and mirrored salon of the Hotel de Crillon, located on the Place de la Co ... More >>

Critics' Picks

If you see only seven films at this year’s LAFF, make it these

Layover, With Cheese

Low Rent

Jonathan Larson’s Broadway smash hits the screen — with a thud

Chic Korea

Pusan Festival attracts the young and hip

Film Editor's Choice

The Ultimate Reality Show

Scenes from the first days of war coverage

Quiet Americans

British writer J.G. Farrell and America's missing novels of Empire

The Labyrinth of Fútbol

For Mexicans, losing to the U.S. is more than a defeat

American Fútbol!

The Weird Cup, week 3

Remembering Things Past

Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-Taek

Manohla Dargis' Hit List

Man Bites Prawn

A Koreatown seafood adventure

Five Big Ideas