By Jon Oaks
September holds a special place in Korea’s history. It is a month when traditions are honored, milestones are remembered, and pivotal events have shaped the nation’s identity + a look at upcoming events in the Adoptee Community nationwide.

By Sharon Stern and Eun Byoul Oh
On September 20, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Korean Martyrs. This month we take a look at the sad series of events that shaped this history and its position in Korean history.

By Sharon Stern
There is a really wide array of dramas coming out in September and a couple that found a U.S. streaming home late in August.  Several different versions of thriller are coming our way, all with very different stories and some strong directing/writing teams.

By KCCNYC Monthly Team
Join us on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 11:00am to 6:00pm for the Korean Street Food Festival and parade on 32nd Street in Koreatown, Manhattan, where KCCNYC will have a booth.

By Josh Kim
I call this myth “The Girl and the Toad,” and it’s much different than the traditional “Princess and Frog” western myth.

By Eun Byoul Oh
The thundering roars of Koreans are particularly loud in August as KCCNYC celebrates Korea’s independence and liberation by remembering the victims of 40 years of Japanese colonialism. . KCCNYC has centered its mission around memorializing the sufferings of Koreans and all the victims who were impacted by the atrocities of the war.

By Sharon Stern
Last year we started a list of K-Dramas and K-Movies that cover the Japanese occupation and liberation – this year we’re updating the list to include the latest streaming information and new movies and dramas that have become available.

By Justine Velasquez
“I realize now that there was something quite out of the ordinary during my childhood in the Philippines in a very specific way: we always had a big jar of homemade kimchi in our fridge. I never thought much of it before. That jar was just always there, mysterious in its origins. Though I was blissfully unaware of it at the time, my grandmother would have made that kimchi from scratch, in the way that my great-grandfather had shown and taught her…”

By Sergey Tsay
“It took me some time to decide on the format of this article. Should it be a summary of personal memories, a retelling of conversations with my paternal grandparents and my dad, or a brief history of the 100,000+ Koreans forcibly deported to Kazakhstan in 1937 from the Russian Far East… also referred to as Kore Saram…”

By Sharon Stern and Eun Byoul Oh

August always causes us to reflect on Korean independence at the end of WWII and this year we are focusing on the history of the Korean diaspora, particularly as a result of the Japanese occupation from 1910-1945.

By Sharon Stern
On July 20^th, 2025, the Dosan Hakdang book club met to talk about the novel Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun. The book tells the story of multiple people in the Yeonnam neighborhood of Seoul who connect through a diary on a table in a laundromat and then, eventually, in person.

By Jon Oaks
For many Korean adoptees, Korean Liberation Day is more than a historical commemoration. It serves as a powerful reminder to reflect on personal identity, ancestry, and what freedom means within the context of adoption.

By KCCNYC Monthly Team
KCCNYC held the second volume of the KCCNYC After Class Series. It was great to meet everyone in person! New York’s Korean community has several great events to celebrate Korea’s liberation this month—come join Korean American community celebrating our heritage and history.

By Josh Kim
The Myth of the Red and Blue Fan - 빨간 부채 파란 부채 This month’s myth is a short one, though funny and odd and begs some questions about greed.

By Sharon Stern
There is quite a bit of everything going on in August in Dramaland.  There are a couple of pretty twisted plots, one drama that borders on X rated, a couple of family/slice-of-life pieces, a time travel to Joseon, a super-hero heaven-hell action series and a legal drama.  We’ll see how they all live up to their descriptions!