General Overview
Established in 1990, KoreAm Journal is a rapidly growing monthly magazine
that highlights the news, stories and issues of Korean Americans nationwide.
What started as a local paper went national in 1997 with a new journal
format. In February 1999 KoreAm Journal emerged as a glossy magazine and
became available at select newsstands and bookstores across North America
and Korea. The publication is now published entirely in color.
By embracing all generations, including the mixed-race and adoptee
communities, KoreAm Journal has become the most widely circulated (more than
40,000 readers), longest-running, independent English-language publication serving the Korean
American community. It has been featured in publications, including Atlantic
Monthly and Monolid, and KoreAm articles have appeared in the Los Angeles
Times and the New York Times Syndicate.
Mission Statement
KoreAm Journal's mission is to provide depth and
insight into the evolving Korean American experience.
Recognition
- May, 2008, Asian Pacific American Community Award by Assembly member Ted Lieu.
- 2005 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence
Awards, Region 5: Best Nonfiction Magazine Features
- 2004 New California Media Awards: International; Youth
Voice; Workplace Issues/Economy; Investigative/In-depth
(runner-up); Arts, Sports & Entertainment (runner-up)
- 2003 New California Media Awards: Arts/Culture
- 2003 PACE Setter Award presented by the Pacific Asian
Consortium in Employment
- 2002 Outstanding Service on Behalf of the Korean American
Community presented by the Korean American Bar Association
of Southern California
- 2002 Annual Community Service Award presented by the
Korean American Coalition San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
- 2000 GLAAD Media Award nominee
Future
KoreAm Journal is now available at select newsstands and bookstores
throughout the Unites States including Barnes and Noble, and Borders locations. And with the recent unveiling of a redesigned KoreAm Journal website, which includes a search engine that can access an archive
of all our past articles, this is an exciting time for our publication. We
here at KoreAm Journal hope that you will be able to play an integral part
in our progress and development.
Employment
Seeking Editorial Intern
KoreAm Journal is looking for an intern to join its editorial staff. Must be familiar with AP style and able to write succinct news briefs. Must be a creative thinker, able to work independently and bring a lot of ideas to the table. Opportunities to write feature stories and profiles available, depending on performance. College students in their third or fourth year or recent graduates preferred. Must commit to at least 3 months and 15 hours a week. Small monthly stipend. Those interested should e-mail a cover letter, resume and 4-6 published clips to michelle@koreamjournal.com, or snail mail to Michelle Woo, 17000 S. Vermont Ave., Suite A, Gardena, CA 90247. No phone calls please.
Seeking Freelancers
Get published in an award-winning national monthly magazine! KoreAm Journal is looking to expand its freelance roster and is seeking contributing journalists from all corners of the world. Must be familiar with AP style and able to write profiles and/or in-depth, compelling feature stories. Should also be able to pitch relevant stories from your area. Those interested should e-mail a resume and 4-6 published clips to michelle@koreamjournal.com , or snail mail to Michelle Woo, 17000 S. Vermont Ave., Suite A, Gardena, CA 90247. No phone calls please.
Seeking Photography Intern
KoreAm Journal is looking for an intern to join
its photo department. Must have a genuine interest in photography,
art, video, film, etc. Duties include assisting on shoots
(some weekends/nights required), archiving and filing images
and managing equipment. Photoshop and Illustrator experience
is helpful but not required. Opportunities for photo assignments
(must have own camera for this). Must commit to at least 3
months and 12 hours a week. Small monthly stipend. Applicants
should send resume and/or portfolio (not required) to eric@koreamjournal.com,
or snail mail to Eric Sueyoshi, 17000 S. Vermont Ave., Suite
A, Gardena, CA 90247.
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| Publisher Jung Shig Ryu immigrated
to the U.S. with his wife and three children in 1973.
He earned a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University
of Oregon in 1977 and worked as an assistant professor
at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1977 to 1982.
The author of four books, Jung founded KoreAm with
his son, James, in April 1990. He is also the publisher
and editor of Korean Community News, a biweekly Korean-language
publication which serves the South Bay, Calif. region.
Every weekday morning at 7 a.m., Jung can be found on
the badminton courts with his wife. He is also an avid
player of Korean chess. Contact him at jung@koreamjournal.com.
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| President & Editor in Chief James
Y. Ryu was born in Seoul in 1961 and immigrated
to the U.S. with his family at age 12. He lived briefly
in Eugene, Ore., attended high school in Oxford, Ohio,
and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in business
management from California State University Long Beach.
Together with his father, James founded KoreAm with the
hope of creating a well-informed, close- knit Korean American
community. Along with his wife, Tammy, he is the proud
parent of Nicholas, Audrey, and Michael. When not testing
the limits of his editorial staff, James enjoys his lifelong
hobby of playing basketball (despite four knee surgeries)
and golf. Contact him at james@koreamjournal.com
for business inquires and advertising. |
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| Managing editor Michelle Woo arrived back in Southern California after working at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix. There, she went from being an education reporter who covered late-breaking debates on school lunches to a fashion writer who spent many mornings clicking wistfully through the pages of NeimanMarcus.com (for research purposes, of course). But after her steering wheel melted in the 118-degree heat, she decided to throw her life into a U-Haul and move closer to her family, the ocean and her college alma mater, UC Irvine. Besides writing for KoreAm, Michelle also enjoys eating chips and spicy salsa, watching America's Next Top Model and improving her bowling score on Nintendo Wii. Reach her at michelle@koreamjournal.com.
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| Senior Editor Julie Ha returned to KoreAm Journal in November of 2007 after a four-year maternity leave, during which she hatched two kids and rediscovered the joy of Play Dough. She fell hard for print journalism after meeting longtime mentor K.W. Lee, a veteran mainstream investigative reporter who edited a Korean American weekly paper in the early 1990s. A former editor at UCLA campus publications Pacific Ties and the Daily Bruin, she landed her first real job as as a reporter for a Japanese American newspaper called the Rafu Shimpo, where ironically she found her identity. She drifted mainstream for a few years as a reporting trainee at the Los Angeles Times and as a staff writer for the Hartford Courant in Connecticut. A personal obsession with proving to herself and others that Koreans are fully human and not living stereotypes led her back to a publication covering her peeps. Email her at julie@koreamjournal.com. |
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| Senior writer Kai Ma has reported for magazines, newspapers and alternative weeklies in California and New York, and has covered a range of topics, including pop culture, art, health, fashion, and Asian American communities. She entered the print world as a teenager, when she was hired by a Hollywood bookstore to restore and re-paint the spines of busted, antique tomes. After she quit, she decided to embark on a career in journalism. She worked on “Matters of Race,” a PBS documentary that explored the impact of race and ethnicity in one of the most diverse hospitals in Los Angeles, and during graduate study at the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, she traveled to South Korea to write about North Korean defectors who reside in capitalist Seoul. She has written for New York magazine, Newsday and Nerve.com, and is a relationship columnist for Audrey magazine. Write to her at kai@koreamjournal.com.
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| Art Director Jiyoon Kim was
born in Seoul and moved to Orange, California with her
family when she was 17. Always having loved to draw, Jiyoon
decided to pursue a career in graphic design and matriculated
into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. There,
she met her husband, who is also a graphic designer. Before
KoreAm, Jiyoon worked as a freelance designer. When Jiyoon
is not fed up with the KoreAm staff, she loves to play
with her two dogs, golf and snowboard. Contact Jiyoon
at jiyoon@koreamjournal.com
with your design comments. |
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| Photography Editor Eric Sueyoshi
arrived in Los Angeles in 1994 after studying the art
of photography for two years in the resort town of Santa
Barbara, California. He received a BFA from Otis College
of Art and Design in 1996 and now resides in Los Angeles.
When asked if he misses his hometown of Napa Valley in
Northern California, Eric looks pensively off into the
distance and replies, "Well, sometimes I miss my early
morning frolics along the dew-covered paths with the singing
birds in the trees. They seem to be saying, 'Good morning
Eric," and I say, 'Good morning Birds.'" You can reach
Eric to talk pictures or birds at
eric@koreamjournal.com.
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| Marketing manager Joyce Park was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. when she was 15. She attended a French private school and learned to speak French before learning English. Majoring in music, her college life was filled with singing, conducting and analyzing music. She is pleased to work as a special event coordinator — her dream career — at KoreAm and Audrey. Joyce enjoys 1,000+ piece puzzles, going to concerts and museums, playing catch and bowling. For marketing or event planning, contact her at joyce@koreamjournal.com.
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| Associate Marketing Manager and Office Manager (yes, she's special enough for TWO BIG TITLES) Caroline Park spent her somewhat tumultuous youth in Queens, but somehow ended up in California, where seasons don't exist and too many blondes roam about. She had the privilege of living in dirty K-town, South Pas, and finally the OC, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Sociology at Biola University. Believing that her call to work as a school counselor was probably just a teasing hiccup from Jesus, she is now exploring other options just to be sure. As she was always a fan of magazines and Asian peeps in general, KoreAm and Audrey presented an appetizing opportunity for her to shine. She will serve and please you. So if you've any inquiries concerning subscriptions, billing, marketing-related things, or want to be pen pals, email her at caroline@koreamjournal.com. |
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| The first thing you'll notice about Jasmine when you meet her is that she can be charming and goofy at the same time. She spent her undergraduate years at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying Asian American Studies. Apart from being the advertising account executive, she is incredibly gifted, speaking three languages, including English, Korean, and Japanese. She enjoys working for KoreAm because she loves the people and believes in KoreAm's mission. She has a love for cinema, which began at a young age, and growing up, she watched countless films. You just name the movie and she can tell you about it. Her other interests besides watching films include traveling and music. She loves adventure but also appreciates the beauty of sunrise on the beach. For advertising inquiries, contact her at jasmine@koreamjournal.com |
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