''KoreAm'', or ''KoreAm Journal,'' was a monthly print

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

published from 1990 to December 2015. It was dedicated to news, commentary, politics, lifestyle and culture published in the United States. It was the oldest and most widely circulated English-

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

monthly magazine for the

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants). Although this term had historically been used fo ...

community. The magazine has featured prominent Asian American leaders, politicians, artists, entertainers, athletes and entrepreneurs. It also covered current events related to

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, Asian Americans,

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

s and communities of color. In 2018, the publication relaunched as ''KORE magazine''. In April 2019, ''KORE'' rebranded as '' Character Media''.

History

''KoreAm'' was founded by Jung Shig Ryu and James Ryu in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. The magazine highlighted news, stories, op-ed pieces and entertainment for the Kyopo community—ethnic Koreans living overseas, and primarily Koreans in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The magazine highlighted

Korean American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

perspectives on matters related to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, including North Korea's nuclear program, reunification, the

six-party talks The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing: * China * Japan * North Korea ...

, the deaths of South Korean presidents, the globalization of South Korean

pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...

, and peninsular tensions and conflicts. The magazine also addressed biracial and adoptee communities. ''KoreAm'' was the most widely circulated, longest-running, independent English-language publication serving the Korean American community. Two years after ''KoreAm's'' founding, the magazine became a major forum for the Korean community relating to the

1992 Los Angeles riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...

. The riots caused violence, arson, looting and lawlessness. Korean-run businesses were targeted during what has been dubbed this nation's first "multiethnic riot.""Globilization of Los Angeles: The First Multiethnic Riots", ''Los Angeles Times'', May 1992. ''KoreAm'' featured prominent Korean Americans on its cover. These stories included

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and musician. In her Stand-up comedy, stand-up routines she critiques social and political problems, especially about race and sexuality. She starred in the Ame ...

John Cho John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the '' Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series as well as '' Better Luck Tomorrow'', '' Columbus'', a ...

Daniel Dae Kim Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his many roles in network television and theater. In 2025, ''Time'' magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. On television, he portray ...

, Jane Kim, and Michelle Rhee. Stories also included a profile on

Pinkberry Pinkberry is a franchise of frozen dessert restaurants headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are currently over 260 stores in 20 countries. The first store was opened in January 2005 by Hye Kyung (Shelly) Hwang and Young Lee. The restaurant ...

founder Shelly Hwang, a ground level feature on the

Virginia Tech massacre The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree shooting that occurred on Monday, April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

, as well as packages on health care reform, education reform, gays in the military, and Korean Americans affected by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

. In 2003, ''KoreAm'' launched a sister publication, ''Audrey Magazine''. The magazine's official website was launched in 2009. London Trust Media, now Imperial Family Companies, acquired the magazine in 2014. The magazine ceased publication in December 2015. In 2021, a
archive
of previously published issues was created.

Staff

Editorial Julie Ha, Editor-in-Chief
Michelle Woo, Online Editor
Jiyoon Kim, Art Director

Marketing & Advertising James Ryu, Publisher
Joyce Park, Marketing Director
Esther Kim, Operations Manager Former Editors Corina Knoll
Jimmy Lee
John Lee
Kai Ma
Larry Tazuma

Publication history

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Accolades

2000

* Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (

GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...

) Media Award nominee

2002

* Outstanding Service on Behalf of the

community presented by the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California * Annual Community Service Award presented by the Korean American Coalition San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

2003

* New California Media Awards: Arts/Culture. * Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) Setter Award

2004

* New California Media Awards: International; Youth Voice; Workplace Issues/Economy; Investigative/In-depth (runner-up); Arts, Sports & Entertainment (runner-up)

2005

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, lette ...

Mark of Excellence Awards, Region 5: Best Nonfiction Magazine Features.

2008

* Asian Pacific American Community Award by United States Assembly member Ted Lieu

2009

* National New America Media Award in the category of Best In-Depth and Investigative Reporting for Kai Ma's "To Have and to Hold", a feature on

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage. It passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned by the ...

and the Korean American vote * National New America Media Honorable Mention in the category of Arts, Sports & Entertainment for Kai Ma's "High Rollers", a feature on high-stakes gambling. * National New America Media Award in the category of Race and Interethnic Relations for Julie Ha's "Neighborhood Watch", a feature on the large numbers of Koreans moving into the Los Angeles neighborhood known as Little Tokyo, one of the last Japantowns left in California.

2011

* Korean Churches in Community Development (KCCD) Legacy Award

2013

* Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) Leadership Award

References

External links

{{Portal, United States * https://web.archive.org/web/20100708064331/http://expo.newamericamedia.org/winners/best_in_depth_investigative_english *https://web.archive.org/web/20100717162419/http://expo.newamericamedia.org/winners/race_and_interethnic_relations * KoreAm Website (iamKoreAm.com)
Asian American Ethnic Media Survives Tough Times

Online Editions (CharacterMedia.com)
Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Monthly magazines published in the United States Asian-American magazines Defunct magazines published in the United States Korean-American organizations Magazines established in 1990 Magazines disestablished in 2015 Magazines published in California