Soon-Mi Yoo's Songs from the North (북녘에서 온 노래) online with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, July 27.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2014 Soon-Mi Yoo documentary Songs from the North (북녘에서 온 노래) on July 27, as the second installment of its online Summer Screenshots: Hot Nights And Cold War series. From a New York Times review:

More art-video installation than typical documentary, “Songs From the North” is mostly nonnarrative, drawing on North Korean film and TV clips to sketch a sensibility that — however stoked by propaganda — prizes family above all and melds that with a zealous commitment to the fatherland. Song and music invoke shared ideals of sacrifice, honor and patriotism; one televised event that features a young boy crying as he sings of his love of country — as an audience of dignitaries also sobs — is moving and disturbing.

. . .

Scattering history lessons and ambiguous imagery amid Ms. Yoo’s engagement with North Koreans, her film implicitly asks: What must they think of us?

The presentation runs from 4:00 to 7:00 pm; registration will be required, though the registration link does not yet show the July installment.

Garfield's Soju to reopen for take-out orders on May 14.

Soju, the Korean fusion restaurant in Garfield, will reopen for take-out orders on Thursday, May 14.

Takeout starting Thursday! Pickup available between 4pm-8pm. Call 412-956-7699 to order.

Soju closed temporarily on March 16. It is located at 4923 Penn Ave. (map).

Sumi's Cakery reopens for pick-up orders.

Sumi's Cakery, a Korean bakery in Squirrel Hill, as reopened for pick-up orders after temporarily closing due to the public health crisis. Says the new sign on the door:

Mask Required!
Max. 2 customers.
Please DO NOT touch pastries!
Kindly let us know and We will get them for you!  Thank you

Sumi's Cakery is located at 2119 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill (map). It is open 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Saturdays, and 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sundays.

2016 Korean film Train to Busan (부산행) watch party with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, May 13.

The next Wednesday Watch Party with Pitt's Asian Studies Center is the 2016 film Train to Busan (부산행) on May 13. From the Korean Movie Database:

A mysterious viral outbreak pushes Korea into a state of emergency! As an unidentified virus sweeps the country, Korean government declares martial law. Those on an express train to Busan, a city that has successfully fended off the viral outbreak, must fight for their own survival… 453 km from Seoul to Busan. The struggle to survive by those who have others to protect! Get on board to stay alive!

Those interested should register online and should have Netflix and the Netflix Party Google Chrome Extension.

Korean fried chicken place Chick'n Bubbly reopens for takeout and delivery.

Chick'n Bubbly, a Korean fried chicken and bubble tea place in Oakland, has reopened for takeout and delivery as of May 1. Next to Oishii Bento, and owned by the same team, it temporarily closed on April 1. It is located at 117 Oakland Ave. (map).

Oakland's Oishii Bento to reopen for takeout and delivery, May 1.

Oakland's Oishii Bento, which temporarily closed on April 1, announced today it will reopen for takeout and delivery from tomorrow. Oishii Bento is located at 119 Oakland Ave. (map).

Cancelled: Nicole Chung at City of Asylum, scheduled for May 11.

via nicolechung.net

City of Asylum has cancelled its event with author Nicole Chung, originally scheduled for May 11, along with all of its other programming in May.

Performances by Korea's Brush Theater and Kuniko Yamamoto halted as 2020 EQT Children's Festival cancelled.

via @brushtheatre.

The performances by Doodle POP! by Korea's Brush Theater and "Origami Tales" by Kuniko Yamamoto scheduled for next month's EQT Children's Festival have been cancelled, along with all Pittsburgh Cultural Trust programming through June 14.

Modified hours for Young's Oriental Grocery in Squirrel Hill.

Young's Oriental Grocery, a Korean grocery store in Squirrel Hill, also has modified its hours amid COVID-19. The new hours, as posted on its door, are 9:30 am to 6:30 am Monday through Saturday and 1:00 - 5:00 pm on Sunday. Young's is located at 5813 Forward Ave. (map).

Oakland's Oishii Bento, Chick n' Bubbly temporarily close.

Oakland's Oishii Bento and Chick n' Bubbly switched to take-out and delivery orders on March 16 in response to COVID-19, and announced today that they will temporarily close until further notice for the safety of staff and the community.

Pittsburgh-based Starkist hiring bilingual Korean-English assistant for position in American Samoa.

Starkist is hiring a bilingual Korean-English administrative assistant to serve as an interpreter and translator in American Samoa.
PURPOSE –

• Provide interpretation and translation for the Deputy Plant General Manager
• Produce summaries of meetings, reports, and correspondence
• Provide miscellaneous support for the Deputy GM
• Provide interpretation for Korean employees at StarKist

Cancelled: Korean Film Festival at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures' Korean Film Festival, scheduled for March 20 and 27, has been cancelled. No word yet on if it will run in the fall.

Keeping track of restaurants staying open for take-out and delivery options.

I recently started a thread on Facebook to help track the Asian restaurants that will be staying open for take-out and delivery service amid the shutdown.




Consider checking the comments to see which Asian restaurants will stay open in a limited capacity over the next few weeks.

Oishii Bento, Chick n' Bubbly shift to take-out orders, delivery, amid restaurant shut-down.

Following the news that bars and restaurants in Allegheny County have been ordered closed for the next two weeks, Oishii Bento and Chick n' Bubbly in Oakland have shifted exclusively to take-out or delivery orders.

Cancelled: "The Future of U.S. Policy on North Korea" with Frank Aum, March 23.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh event "The Future of U.S. Policy on North Korea" with host Frank Aum scheduled for March 23 has been cancelled.

Cancelled: Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes at Carnegie Libraries in March and April.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

All free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classes at the Carnegie Library branches are cancelled for March and April. As you might expect, this will likely be the case for most events scheduled over the next few weeks.

Global Wordsmiths hiring Korean Interpreter.

Pittsburgh-based Global Wordsmiths is hiring a Korean Interpreter based in Allegheny County.

Global Wordsmiths, a language service provider in Pittsburgh, PA, serves immigrants and refugees by eliminating language access barriers. We seek bilingual, professional applicants to work 5-15 hours a week interpreting for clients.

This work is in-person interpretation and is a great fit for those with flexible work schedules, stay-at-home parents, those re-entering the workforce, and graduate students. The majority of assignments for this language are located in Allegheny County during M-F 8-5pm, ranging from 1-5 hour shifts on average assigned with advance notice.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 18.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least March 12. A synopsis from the movie's official site:

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

It will continue locally at the Waterworks Cinema through March 18.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 12.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least March 12. A synopsis from the movie's official site:

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through March 5
• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through March 11
• Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills: now through March 5
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through March 5
• Southside Works Cinema: now through March 12
• Waterworks Cinema: now through March 11

Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh in March.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will continue to offer free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classes at some of its branches in March. Check out the class information below in addition to its language resources on the shelves and online.

As the library notes: these classes are free; registration is not required; no materials are needed and nothing needs to be bought; new participants are welcome at any time; classes are for adults (unless otherwise noted) but well-behaved young people are welcome to join as well.