K Pop Mix Tape, January 25 at Enclave.

Enclave will host K Pop Mix Tape, a travelling Kpop dance party, on January 25. Tickets for the 18+ show are available online. Enclave is located at 1602 E. Carson St. in the South Side (map).

Anime/Kpop Night at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar, December 23.

The Squirrel Hill Sports Bar will host another Anime/Kpop Night on December 23.

A night of your favorite anime, Korean, and Japanese Bops | Free Admission | Toys for Tots Donations Being Accepted | Cosplay Highly Encouraged

IT runs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am at 5832 Forward Ave. (map).

Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver with Korean punk band Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (드링킹소년소녀합창단) in Pittsburgh, March 14.

The Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver will perform at Spirit Hall on March 14 with Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (드링킹소년소녀합창단) . Tickets are now available online; PennsylvAsia will be doing a ticket giveaway on social media as the concert gets closer. Spirit Hall is located at 242 51st St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Concert film Seventeen Tour 'Follow' to Japan: Live Viewing in Pittsburgh, December 16.

The concert film featuring Korean group Seventeen, Seventeen Tour 'Follow' to Japan: Live Viewing, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 16.

Broadcast live from Japan’s Fukuoka PayPay Dome, SEVENTEEN TOUR ‘FOLLOW’ TO JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING comes to cinemas across the globe. The group have significantly grown in popularity since our 2022 release POWER OF LOVE THE MOVIE, selling 10 million albums worldwide this year alone. Preorders for SEVENTEEN's album "Seventeenth Heaven" surpassed 4.67 million copies worldwide, a record for the boy band. The K-pop icons will showcase their versatility with special unit performances by the Vocal Unit, Performance Unit, and Hip-hop Unit, each bringing their unique sound and charisma to the stage. The release comes with full band support across all relevant channels, including project-specific shout-outs inviting fans to attend the live event.

It is scheduled to play, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in Robinson and Monaca. Tickets for the 5:00 pm show are available online.

2023 concert film NCT NATION : To the World in Cinemas in Pittsburgh-area theaters, December 6 and 10.

The 2023 concert film from Korean boyband NCT, NCT NATION : To the World in Cinemas, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 6 and 10.

"NCT NATION : To The World in Cinemas" marks the exciting start of NCT's journey to share their unique music and spectacular performances with the world, reaffirming their position as pioneers in the K-Pop genre. The brand-new concert film encompasses current NCT units - NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV - creating an unparalleled collaborative spectacle in this must-see worldwide theatrical event. Captured from the Munhak Stadium in Incheon, Korea, and celebrating NCT's fourth full album release, 'Golden Age,' it's NCT's inaugural group show and the first film to capture the infinite charm of NCT NATION. Alongside the main concert, enjoy glimpses behind the scenes - it's all right here! Don’t miss this big-screen concert event with NCTzens across the globe!

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Anime/Kpop Night at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar, December 23.

The Squirrel Hill Sports Bar will host another Anime/Kpop Night on December 23.

A night of your favorite anime, Korean, and Japanese Bops | Free Admission | Toys for Tots Donations Being Accepted | Cosplay Highly Encouraged

IT runs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am at 5832 Forward Ave. (map).

2003 Park Chan-wook film Oldboy (올드보이) in Pittsburgh, November 24 - 30.

The 2003 Korean film Oldboy (올드보이) will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from November 24 through 30 as part of the "Masters of the Long Take" series.

In Park Chan-wook's brutal and lucid action masterpiece, a desperate businessman has no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged, and tortured for 15 years and seeks revenge on his captors.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Concert film Seventeen Tour 'Follow' to Japan: Live Viewing in Pittsburgh, December 16.

The concert film featuring Korean group Seventeen, Seventeen Tour 'Follow' to Japan: Live Viewing, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 16.

Broadcast live from Japan’s Fukuoka PayPay Dome, SEVENTEEN TOUR ‘FOLLOW’ TO JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING comes to cinemas across the globe. The group have significantly grown in popularity since our 2022 release POWER OF LOVE THE MOVIE, selling 10 million albums worldwide this year alone. Preorders for SEVENTEEN's album "Seventeenth Heaven" surpassed 4.67 million copies worldwide, a record for the boy band. The K-pop icons will showcase their versatility with special unit performances by the Vocal Unit, Performance Unit, and Hip-hop Unit, each bringing their unique sound and charisma to the stage. The release comes with full band support across all relevant channels, including project-specific shout-outs inviting fans to attend the live event.

It is scheduled to play, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in Robinson and Monaca. Tickets for the 5:00 pm show are available online.

2023 concert film NCT NATION : To the World in Cinemas in Pittsburgh-area theaters, December 6 and 10.

The 2023 concert film from Korean boyband NCT, NCT NATION : To the World in Cinemas, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 6 and 10.

"NCT NATION : To The World in Cinemas" marks the exciting start of NCT's journey to share their unique music and spectacular performances with the world, reaffirming their position as pioneers in the K-Pop genre. The brand-new concert film encompasses current NCT units - NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV - creating an unparalleled collaborative spectacle in this must-see worldwide theatrical event. Captured from the Munhak Stadium in Incheon, Korea, and celebrating NCT's fourth full album release, 'Golden Age,' it's NCT's inaugural group show and the first film to capture the infinite charm of NCT NATION. Alongside the main concert, enjoy glimpses behind the scenes - it's all right here! Don’t miss this big-screen concert event with NCTzens across the globe!

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2003 Park Chan-wook film Oldboy (올드보이) in Pittsburgh, November 24 - 30.

The 2003 Korean film Oldboy (올드보이) will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from November 24 through 30 as part of the "Masters of the Long Take" series.

In Park Chan-wook's brutal and lucid action masterpiece, a desperate businessman has no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged, and tortured for 15 years and seeks revenge on his captors.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Korean singer BoyWithUke coming to Pittsburgh, April 27.

Korean singer BoyWithUke will perform in Pittsburgh on April 27 as part of his Lucid Dreams Tour. Ones To Watch summarized his sound in 2021:

While BoyWithUke’s music may drift toward popular indie and lo-fi sounds, incorporating his ukelele sets him apart from other artists heading down the same sonic path. In addition, his instrumental talent adds a fresh layer of artistry, blurring the line between acoustic and electronic beat sounds, often making you forget that one or the other is even there.

He will play at Stage AE and tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online.

2019 documentary Geographies of Kinship at Pitt, November 10.

The 2019 documentary Geographies of Kinship will play at the University of Pittsburgh on November 10.

In honor of National Adoption Month, the Pitt Adoption Community for Education is screening Geographies of Kinship. The film follows four adult adoptees as they return to Korea, their country of birth, and recover the personal histories that were lost when they were adopted in the U.S. We'll have tea and cookies and open discussion after the film.

The Pitt Adoption Community for Education includes faculty from the English Department at the Oakland and Greensburg campuses.

It starts at 7:00 pm in 118E Mervis Hall (map).

Korean BBQ (코리안 바베큐) in Oakland eyes January opening.

The new all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place coming soon to Oakland is eyeing a January opening, according to ownership. The new restaurant will be called Korean BBQ (코리안 바베큐), and it has recently put up new signage at its 414 Semple St. (map) storefront. The menu will consist of Korean-style self-grill meats, along with various Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dishes available for take-out.

Pitt's Korean Student Association hosts Michelle Zauner, October 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Korean Student Association will host Michelle Zauner on October 28.

what’s that I hear??? 📣⁉️Michelle Zauner, lead vocalist of the band Japanese Breakfast & author of the book Crying in Hmart, is coming to Pitt campus?!?! 😱🙊😎

‼️join KSA on October 28 from 5-7 PM at the Cathedral of Learning Room G24 for a conversation with Michelle‼️ we will be discussing themes such as loss, cultural identity, familial bonds, Korean heritage, breaking out into the music industry as an Asian American artist, and the power of her dreamy, poignant, and unique music & writing to be a source of inspiration for many, whether you are of Asian descent or not 🌍

🗣️🗣️🗣️ pssst I heard she’s also doing book autograph signings towards the end of the event 🙊 feel free to bring a copy of her book, Crying in Hmart 🤭

The event is free but registration is encouraged as seating is limited.

English Korean Language Social Hour, November 1 at Pitt.

via @VisitSeoul 

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present an Korean-English Language Social Hour on November 1.

A language and cultural exchange between Pitt language learners and international speakers..

The event runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall, and is open to members of the Pitt community. Registration is required.

Moving closer to new Korean BBQ place in Oakland.

More signage is up at the all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place under development in Oakland, this time featuring new photos of menu items and new blue lighting on the windows. The yet-unnamed restaurant will be in the spot formerly occupied by Korea Garden at 414 Semple St. (map). The menu advertises $27.99 for adults with over 30 types of meats; Korean dishes like bibimbap, jjajangmyeon, ramyeon, and bulgogi; Korean appetizers like mandu, japchae, and gaeranjim; and a selection of other Asian items like sichuan noodles, Chinese-style jajangmen, orange chicken, and fried rice.

Korea Garden closed in June in preparation for a new restaurant at Novo Asian Food Hall in the Strip District Terminal, which is set to open any week now according to social media posts today. Signage for this new BBQ place went up in September, after the building was bought by Jiyan An of Dormont in March.

Pittsburgh's Tous Les Jours now hiring.

A "Now Hiring" sign went up at the Tous Les Jours coming soon to East Liberty. The Korean bakery chain is opening its first Pittsburgh location in Eastside Bond Building C, across the street from Target (map). Those interested in employment opportunities should email TLJEastbond@gmail.com or phone 724-553-8223.

Signage first went up in June, though it will likely be a few more months before it's close to ready to open.  Tous Les Jours is the first of the big Korean bakery chains to announce a Pittsburgh spot (though it was followed about two months later by another one), and will complement Sumi's Cakery, which has been Pittsburgh's lone Korean bakery since it opened in 2012.  Tous Les Jours, says its US website, "has developed into a reputable neighborhood bakery specializing in French-Asian inspired baked goods, hand crafted beverages and bold, flavorful coffee and espresso made with the finest ingredients."
via @TousLesJoursUSA

2022 documentary Beyond Utopia, about families attempting to escape North Korea, in Pittsburgh October 23 and 24.

The 2022 documentary Beyond Utopia will play in Pittsburgh on October 23 and 24. A summary, from the Sundance Film Festival where the documentary made its premiere earlier this year:

A suspenseful look at the lengths people will go to gain freedom, Beyond Utopia follows various individuals as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on Earth, a land they grew up believing was a paradise. At the film’s core are a mother desperate to reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind, a family of five — including small children and an elderly grandmother — embarking on a treacherous journey across the Yalu River and into the hostile mountains of China, and a man of God on a mission to help these desperate souls. Leaving their homeland is fraught with danger — severe punishment if caught and possibly even execution — as well as potential exploitation by unscrupulous brokers. Family members who remain behind also may face retribution. Yet these individuals are driven to take the risk.

Gripping, visceral, and urgent, Madeleine Gavin’s film embeds the viewer with these family members as they attempt their perilous escape, palpably conveying life-or-death stakes. The result is a singular, illuminating, and unforgettable experience.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Classic in Greensburg, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

University of Pittsburgh hiring Teaching Professor of Korean Studies.

The University of Pittsburgh is hiring a Teaching Professor of Korean Studies (Open Rank) to support its new Korean major.  An excerpt from the job posting:

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for a Teaching Professor (of any rank) position in Korean culture and visual culture, pending budgetary approval. The successful candidate should possess a primary disciplinary training in Korean literature and culture and strong competence in film and media studies, performance studies, or a closely related discipline. A Ph.D. in Korean Studies or related field is required by the time of appointment. 

The appointment starts immediately. The teaching load is six courses per year. The appointee will teach current undergraduate courses, develop new courses in the area of their specialization, help develop a new Korean major, and participate in the department’s interdisciplinary MA program. The successful candidate must demonstrate strengths as a teacher at all levels. The candidate must have native or near-native user of Korean and English in all language skill areas. In addition, the new hire should be willing to take an active leadership role for a vigorous growth of the Korean program and to collaborate closely with the established Korean language program. Besides working closely with other Korea studies faculty, the individual hired for this position is expected to collaborate with Asianists in other units to promote Korea studies and visual studies. 

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from October 14.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from October 14. The beginner classes run from 12:45 to 1:30 pm in Classroom A of the Oakland (Main) branch; a summary:

In this beginner-level class, we will use the textbook published by the Korean government for foreigners who learn Korean as a secondary language.

To get the most out of the class, it is recommended that you have a basic understanding of how to read and write Korean characters, known as 'Hangul'. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to expand your vocabulary and gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively organize sentence structures.

The Intermediate classes start at 12:00 pm, and the Advanced class runs from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm:

In our advanced-level Korean class, we will delve into the official textbook sanctioned by the Korean government for non-native Korean learners. Prior to enrolling, we expect you to possess a foundational grasp of conversational Korean. Throughout this course, we will explore intricate aspects of Korean grammar and expand your vocabulary, enabling you to engage in more sophisticated oral and written communication based on the topics covered in each lesson.

Registration is required to participate and can be completed at the links above. The classes run six Saturdays in October and November: 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18. The Oakland branch of the Carneige Library of Pittsburgh is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by numerous city bus lines.