KoreAm, or KoreAm Journal, was a monthly print magazine 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 monthly magazine for the Asian American community. The magazine has featured prominent Asian American leaders, politicians, artists, entertainers, athletes and entrepreneurs. It also covered current events related to North Korea, South Korea, Asian Americans, immigrants 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 magazine highlighted Korean American perspectives on matters related to Korea, including North Korea's nuclear program, reunification, the six-party talks, the deaths of South Korean presidents, the globalization of South Korean pop culture, 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 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, John Cho, Daniel Dae Kim, Jane Kim, and Michelle Rhee. Stories also included a profile on Pinkberry founder Shelly Hwang, a ground level feature on the Virginia Tech massacre, as well as packages on health care reform, education reform, gays in the military, and Korean Americans affected by Hurricane Katrina.
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, an 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 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 1 No. 1April 1990Get Involved!Vol. 1 No. 2May 1990Perspectives on the REAL Oldest ProfessionVol. 1 No. 3June 1990Koreans Take Vacations? Oh Yes They Do...Vol. 1 No. 4July 1990North Korean Resistance to Reform Will Determine her FateVol. 1 No. 5August 1990Vol. 1 No. 6September 1990Vol. 1 No. 7October 1990United Motherland Still an Elusive DreamVol. 1 No. 8November 1990LA and OC College Students UniteVol. 1 No. 9December 1990Koreans Lack Thanksgiving Spirit
1991 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 2 No. 1January 1991Anti-Asian Crimes Abound in 1990Vol. 2 No. 2February 1991KAs Take Stand on Gulf WarVol. 2 No. 3March 1991KA Churches Provide FoundationVol. 2 No. 4April 1991KAs Seek Political EmpowermentVol. 2 No. 5May 1991New Beginning for Blacks, KoreansVol. 2 No. 6June 1991Vol. 2 No. 7July 1991New Life for Forsaken Korean ChildrenVol. 2 No. 8August 1991Spicing Up the SummerVol. 2 No. 9September 1991Meeting the needs of the CommunityVol. 2 No. 10October 1991The Humanness of DeathVol. 2 No. 11November 1991View from OutsideVol. 2 No. 12December 1991True Meaning of Christmas
1992 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 3 No. 1January 1992Special: The Korean Community, 1992Vol. 3 No. 2February 1992Special: Timely Advice from Tax ExpertsVol. 3 No. 3March 1992Karlin Controversy: Politics in JusticeVol. 3 No. 4April 1992Recession Hits Koreatown, U.S.A.Vol. 3 No. 5May 1992Vol. 3 No. 6June 1992Rebuilding Our CommunityVol. 3 No. 7July 1992Inside: Bill Clinton National Economic StrategyVol. 3 No. 8August 1992Golden MomentVol. 3 No. 9September 1992Vol. 3 No. 10October 1992Decision TimeVol. 3 No. 11November 1992Vol. 3 No. 12December 1992Homeless for the Holidays
1993 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 4 No. 1January 19931992 RecordedVol. 4 No. 2February 1993Double JeopardyVol. 4 No. 3March 1993Inside: A Conversation With Ted Oh After the L.A. OpenVol. 4 No. 4April 19934.29: Not Just A MemoryVol. 4 No. 5May 1993Wooing L.A. Vol. 4 No. 6June 1993Going Inside Hollywood with Phillip RheeVol. 4 No. 7July 1993Three, Plus One, On the EdgeVol. 4 No. 8August 1993The Queer IssueVol. 4 No. 9September 1993Interracial RelationshipsVol. 4 No. 10October 1993A Violent World at Home Vol. 4 No. 11November 1993HIV AIDS: Korean Americans on Death and LivingVol. 4 No. 12December 1993The Hard Life of a Korean American Grocer
1994 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 5 No. 1January 19941993-1994Vol. 5 No. 2February 1994Vol. 5 No. 3March 1994New Kid in TownVol. 5 No. 4April 1994Sports FeverVol. 5 No. 5May 1994Korean American Women of the 90sVol. 5 No. 6June 1994Vol. 5 No. 7July 1994America in Perspective: A Reality Check for Korean Americans from North South East and WestVol. 5 No. 8August 1994From Standup to Sitcom: Korean-American Comedienne Margaret Cho Approaches Stardom a Heartbeat AwayVol. 5 No. 9September 1994Young at Heart Vol. 5 No. 10October 1994Invisible DiseaseVol. 5 No. 11November 1994Election '94Vol. 5 No. 12December 1994High Times
1995 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 6 No. 1January 1995Vol. 6 No. 2February 1995The Aftershock of Sexual HarassmentVol. 6 No. 3March 1995The Solid Gold MountainVol. 6 No. 4April 1995Hopeless Ground...Vol. 6 No. 5May 1995Consumer Asian America: Inside the New Frontier Vol. 6 No. 6June 1995House of Love: One Man's Journey and His Crusade Against AddictionVol. 6 No. 7July 1995Golden YearsVol. 6 No. 8August 1995Disaster in SeoulVol. 6 No. 9September 1995Chongshindae: A Crime Against HumanityVol. 6 No. 10October 1995War Against ImmigrantsVol. 6 No. 11November 1995Korean Americans Deliberate on the Simpson Verdict and the Divided CountryVol. 6 No. 12December 1995Praying for a Miracle
1996 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 7 No. 1January 19961996 Preview; 1995 in ReviewVol. 7 No. 2February 1996Unifying the Community Vol. 7 No. 3March 1996Hey, Mr. DJ!Vol. 7 No. 4April 1996Silent Voices No MoreVol. 7 No. 5May 1996Fearsome FoursomeVol. 7 No. 6June 1996A Woman's Legacy: Helie Lee and K. Connie KangVol. 7 No. 7July 1996Our Silence is DeafeningVol. 7 No. 8August 1996Touching the Hearts of the UntouchableVol. 7 No. 9September 1996The Society of Heritage PerformersVol. 7 No. 10October 1996United We Stand. Divided We FallVol. 7 No. 11November 1996When Tensions Run AgroundVol. 7 No. 12December 1996Rekindling the Lost Memory of Love
1997 +IssueDateCover StoryVol. 8 No. 1January 1997KoreAm 1996: A Look BackVol. 8 No. 2February 1997AAs Flock to WashingtonVol. 8 No. 3March 1997Patricia Shin: Meet the PressVol. 8 No. 4April 1997Do You Remember 'Sa-I-Gu'?Vol. 8 No. 5May 1997The Quagmire of Race: The Community Coalition and the Liquor Store ControversyVol. 8 No. 6June 1997Tough WomenVol. 8 No. 7July 1997The President's Choice: Angela OhVol. 8 No. 8August 1997Vol. 8 No. 9September 1997Tragedy of Korean Air Flight 801Vol. 8 No. 10October 1997Shining Bright in WattsVol. 8 No. 11November 1997Rockin' the WorldVol. 8 No. 12December 1997In the Absence of Son
1998 +Issue DateCover StorySubheadingVol. 9 No. 1January 1998Three Times Ahn The Ahn Trio: Classical Music Never Looked So GoodVol. 9 No. 2February 1998Wonder Twin Powers (Politically) Activate! Chicago's Pugh sisters are making waves from IL to Capitol HillVol. 9 No. 3March 1998Reels of FortuneFortune4's Asian Am Showcase in the Indie CityVol. 9 No. 4April 1998Jay C. The Politically Incorrect KimVol. 9 No. 5May 1998With All His Friend's Waiting...Sin's gonna be late...in Yellow—a movie about fear and facing upVol. 9 No. 6June 1998Chairmen of the BoardPro skateboarders Daewon Song and Gideon ChoiVol. 9 No. 7July 1998And the Winner is...Arli$$ star Sandra Oh's got talent, wit and a bevy of best actress awards. Could the Oscars be next?Vol. 9 No. 8August 1998The 100th issueVol. 9 No. 9September 1998Se Ri's Iron WillVol. 9 No. 10October 1998Reaping What They SewThree fashion designers: Each has a vision through the eye of a needleVol. 9 No. 11November 1998Pacific PowerFour in Hawaii impact the islandsVol. 9 No. 12December 1998The Silent Famine
1999 +IssueDateCover StorySubheadingVol. 10 No. 1January 1999Mother Nature's SonEnvironmentalist, author, retired CEO by age 21. Media-savvy Danny Seo is just getting started. Can his name brand save the earth?Vol. 10 No. 2February 1999The Cho Must Go OnAfter several years out of the spotlight, comedian Margaret Cho returns under a different glowVol. 10 No. 3March 1999Born Again...GayQueers on sexual conversion and the ex-gay miniseriesVol. 10 No. 4April 1999Angel of the CityVol. 10 No. 5May 1999Spice on IceAmerica's newest skating sensation, 13-year-old Naomi Nari NamVol. 10 No. 6June 199950 Novel Ideasand the Korean Americans who put them in writingVol. 10 No. 7July 1999Love and Hapa-nessProfiles of the mixed-race experienceVol. 10 No. 8August 1999Mouse Hunt10 websites to seek outVol. 10 No. 9September 1999Return of the NativeChang-Rae Lee's second novel confronts the touchy topic of comfort womenVol. 10 No. 10October 1999Where are all the good Korean men?Vol. 10 No. 11November 1999No Gun Ri: A Bridge to the PastRecent allegations of wholesale civilian slaughter by American troops spark memories of Korean WarVol. 10 No. 12December 1999Risky BusinessRick Yune Gambles on Showbiz and Wins
2000 +IssueDateCover StorySubheadingVol. 11 No. 1January 2000Building a LegacyArchitect Vernon Pounds and his latest creation, the Staples CenterVol. 11 No. 2February 2000Love Korean American StyleKoreAm Asks 16 Celebrities to Reveal Their Secrets on RomanceVol. 11 No. 3March 2000Finding the Right NotesViolin virtuosos Sarah Chang, Richard Chon and Cara Chang are playing their own tunesVol. 11 No. 4April 2000Naked TruthPlayboy Model/Actress Sung Hi LeeVol. 11 No. 5May 2000Incredible JourneyThe Adopted Korean American ExperienceVol. 11 No. 6June 2000Portraits of WarSharing the Tragedies & Triumphs of the Korean War - 50 Years LaterVol. 11 No. 7July 2000The NaturalSlugger Hee Seop Choi Goes From A Kwangju Farm to Chicago Cubs FarmVol. 11 No. 8August 2000Will PowerActor Will Yun lee's got a mind for successVol. 11 No. 9September 2000A Golden SacrificeEsther Kim's unlikely path to Olympic TriumphVol. 11 No. 10October 2000The ProducerPatrick Choi's "The Watcher" debuts at Number OneVol. 11 No. 11November 2000Funny People 101Three Korean American class clowns at comedy's school of hard knocks Vol. 11 No. 12December 2000A Man of ImportT.S. Chung plays politics at the U.S. Department of Commerce
2001