EP03 Young Kim — Behind the K-Pop Curtain: Scandals, Soju, and Starting Over

Young Kim had a dream, a one-way ticket, and no real idea what he was walking into. As a member of S#arp and Uptown, he was a young kid from the States trying to learn to rap, dance, and sing in a language and culture that wasn't his own — all while being constantly scrutinized for the way he looked. The K-pop machine made him plenty of promises. It didn't keep all of them.His years in Korea took him through broadcast politics, industry scandals, and the kind of late-night soju conversations that either break you or bond you for life. He found his footing in radio and television, built a life far from home, and somehow kept a marriage intact through all of it.Then he came back to the States with no plan and had to start over from scratch. He sold cemetery plots at a funeral parlor. He hustled. He figured it out. Eventually he found a small restaurant in Inglewood — one that's been feeding the same neighborhood for eighty years, with a loyalty that spans generations. He wasn't looking for peace and contentment. He just followed the next open door until he found it.His drink of choice? Red top soju. Naturally.Every week, Sid and Han sit down with fascinating guests, each of whom arrives with a drink that means something to them. What follows is a conversation about the choices — big, small, accidental, and hard-won — that shaped who they are.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one.