and women of society just, like, acting like animals. and i was like, oh, everything i ve, like, been taught and, and learned my whole life is just disintegrating before my eyes. but, in the end, we re you know, from great disasters come great things, right? i mean, koreatown burned down. but it s like we own l.a. now. it s, like, half of l.a. jim: now it s korean culture. k-pop and psy all over the world influence, you know? anthony: the filmmakers. all the, all the top, uh, korean filmmakers are in hollywood. jim: oh, yeah. korean, uh, culture david: [ clears throat ] what about me? jim: yeah, you. anthony: artists, right. yeah, right. jim: except you. jane: sorry. sorry, david. it s incredible. [ laughter ] david: today, i went into all the ways different ways you guys used to beat us when we were kids. the stress positions, like, you know. anthony: yeah, but what david: all the korean punishments. anthony: what s remarkable to me is that every kid
david: she brainwashed me. from the time we were kids, she d, she was like, you re the best artist in the world. you re the best artist in the world. jane: you are. david: oh, thanks. [ laughter ] but now she s telling me she s going to be the best artist in the world. so, she s very competitive. she said she s going to destroy me. jane: awesome. [ laughter ] anthony: food is ready. david: so, do you want to explain what everything is, mom? jane: the food i prepared tonight is a very common korean food. which is a beef ribs, uh, stew. david: the kimchi s looking fresh. jane: yeah, the kimchi s fresh. jim: today is, uh, chestnut rice. jane: no one has this kind of rice. david: it s a special rice. jane: special rice for anthony, you know. david: and then stuffed peppers.
jane: oh, yeah. that s the way we learn from the generation to generation. we don t know why. anthony: to take a peek into the dark heart of the korean psyche, maybe it helps to get familiar with han. it s a concept that, for non-koreans, can be difficult to fully grasp. david: all right. you want it? here we go. han denotes a collective feeling of oppression and isolation in the face of overwhelming odds. it connotes aspects of lament and un-avenged injustice. anthony: wow. david: in some occasions, anthropologists have recognized han as cultural-specific medical condition. someone who dies of han is jane: right. david: is said to have died of [ speaking korean ] [ speaking korean ] jane: it s a heartburn. it s heartburn. anthony: wow. i mean, it s been described to me in a way that made it sound benign. this is a burning, uh, sense of injustice, besiegement, and, and desire for revenge. david: the han is the reason why, like, we are who we are. but it s also t
[ speaking korean ] david: it s true, dad. we all look the same. [ laughter ] rsh roirk jane: i love it. anthony: he may be a korean gone bad, but dave cho still tries, best he can, to be a good son. he bought them this house in los feliz and visits for family meals, often. in fact, when we first met, sensing it had been a long time without a true home-cooked meal, he invited me to dinner with them. so, guests are not unusual. jane cho is an amazing cook. jane: it s going to be very delicious. david: mom? dad? [ speaking korean ] david: look who s here. jim: hello. david: mom, anthony s here. jane: can you smell something? anthony: oh, yeah. jane: yeah. anthony: good stuff. jane: yeah, all the good stuff s coming. maybe somebody going to hire me later. [ laughter ] anthony: okay, which ones are you? are you the eldest? david: i m the middle.
jane: oh, that s david s favorite. anthony: chung po mook seaweed and jellied mung bean. japchae vermicelli noodles with shiitake mushrooms and vegetables. avocado egg rolls, fried squid, and shrimps. potato pancake. often at the cho house there s a few mexican dishes sprinkled in as well. it is always a great meal, i can tell you that. david: thanks, mom. this is delicious. jane: this is awesome. [ laughter ] anthony: it, it is indeed. thank you. jane: i love it. anthony: during the riots of 92, jim and jane cho worked as real estate agents and property managers. so the destruction in koreatown had a direct impact on their lives. the chos watched from home as the chaos unfolded on tv. after the riots, jim wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the l.a. times . jim: i am extremely angry with the lapd for their outrageous action. while the cops let looters run wild and rape our city, they somehow had time to bother korean shop owners guarding their stor