By Honorary Reporter Lewis Hooper from U.K.

Photos = Clint Edwards

Emmy-nominated video journalist Clint Edwards works for Fox News 13 in Seattle. He was noticed for his work in Texas, when he covered rehoming displaced individuals after a severe storm.

He is also the creator and producer of the digital series "K-pop Catch Up," which aims to spread K-pop to a wider audience in America.

Clint Edwards is a video journalist based in Seattle who hosts the K-pop interview series "K-pop Catch Up" for Fox News 13. 

The following are excerpts from a July 8 interview with Edwards via Zoom.

Briefly introduce yourself.
I am a journalist based in Seattle for the news channel Fox News 13. I host a segment called "K-pop Catch Up," through which I've interviewed around 80 K-pop groups and offered fans unique insights into the industry's biggest names. Recently, I launched the new channel Fan Service, which takes a more relaxed approach in focusing on K-pop idols' daily lives instead of promoting their albums.

How did you get into news, especially coverage of K-pop?
I studied film in college and started my career in the film industry before applying to a news station in Alabama. After about 18 months, I moved to Texas and during the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered many K-pop idols doing Zoom interviews at the time. So I started sending out requests. My first interview was with OMEGA X, and from there, I built my connections.

What about K-pop do you think most Western audiences know little about?
When PSY's "Gangnam Style" went viral, it introduced K-pop to Western audiences, but the mainstream focus has since remained narrow, often limited to BTS and BLACKPINK. The dedication behind the success, years of training, sacrifices and relentless hard work aren't mentioned enough. That is why I started "K-pop Catch Up": to share these untold stories and offer a more human and nuanced view of K-pop artists.

Clint Edwards interviews Korean American singer and rapper Jay Park.

What are your favorite K-pop acts and why?

That's a difficult question, but I can share how my journey with K-pop began. In 2016, I discovered both BTS and Ailee, and it was Ailee who truly sparked my interest in exploring the genre further. By 2019, I saw the debuts of groups like ITZY and CIX and around that time, I became deeply engaged with ASTRO, who became my favorite. After that, I pretty much consumed every piece of their content online and bought all their albums.

What was your most memorable interview with a K-pop artist or industry figure?
I've done a lot of interviews with groups since their debuts. OMEGA X is a great example. I interviewed them right from the start and recently sat down with their unit OXN after four years. For me, it's all about seeing these groups grow and evolve.

My first in-person interview was with NCT DREAM. I got backstage access to their green room, and they looked like they just stepped out of a music video. Once we started talking, they were genuinely great guys with lots of talent. It's a moment I'll always remember.

Clint Edwards and NCT DREAM pose for a photo in a behind-the-scenes interview in Seattle.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.