Recently, Lewis Hooper from the UK and veteran Honorary reporter had an exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes and interview Emmy-nominated Clint Edwards, known for his work as an interviewer at Fox News 13 and his K-pop coverage with his own show K-pop Catch Up. This interview was conducted through Zoom on July 8th 2025. (All photos in this article were provided by Clint Edwards)
Meet Clint Edwards
My name is Clint Edwards, and I am a journalist in Seattle Washington for a local news channel called Fox News 13, and I have my own series called K-pop Catch up, where I have interviewed around 80 K-pop groups and counting.
More recently, I have started an exciting new channel called 'Fan Service' which takes a more relaxed approach as it focuses on K-pop idols day to day lives without the main focus on album promoting.
How Journalism & K-pop Catch Up “Just Happened”
"K-pop journalism kind of just happened," Clint explains. “I initially studied film in college, and after trying my hand in the film industry, I applied to a local news station that was hiring. This was a small outlet in Alabama.”
After about eighteen months, Clint relocated to Texas. It was during the 2020 pandemic that he discovered K-pop. He also noticed many K-pop artists were conducting interviews via Zoom, which spared an idea. "I started sending out my own requests," he recalls. "This was around the time of OMEGA X , and that's how I secured my very first interview." From there, he steadily built his connections to where he is today.
From Journalist to Emmy Nominee: How It Happened
Clint explained that "While I'd love an Emmy for K-pop, my nomination actually came during my time in Texas, in the News and Journalism category. It was for news coverage I did during a severe storm, focusing on re-homing displaced individuals." Here's hoping a K-pop category emerges in the near future – that would be amazing!
Think You Know K-Pop? One Major Misconception Western Audiences Have
Back in the day, artists like PSY with "Gangnam Style" really put K-pop on the map for Western audiences. It was this massive, undeniable moment. But since that initial explosion, I think a lot of what Westerners, especially those who aren't deep into K-pop, tend to see is often the "dark side" – you know, the kind of documentaries the BBC puts out. Or, it's just content revolving around BTS or BLACKPINK, because they're the big names that broke through.
What I believe Western audiences often miss is the idol themselves. Yes, these artists are a product of their company's system, but people don't see the immense hard work that goes into being successful. They don't see the gruelling training, the constant struggle to stand out in an incredibly competitive industry. It's not just about catchy songs and flashy performances; it's about years of dedication, sacrifice, and an almost unimaginable level of effort.
From a purely American perspective, our mainstream knowledge of K-pop is pretty much limited to BTS and BLACKPINK. But even within that, the understanding of the artists as individuals and their journey is often lacking. It's a shame, because there's so much more to it. We do have things like "K-pop Demon Hunters" now, which is starting to bring a bit more substance and nuance to the conversation, which is definitely a step in the right direction.
My K-Pop Picks
Do I have a favourite K-pop group or artist? That's a tough one, but I can tell you about how I got hooked. Back in 2016, I actually discovered BTS and Ailee at the same time. Ailee really opened the door for me to a lot of other K-pop artists.
Then, towards the end of 2019, I saw ITZY and CIX debut. That same year, I really dove deep into ASTRO, who quickly became my favourite group of all time. After that, I pretty much consumed every piece of their content online and bought all their albums.
The Interview That Stayed With Me: A K-Pop Story
Honestly, I do so many interviews that I've started doing repeat interviews, following groups right from the beginning of their K-pop journey. That's something not a lot of other interviewers or channels do. OMEGA X is a great example; I got them right from the start, and I actually just interviewed their first unit, OXN, four days ago. That's four years after my initial interviews with OMEGA X! For me, it's all about seeing these groups grow and evolve.
But my first ever in-person interview? That was with NCT DREAM. I reached out to the venue, and somehow, I was allowed to go backstage into their green room. The guys walked in looking exactly like they stepped out of a music video – totally unreal. But then we started talking, and they were just such great guys who make incredible music. I'll always remember that moment.
The K-Pop Grind
My entire social media algorithm is just K-pop, and honestly, it's been that way for a while. I've been following the scene since 2016, but it really picked up for me around 2019. It feels like there's just so much more happening now—so many summer comebacks and new groups debuting, it's a constant stream.
Finally Visiting Korea!
Guess what? I'm actually going to be coming to Korea for the first time this October! I'll be there for two weeks, and honestly, I'm beyond excited to finally experience Korean culture first-hand. I've even been taking Korean classes on and off for the past couple of years whenever I can squeeze them in, so I'm really looking forward to putting what I've learned to use!
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