Fitting to her musical moniker Ether, Soo Joo Park’s iridescent vocals lead you above a dream of cotton candy clouds into the everlasting promise of the sun. Covering the 1973 version of Haenim by Kim Jung Mi, the original is a pared-down, folk-rock version that feels like a sweet smile under the gaze of the sunrise.

It’s the touch of Desire infusing the haunting echoes of Soo Joo’s vocals that has us melting into a new dimension. Her impressions are deep and her expressions run wild. Soo Joo is a modern renaissance woman who can bob and weave from the East to the West while silently conquering her interests. Blonde Asian icon, Chanel Ambassador, L’oréal Beauty, boxer, and writer. She sings and plays the protagonist to the music video lensed by her love, David Alexander Flinn.

Haenim also stands as a directorial debut for David, who we know as DAF. He chose to juxtapose Soo Joo’s vocals against a grind-house vengeance narrative laced with his visual musings. Haenim becomes a soundtrack to a woman seeking freedom and justice on her own terms. We watch Soo Joo transform into the Korean American superhero we’ve all been waiting for. “A fearless warrior of light, reestablishing balance in the universe through avenging herself. She works through her pain as a victim to become her own hero, the sun rises as she is reborn as her new self.” 

The chorus translates to…” Lift up your face and look at the sky. Let’s ride on a rainbow to meet the sun. Come with me. Holding your hand in this eternal place. I look at the sun and live happily…” Solar eclipse, deserted motel, the woods, blood, murder. Haenim is a visual feast – a true romance of how DAF sees his love. With a double debut of music by Soo Joo and direction by David, they are born anew with their new found expressions close to the sun with Haenim.