San Diego-based director, actor, writer and pinup model Jennifer Linch hasn't been sleeping much lately.

Born in Can Tho, Vietnam, the multi-faceted star has been hard at work on her upcoming action comedy "The Dream," the culmination of her six years of karate training.

Earlier this month, Linch spoke to KpopStarz about a trend she has noticed of K-pop stars mixing music with martial arts in their videos.

"The Baekho teaser [for NU'EST's new video 'Face'] has excellent cinematography, which is my main focus in any of my martial arts films," Linch said.

"The slow motion adds a dramatic look to the feel of the video. They have the best cinematographer and editor in the industry [Kyle Hanagami ] to do this clip. The lighting and sound are perfect. The talent in the video really knows martial arts. The way Baekho holds the katana shows his years of practicing. This video is mesmerizing."

But K-pop artists evoking martial arts movies isn't just a recent phenomenon. The mid-20s model-turned-director also cited TVXQ's 2011 hit "Before U Go" as an excellent example of fighting moves set to music.

"The 'Before U Go' video shows a clear understanding of how to make a martial arts project," Linch said. "The choreography is excellent and the editing is at a fast pace with multiple angles that add to the dramatic effect. These actors do know martial arts, which is admirable."

When asked to single out one Hallyu artist that she would most like to work with, Linch picked Tao of the group EXO.

"I have a tremendous respect for his martial arts skills," she said. "These moves would take more than 10 years in training which takes a lot of discipline, hard work and dedication. He is multitalented which is always an attribute that a director like me looks for."

But Linch admits to developing a strong respect for many of South Korean artists clearly well-versed in fighting technique.

"I was surprised that a lot of K-pop stars really have years of training in martial arts, which is very respectable," she said. "I find their talents and skills are very attractive."