Korea Deconstructed

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I speak with Nika Pasko about the relationship between Russia and North Korea, and how historical memory and ideology help bring the two countries together. From competing interpretations of the past to the places and symbols through which history is remembered, we explore how yesterday continues to shape the politics of today. Nika Pasko is a PhD candidate...

A lot is said about Korea online. In fact, one of the easiest ways to attract attention on social media these days seems to be to feature Korea in your content. This has been good for the country in many ways, raising awareness, building pride, and showcasing its fantastic transformation from a country devastated by war and division into a cultural and economic powerhouse. But social media rewards...

Nathalie Marver-Kwon is a visiting researcher at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who studies inbound immigration from the Korean diaspora. Nathalie's substack: https://nathaliemk.substack.com/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Introduction 2:13 The History of Koryo Saram 14:03 Koryo Saram in Central Asia 20:55 Koryo Saram, the Church, and South Korea 28:20 The Overseas Koreans Act 37:50 Koryo Saram Com...

Korea is a country of skyscrapers and semiconductors, but if you go south, far south, you find a different version of the country. you find Jeju Island and the Haenyeo (해녀). They are women who have outlasted empires, Japanese occupation, and the modern world's desperate attempt to turn them into a souvenir. Kylie Genter decided to join them and now shares stories about the realities, the communi...

Dr. Alexander Douglas serves as a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews. His work navigates Eastern and Western thought, focusing on the philosophy of religion, Spinoza, and early Daoism. In his latest book, Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, he draws a line between the Zhuangzi, Spinoza, and René Girard to argue that our obsession with a fixed self is the...

Dr. Remco Breuker, one of the world's leading scholars of pre-modern Korea, joins us to explore the Samguk Yusa, a treasure trove of Korean myth, history, and folklore. We dive into the kingdom of Goryeo, its ruling elites, the position of women, the reality of slavery in old Korea, and why this period remains so misunderstood today. From women tigers to creation myths, from royal power struggles...

South Korea's first presidents are often remembered as either heroes or villains. But history is rarely that simple. Historian Jihoon Suk joins Korea Deconstructed to explore the country's first five leaders, the social and cultural times they inhabited, and how their legacies continue to shape Korea today. Jihoon Suk is a historian and PhD candidate at Yonsei University specializing in modern Kor...

When we think of Confucianism in the West, we often box it into a category alongside world religions like Christianity or Buddhism: a neat, systematic philosophy created by a single figure. But as I've learned through my time in Korea and my own deep dives into the tradition, this is a fundamental misnomer that actually obscures the truth. In this episode, we strip away the Western labels to look...

Dr. Minsoo Kang is a historian and writer. Currently, he is an associate professor of European intellectual history in the Department of History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Find Minsoo and his work online Against Han: https://aeon.co/essays/against-han-or-why-koreans-are-not-defined-by-sadness The Story of Hong Gildong: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hong-Gildong-Penguin-Classics/dp/014...

Who was Ahn Chang-ho, and what is the real legacy of one of Korea's most revered independence activists? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with his grandson, Philip Ahn Cuddy, to explore the human story, the fight against Japanese colonization, and the enduring impact of the Dosan legacy. Philip Ahn Cuddy served as the founding director of the Korean American Museum in LA and is...

Colin Marshall is a Seoul-based essayist, broadcaster, and public speaker focusing on cities, language, and culture. Through his Substack newsletter, Books on Cities, he writes long-form essay-reviews exploring those very themes. He is the author of the Korean essay collection "한국 요약 금지" (No Summarizing Korea) and "Korean Newtro: Where Youth Meets Tradition". Additionally, he recently contri...

How do dragons affect Korean culture, philosophy, and cosmology? I brought my friend Professor David Mason back into the studio to explore the differences between Asian and Western dragons. The "Dragon King's" role in Buddhism, Shamanism, and Taoism. Why East Asian cosmology views the world without a concept of absolute evil. And how these ancient symbols can still offer solutions to modern life....

When you live and work in Korea, it's hard to escape talk around BTS. Their comeback concert in Gwanghwamun generated a huge amount of media attention, both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of traditional elements such as Arirang and Gyeongbuk Palace generated both national pride and a sense of domestic fatigue. I got a group of young adults who have grown up with BTS to talk about their r...

Why do people join cults? The reality is seemingly very complex. In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Peter Daley, a long-term resident of Korea and someone who has spent decades observing and documenting the world of fringe religious movements and cultic groups. Peter Daley is an Australian who has lived in Korea since 2002. He worked at Keimyung University in Daegu for eight y...

How was North Korea, a state that famously mandates atheism, built on a foundation of Christian fervor? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal's China Bureau Chief, to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult. We trace the journey of Pyongyang from the "Jerusalem of the East" to the center of the w...

What happens when you take the wrong camera to a Day6 K-pop concert? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore the recent "SEAbling War". Discussing viral memes to deeply uncomfortable conversations about race and history, our four guests demonstrate why this is about much more than just social media comments. For them, it's also a lived experience and connected to their own identity as i...

What does it mean to be queer in a society often defined by its rigid traditions, colonial scars, and rapid neoliberal transformation? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with Dr. Samuel Perry from Brown University to challenge the common misconception that LGBT issues are a "new" or "Western" import to the Korean peninsula. Through his new anthology, A Century of Queer Korean Fict...

What happens when a democracy is pushed to the brink? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ben Engel to explore the outrageous martial law declaration, the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the life sentence, and the rise of the far-right in South Korea. We also explore the powerful concept of Min-sim (민심) and how ethno-nationalism is reshaping the country's democratic future. About the G...

Episode Summary: What defines a neighborhood? In this episode, we are joined by Mi-young Kim, a writer and essayist who has written about the unique culture and practices of Itaewon in Seoul. We dive into her latest book, Itaewon Is My Home (이태원에 삽니다), and explore how "place" shapes our sense of self.   About the Guest: Mi-young Kim is an essayist and the Korean Director of the Internationa...

Anthony Curtis Adler is professor of German and Comparative Literature at Yonsei University's Underwood International College, where he has taught since 2006. His present research interests span modern and Classical literature, literary theory, continental philosophy, media studies, and German idealism. Academia : https://yonsei.academia.edu/AnthonyCurtisAdler Bong Joon Ho book: https://www.blooms...

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore Korean indie music, its culture, artists, and how capitalism and technology is reshaping the K-indie scene. Joined by Zuza Sołtykowska, a Polish writer and academic based in London, we discuss Korean language studies, underground music culture, and the tensions between art, industry, and economic growth. Zuza is a Polish writer and academic curren...

What's it really like to study in South Korea? In this episode, I sit down with four exchange students from around the world to talk honestly and openly about their experiences at Korean universities. We cover everything from first impressions and making Korean friends to campus culture, visa challenges, professors, trends, expectations, and the toughest parts of living here as a foreigner. Dillon...

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, David Tizzard speaks with Dr. Roald Maliangkay about the forces that shaped modern Korea, its culture, speed, identity, and contradictions. We explore Korea in the 1980s; North Korean pro wrestling; the rise of gossip magazines; the banning of Chinese characters; the manufacturing of Korean heritage; and the origins of Korea's bballi-bballi (빨리빨리) cultur...

Many Korean women face both institutional barriers and everyday cultural expectations. Life often feels mapped out in advance, and those who deviate from that path meet resistance or worse. Meanwhile, the media tends to celebrate only the rich and famous, making it harder to see the everyday heroes and role models who truly reflect women's lives in Korea. In this episode, I'm joined by Minyoung Ki...

Liss Anda is a clincal psychologist and associate professor working at the University of Stavanger, Norway. Her research currently centers on perinatal mental health. She is especially interested in how cultural understandings and practices of maternity interact with mental wellbeing in new mothers. She also receives clients in a private practice as a therapist, where she takes a humanist and ecle...