Kpop Bookshelf

Kathy from @mia2k podcast joined Mina back in 2023 to discuss the book Y/N by Esther Yi.They did NOT anticipate the way this book would make them feel (spoiler alert - not great)!Kathy and Mina are clueless about fan fiction, apologies for their deep lack of knowledge! Some topics explored in this episode:The line between a fan's infatuation with their idol and actual love and affectionAgeism in Kpop FandomsHow chill of a friend BamBam from GOT7 would beThe tricky thing of trusting a stranger just because they, too, are a fellow fanA huge thanks to Kathy for making it through this book!

Mina explains where the K-Pop Bookshelf podcast has been after an absence of over a year! Hint: Fangirling got in the way!New episodes begin dropping soon!!https://www.kpopbookshelf.com/Instagram: @kpopbookshelf

Season 6 Episode 6 We look at the latest news surrounding Korean inter-country adoption, including the preliminary findings from Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The commission is investigating whether certain Korean inter-country adoptions were handled appropriately in response to questions filed by Korean adoptees. LINKS: South Korea's Adoption Reckoning (full documentary) | FRONTLINE + ‪AssociatedPress‬ [YouTube] South Korea was the world’s biggest ‘baby exporter.’ New evidence shows some mothers were forced to give up children [CNN] South Korea reveals new evidence of ‘violent and systemic’ forced adoption abroad [Guardian] South Korean truth commission says it found more evidence of forced adoptions in the 1980s [AP] Adoptees from Korea left ‘stateless’, and searching for their roots [Hankyoreh] Almost 10% of Korean adoptees may be stateless [The Korea Herald] South Korean adoption fraud rocks Denmark as victims demand answers [Daily Sabah] “We have a right to know our history”: Fraudulent records keep Korean adoptees from the truth [Hankyoreh] All records must be unsealed for Korean adoptees who want it, argue experts [Hankyoreh] Korean truth commission to investigate hundreds of possibly fraudulent overseas adoptions [Hankyoreh] Adoption agency found liable for human rights abuses for first time in S. Korea [Hankyoreh] Adam Crapser’s Bizarre Deportation Odyssey [The New York Times Magazine] Adam Crapser vs. Republic of Korea [The Korea Times] South Korea grants extension to truth commission as investigators examine foreign adoption cases [AP] Seoul Searching [ABC] Representatives Smith and Bacon and Senators Hirono and Collins Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Close Loophole and Grant Citizenship to International Adoptees [AdamSmith.house.gov] Congress Introduces the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024 [Adoptees United]

Season 6 Episode 5 We cover the book Many Lives Intertwined by Hyun Sook Han Mrs. Han was a strong-willed, very honest social worker in both Korea and the United States as well as an adoptive mother. We will learn more about the Korean adoption process in the 1950s-1960s, including the adoption of mixed race Korean children, from the social worker perspective. LINKS Hyun Sook Han, Korean Social Worker and Adoption Pioneer, Dies at 83 [New York Times]

Season 6 Episode 4 We cover the book A WAR BORN FAMILY: African American Adoption in the Wake of the Korean War by Kori A. Graves Dr. Graves explores the unique issues surrounding the adoption of Korean Black mixed race children during 1950s-60s from Korea to African American adoptive parents in pre-Civil Rights Era United States. We also take a brief look at the story of Milton Washington. Check out the links below! LINKS: Dr Kori A Graves Biography [Rutgers] A War Born Family - [NYU Press] World’s Largest ‘Baby Exporter’ Confronts Its Painful Past [New York Times] Jim Crow Laws [History. Com] Occupational Segregation in America [Center for American Progress] Black, Korean and searching for the American dream [BBC] Lives Less Ordinary -Black, Korean, stateless: A Slickyboy’s American dream, part 1 [BBC]  Lives Less Ordinary - Black, Korean, stateless: a Slickyboy’s American dream, part 2 [BBC] Adapted Podcast - podcast about Korean adoptees The Janchi Show: Your New Favorite Korean Adoptee Podcast  Kori Graves on Black Korean Adoptees - [Time To Say Goodbye Podcast]

Season 6 Episode 3 In this episode, we discuss the book Palimpsest: Documents From a Korean Adoption by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom. Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom is a Korean-Swedish adoptee who discovers some shocking truths about the circumstances surrounding her adoption. We explore some of the secrets of the Korean intercountry adoption and learn about why some adoptees and adoptee advocates are accusing the South Korean government and the government of the country they were raised in of not enough oversight over South Korean adoption practices of the late 20th century. LINKS: Legally 'orphaned' to be adopted transnationally [The Korea Times] Paper orphans [CBC] Dutch gov't broke law by destroying adoption files: Inspectorate [NL Times] South Korea’s truth commission to probe foreign adoptions [AP] When her mother came to see her, Holt lied and said she’d already been adopted [Hankyoreh] ‘Korea is hiding our past’: the adoptees searching for their families – and the truth [Guardian] All records must be unsealed for Korean adoptees who want it, argue experts [Hankyoreh]

Season 6 Episode 2 We discuss the book From Orphan to Adoptee: US Empire and Genealogies of Korean Adoption by SooJin Pate This book gives some background on how Korea came to be one of the countries to adopted out the most children to other countries. Learn about how the US government and Americans played a big part in this practice, which continues to this day. There is so much more to this book than discussed here, but hopefully you can some small additional insight into the early days of Korea inter-country adoption. LINKS: The Janchi Show - 004 // SooJin Pate + Choco-Pies! [The Janchi Show] Paper Orphans [CBC] Christianity and Korea - How did the religion become so apparently prevalent in South Korea? [The Diplomat]

Season 5 Episode 2 In our second episode about the book Flowers of Fire by Hawon Jung, we explore how the bodies of women and girls were used to build up the nation of South Korea. The government needed the physical labor in the form of factory girls to help gain economic strength, which helped usher in the "Miracle on the Han River." Comfort women were used not only during WWII, but after, as well, and it was the government who oversaw the system of comfort women working in camptowns. The government also needed women to give birth to babies, yet also controlled reproductive health access for women in more recent years. Mature themes will be discussed in this episode. Links: Factory Girl Literature by Ruth Barraclough [Book] Blood, puss and pitiful pay: Why Korean factory workers are calling it quits [Hankyoreh] A Brutal Sex Trade Built for American Soldiers [The New York Times] After 40 years in US camptown sex trade, S. Korean woman rejoices in court victory [Hankyoreh] Koreans & Camptowns: Reflections of a Mixed-Race Korean [Korean American Story.org] Polish Women Hold 'Black Monday' Strike To Protest Proposed Abortion Ban [NPR] Korea decriminalized abortion, but has anything actually changed? [Korean JoongAng Daily] Not illegal but not legal: The murky landscape of abortion in Korea [The Korea Herald]

Season 5 Episode 1 - CONTENT NOTE: Discussions of sexual harrassment and assault This season we discuss the book Flowers of Fire by Hawon Jung Episode 1 is about the #MeToo cases in Korea of Seo Ji Hyun and Kim Ji Eun. We also discuss the concepts of Hoesik and Flower Snakes. Links: Hawon Jung: Bio [BenBella Books] KBS World Interview w/ Author Hawon Jung [KBS World] Anthony Rapp Opens Up About Kevin Spacey Lawsuit in First Comments Since Trial: ‘A Courtroom Is Not a Safe Space for Trauma’ [Variety] 4 women testified at Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial that they were sexually abused. Here’s what they said [CNN] Seo Ji-hyun, The South Korean Prosecutor Who Spoke Up & Sparked The Country's MeToo Movement | TIME [YouTube] Female prosecutor opens up about sexual harassment [The Korea Herald] 'Hoesik' can help blow off steam, or spark unfortunate events [The Korea Herald] Young South Koreans are fighting against the return of hoesik — 'compulsory' after-work and weekend gatherings — as COVID-19 restrictions ease [Insider] As South Korean government proposes flexible overtime rules, some fear workers may suffer [Reuters] This country wanted a 69-hour workweek. Millennials and Generation Z had other ideas [CNN] In the throes of South Korea’s #MeToo, it’s “very hard to speak up” [Mic] More women coming forward with stories of sexual abuse following Seo Ji-hyun’s allegations [Hankyoreh] Seoul's Mayor Championed Women's Rights. The #MeToo Allegations Against Him Have Bitterly Divided Korea [TIME] #MeToo: South Korea gives more jail time to harassers [USA Today] How #MeToo movement is pushing for revision of South Korea’s defamation law [The Korea Herald]

Season 4 Episode 5 Radhika and K^2 from the Gogo Gayo! Podcast join us to discuss the book STRAIGHT KOREAN FEMALE FANS AND THEIR GAY FANTASIES by Jungmin Kwon. Whether or not a K-pop idol is actually gay, there is no shortage of fan content where they are imagined to be gay, and many straight women love this! Be it fan fiction, fan art, fan service, or eyebrow-raising choreo, straight women love to consume queer or queer-coded content when it comes to their idols! Blog LINKS: GoGo Gayo! Kpop Podcast: Special Episode 2: Queerness in Kpop [VOICE] Can Korea ever accept homosexuals? [The Korea Herald] The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained [Vox] K-pop stars subjected to sexual objectification online [The Korea Herald] Controversy grows over ‘real person slash’ sexualizing male K-pop idols [The Korea Herald] Fetishising Gay Men | A Yaoi Discussion [YouTube]

S4E4 We discuss the book FLIP THE SCRIPT by Lyla Lee, which features a bisexual main character who is also a K-Drama actress! Does it get any better? We also consider the increasing amounts of queer K content in Korean media, and casting k-pop idols in BL (Boys' Love) K-Dramas. [LINKS] This is how South Korea is celebrating Bisexual Visibility Day [SBS] Embassies show solidarity at Seoul Queer Culture Festival [The Korea TImes] South Korean rapper Aquinas defiantly comes out as bisexual with beautiful message of ‘courage’ [PinkNews] Aquinas’ (Kang MinSoo’s) interview with SPOTVNews (in Korean) [SpoTV News] Bisexual idol Wa$$up’s Jiae turns to fans to fund solo album as K-pop labels shun her [meaww.com] Idol School star Som Hye In comes out as bisexual as she shares sweet pictures of girlfriend [Metro UK] Laura Dern said she lost work, needed 'security detail' after 'Ellen' coming-out episode [NBC News] Tales of the Realm: Pride Month 2022— Interview with Lyla Lee; Author of Flip the Script [MistyRealms Blog] K-pop, body positivity, and bisexuality feature in Lyla Lee’s debut YA novel I’ll Be The One [AsAm News] Portrayal of LGTBQ characters slowly evolves in K-dramas [The Korea Herald] Embassies show solidarity at Seoul Queer Culture Festival [The Korea Times] LGBTQ streaming content influences Koreans’ perception of sexual minorities [Korea Herald] Webcomics-based boys' love genre dramas on rise [The Korea Times] Winners Of The 1st Blue Dragon Series Awards [Soompi] Korean LGBTQ+ reality show ‘Merry Queer’ to premiere next week [NME] 'A story about love'- S. Korea's first queer dating show comes out on Wavve [Arirang channel on YouTube] Semantic Error [BL drama on Viki] BL Drama Stars Reflect on Pride, Queerness, and the State of LGBTQ+ Rights [Teen Vogue]

Season 4 Episode 3 We discuss the books THE SUMMER by Choi Eunyoung & CONCERNING MY DAUGHTER by Kim Hye-Jin *I mistakenly said out lesbian Kpop idol singer Maman's song was called Ordinary Day but it's called Obvious Story. Apologies for this error! Under The Radar – Magolpy [Soompi] Magolpy - Debut MV starring various other idols from g.o.d, Super Junior, TVXQ, etc [YouTube] Maman (aka Magolpy) - Ordinary Day [YouTube] The Korean gay and lesbian movement 1993–2008: from “identity” and “community” to “human rights” [chapter by HYUN-YOUNG KWON KIM AND JOHN (SONG PAE) CHO rom the book South Korean Social Movements] These South Korean women went abroad to get married. Then one spoke out at home, and the backlash began. [Washington Post] Parents fight for their LGBTQ children's rights [The Korea Times] A letter from a Korean mother to all the mothers with LGBT children [APRIL magazine] DingDong - Korean LGBTQ+ Youth Crisis Center. You can donate to support their work at the linked website. Beyond the Rainbow Foundation - Korean LGBTQ+ Foundation. You can find information on how to donate to support their work at the linked website. Blog with full links!

Season 4 Episode 2 Radhika and K^2 from the GoGoGayo! Podcast join us for a discussion about LOVE IN THE BIG CITY BY SANG YOUNG PARK, translated by Anton Hur. *Spoilers abound!* Some mature subject matter is discussed. Queerness in KPop - GoGoGayo! Podcast Author Talks: Sang Young Park 박상영 - The Korea Society [YouTube] [Duet] Dear Sang Young — by Alexander Chee [Korean Literature Now] To All the Gays of Seoul: On Translating Sang Young Park - by Anton Hur [LitHub] A Q&A with Anton Hur, translator of Love in the Big City [Grove Atlantic] Meet The Queer Activist Scholar Taking On the Korean American Christian Right - Article on Ju Hui Judy Han [LAist] Conservative Party Wins Big in South Korean Local Elections {New York Times] Discrimination against people with HIV rampant: UN study [The Korea Herald] Blued launches HIV awareness campaign in South Korea together with influencers and NGOs [GlobeNewsWire] DingDong - Korean LGBTQ+ Youth Crisis Center.  Beyond the Rainbow Foundation - Korean LGBTQ+ Foundation.  Korea Foundation for HIV/AIDS Prevention (KHAP) - provides free and anonymous HIV/AIDs and STI testing for foreigners living in Korea.  Ivan Stop HIV/AIDS Project (iSHAP) - Provides free and anonymous HIV/AIDs and STI testing in Korea.  Blog

Season 4 Episode 1 LGBTQ+ Pride season! Our first episode will look at the essay, "Don't Be Afraid To Be The First" by Holland. This essay can be found in the anthology book We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights, edited by Amelia Abraham. Holland is an openly gay KPop idol. Find out about the sociopolitical history of queerness in Korea and about Holland himself in this episode. *I make a mistake at about 13:30 where I say that Holland is often described as the first Kpop idol. What I should have said was that he is often described as the first OUT Kpop idol! Oops. :) Hong Seok Cheon (Tony Hong) on Not So Classy with Esna [YouTube] Hong Seok Chon on Showterview with Jessi [YouTube] Queer South Koreans Hope for an Anti-Discrimination Law to End Decades of Discrimination [Time] South Korea’s transgender community pushes for recognition and acceptance [East Asia Forum] How religion spurs homophobia in South Korean politics [Nikkei Asia] South Korea's first transgender soldier posthumously wins case against the army over her 'illegal' discharge [Business Insider] Anti-LGBTQ sentiment widespread in Korea: survey [The Korea Times] Conservative churches ramp up attacks on student rights ordinance [The Korea Herald] ‘Now is the time to pass anti-discrimination law’ [The Korea Herald] The Volatile Mix Of A South Korean Church, Politics And The Coronavirus [NPR] Holland: More Than Meets The Eye [Rolling Stone India] Holland Speaks Out After Suffering Homophobic Attack in Seoul: ‘I Want People to Recognize the Pain & the Courage’ [Billboard] ‘Ocean Likes Me’: First gay K-pop idol Holland cast with Han Gi-chan in BL K-drama [Meaww]

Season 3 Episode 3 In our final episode of the Tablo season of the podcast, we look at two books that he wrote: Pieces of You and BloNote.  We discuss Tablo's somewhat questionable acting career and the tragic hate crime murder of Thien Minh Ly in 1996.  LINKS Tablo to Hold Book Concert [The Korea Times] Tablo co-writes Amazon Studios’ comedy series ‘Neon Machine’ [Korea Herald] Tablo Discusses his Acting Career on the Daebak Show with Eric Nam [Dive Studios Channel on YouTube] Hate Crimes - (Information from State of California Department of Justice website) Letters to Thien [YouTube] Students hold candlelight vigil for Ly, a graduate killed in 1996 hate crime [Daily Bruin] Man who killed during hate crime gets death sentence [AP News] Tablo To Publish Compilation Of “Blonotes” From His Past Radio Show [Soompi] RM’s Tweet where he’s hugging his copy of Blonote [Twitter] South Korean star film-maker Park Chan-wook on Saturday won the Cannes Film Festival's best director award for his erotic crime movie "Decision To Leave" [France 24] Blog

Season 3 Episode 2 My friend Linda, a Korean-American woman who was living in Korea during the TaJinYo scanadal that affected Epik High Tablo, joins us for a discussion of our reactions and takes on the wonderful podcast Authentic: The Story of Tablo!  LINKS Authentic: The Story of Tablo [podcast by Vice and iHeartRadio] Korean MBC: Tablo Goes to Stanford [YouTube] Footage of staff members at Stanford Discussing Tablo [YouTube] The Return of Superman - Are you watching us, Grandpa? [YouTube] 15 Minutes of Shame (documentary by Monica Lewinsky) | Official Trailer [YouTube] Blog is here https://kpopbookshelfpod.wixsite.com/blog/post/the-life-of-tablo 

Season 3 Episode 1 - The Life of Tablo We examine a 2011 article called "The Persecution of Daniel Lee" by Joshua Davis where I persistently recommend you to listen to the podcast Authentic! If you're not sure what the TaJinYo scandal is that Tablo barely survived, check out the article, the podcast series, and this episode. Apologies for some salty language used when quoting someone else. The Persecution of Daniel Lee [Stanford Magazine] The Stalking of Korean Hip Hop Superstar Daniel Lee [Wired] After Two Decades, Epik High Is Still Here and Still Shaping the Future of Korean Music [Vanity Fair] The 7 Best Podcasts of 2022 (So Far) [Vulture] Epik High’s Tablo on Longevity, Mental Health, and the Truth About His Stanford Controversy [Complex] The Triumph of BTS [Rolling Stone] Epik High React to Historic Coachella Announcement: ‘Dream Came True’ [Rolling Stone] Brian Nam of Dive Studios — Take Care of Your Health, Both Mentally and Physically. Stay Grateful and Enjoy the Process [Medium] "Tajinyo" Members Sentenced To Prison [KBS World] Prison terms upheld for anti-Tablo cafe members [Yonhap] Link to the blog.

Season 2, Episode 4 Today's book is K-POP LIVE: FANS, IDOLS, AND MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE by Suk-Young Kim Concerts are coming back so we explore various degrees of live that are used in K-Pop, including concerts, music TV programs, the effects of fandom behavior, and the popular convention, KCON! Links to videos and sources used are here! Don't forge to wear your masks to concerts! 

This episode covers the 2010 book KOREA'S ONLINE GAMING EMPIRE by Dal Yong Jin. We also use the article IT ALL STARTED WITH A BANG: THE ROLE OF PC BANGS IN SOUTH KOREA'S CYBER CULTURES by Inkyu Kang, which was taken from the book THE KOREAN POPULAR CULTURE READER. In the first part of the episode, it's just me talking about the rise of the gaming industry in Korea thanks to PC Bangs and government investment in highspeed internet. Then, my brother, an actual gamer (unlike me), joins me to discuss his favorite subject - gaming! Blog post with links here!

This episode is all about Korean cinema in the late 90s/early 2000s, with a tiny bit of Parasite discussion! The books discussed are The South Korean Film Renaissance: Local Hitmakers, Global Provocateurs by Jinhee Choi and  Virtual Hallyu: Korean Cinema of the Global Era by Kyung Hyun Kim Find all the links here!