Korea Deconstructed

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 Lia (https://www.instagram.com/lia_nana9/) Zhaniya Joana Topics & Timestamps 0:00 Expectations Before Coming to Korea 10:10 First Impressions 20:00 Interacting with Korean People 30:00 Making Friends in Korea 40:00 Studying in Korea 48:20 Korean Professors 1:07:00 Korean University Campus 1:13:20 Working on a Student Visa 1:21:20 Korean Trends 1:41:15 Hardest Thing About Being a Foreigner 1:56:05 Advice for Studying in Korea Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Music by Jocelyn Clark Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this. ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

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) culture. We also dive into folk music, Sino-Korean relations, Korea's global image, and the evolving future of Korean Studies. Roald's work uncovers how cultural narratives are made, forgotten, and reinvented. This is a conversation for anyone interested in Korean history, identity formation, and the cultural mechanics behind modern Korea. Roald's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Voices-Postcolonial-Entanglements-Preservation/dp/0824866657   Discussion Outline 0:00 Korea in the 1980s 10:30 North Korean Pro Wrestling 17:18 South Korean Gossip Magazines 24:00 Banning the Chinese Script 26:26 Manucfacturing Korean Heritage 35:30 The emergence of Bballi Bballi 49:20 Exploring Folk Music 1:02:15 Korea and China 1:14:25 Korea's Image Abroad 1:29:10 The Future of Korean Studies 1:36:20 Closing Idea   Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Music by Jocelyn Clark Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.   Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

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 Kim, Victoria Yi, Sarah Soeun Lee, and Sangeun Kim — a team of writers behind a recently published bilingual book that shares real stories of women's experiences in Korea: their challenges, frustrations, families, dreams, and triumphs. Together, we talk about what it means to live honestly in a society that often prefers silence. Apologies for the sound issues in this one. It was a new set-up and mistakes were made. Hopefully you can still find value in the courage and ideas of the four women. Book Links 📘 Amazon: https://a.co/d/hCzXIyF  (Currently only the eBook is available.) 📗 The printed edition will be officially released on major global retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others on December 19th. If you can't wait, you can purchase the printed version directly through BookBaby: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/bethekey Discussion Outline: 0:00 Introduction 8:05 Beyond Stereotypes 15:40 The Power of Community 28:05 Writing a Book 42:00 On Feminism 56:52 Hierarchical Korean Language 1:06:50 Changes in Korean Society 1:27:00 Hope for the Future 1:40:40 Recommendations   Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873  David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades.  Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Music by Jocelyn Clark Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this. Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

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 eclectic approach. She has two kids, two cats, nine fish and some shrimp, has fully renovated two traditional wooden houses from 1908, the latter of which also just about fits her husband. She loves travelling, reading, cinema, eating and laughing. She is a Korean adoptee, born in Busan. Find Liss online Insta: https://www.instagram.com/psykologliss/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@psykologliss Her book: https://enkelbutikk.no/psykolog-liss-anda Discussion Outline 0:00 Postpartum depression 5:39 Baby wearing 11:50 Is motherhood innate? 16:50 Are attitudes to children changing? 21:10 Are we better educated? 31:00 Are parents different from non-parents? 35:50 Korean motherhood 50:40 Teenage Mothers and Exporting Children 58:00 Changing gender attitudes 1:08:55 Is the collective unconsciousness real? 1:19:00 Love in Korean society 1:36 Advice for parents   Appendix and Glossary of Terms: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141703371 Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Music by Jocelyn Clark Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.   Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

Born in Taegu with roots in Jeju, Juhee then immigrated to the U.S. at age eight. As a 16-year-old Korean American girl, she ran away from home in Queens, New York, to become an architect. Having fulfilled that ambition, she returns to South Korea to reconcile with her abandoned heritage, resolve the family trauma, and achieve a sense of han puri. Find Juhee Online Personal Website: https://www.jleehartford.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleehartford The Fortune Teller Story: https://ghll.truman.edu/juhee-lee-hartford-the-fortune-teller/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Rejecting Korean Identity (The death of a mother and Park Chung-hee on the same day) 8:52 Korean Architecture 19:30 Shamanism 23:05 Modern Korean Living 32:45 How Our Houses Shape Us 40:00 Jeju – The Land of Exile 43:25 Korea as an Emotional Land 48:50 Architecture as Class 54:00 Han Puri 1:01:34 Recommendations Episode Glossary (New!): https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-appendix-140730565?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Jun Bum Sun joins me to talk about Korea's unique energy, pungryu, its history, and the healing power of music. We cover Choi Chi Won, Tangun, the Hwarang, Shamanism, Choe Je-u, Tongdo Sogi, AI, K-pop, North Korea, Taoism, and the world ahead. This episode was recorded in Bum Sun's book shop in Haebangchon. Find the video online and you can see the wonderful setting we recorded in as well as his dog 왕손 walking around.    Find Him Online Jun Bum Sun: https://www.instagram.com/junbumsun/ The Yangbans: https://www.instagram.com/yangbansmusic/   Discussion Outline  0:00 History as Therapy 9:33 The Taeguk 17:35 Where Do We Come From? 26:30 The Power of Music 40:20 Confucianism 48:40 Tangun as a Shaman 55:30 Wind and Flow (Pungryu) 59:40 The Donghak 1:13:10 Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism 1:20:25 North Korea 1:38:40 The Samguk Yusa   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.   Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076   Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos  Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark   Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed   Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

While much of the world focuses on the beauty standards of Korea's rich and famous, its K-Pop stars, actors, and influencers, we are left wondering how much of this actually applies to real life. Do regular Korean citizens face the same scrutiny around weight, fashion, surgery, and tattoos? I brought 4 Korean adults together to talk about these ideas and also to reveal some things about their own lives. Today's Guests Sage https://www.instagram.com/twopercensage/ Jeoung https://www.instagram.com/jjong___s2/ Nuri https://www.instagram.com/nurichoii/ AJohn https://www.instagram.com/ft.ajohn/  / https://www.youtube.com/@ftajohn Discussion Outline 0:00 Nail culture 7:40 Pretty Privilege in Korea 18:00 Showing Skin 24:45 Does K-Pop Affect People? 37:40 Fashion Turnoffs 42:05 What's Hot? 46:25 Weight and Fitness 57:10 Men's Hair 1:03:05 Skin Color / Being White 1:08:35 Tattoos 1:16:28 Plastic Surgery 1:25:00 K-Beauty and Cosmetics 1:30:22 A Message about Beauty 1:36:20 Recommendations   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

Joseph Bengivenni is an artist and photographer who has spend most of the past twenty years living in and exploring South Korea. The Korean mountains and temples have captured his heart and mind, as he obsessively searches for scenic areas to photograph and auspicious places to practice Dharma. You can follow his journey on Instagram: @oxherder_photography The history of Korean Buddhism: koreanbuddhism.wordpress.com. Photos: https://oxherder.smugmug.com/   Discussion 0:00 Introduction to Buddhism 34:00 Seosan, Korea 45:48 Meditation and Hwadu 1:01:20 Gyeongheo 1:19:20 An Ox with No Nostrils 1:27:48 Daehaeng Kun Sunim 1:38:00 Recommendations   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark   Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Rob York is director for regional affairs at Pacific Forum in Honolulu, working on Korean Peninsular security and Indo-Pacific information warfare. He previously worked as production editor at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and as editor of NK News from 2013 to 2016. He earned his PhD in Korean history in 2023. Pacific Forum: https://pacforum.org/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Lee Jae Myung 17:50 Trump and Korea 39:00 North Korea 43:10 Communism 47:55 China in the 21st Century 1:10:00 Korea and Japan 1:15:50 The International Order David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us:  ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Ra Jong-yil, a scholar, diplomat, and influential figure in modern Korean politics. We recorded this conversation in his house in Seoul. Born in 1940 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Ra Jong-yil has lived through some of the country's most defining historical moments. And, in many cases, helped shape them. We talk about his father's role in the Provisional Government in Shanghai alongside Syngman Rhee, Kim Ku, and Ahn Chang Ho. Ra also reflects on his mentorship of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, two presidents who helped usher in Korea's democratic era, and with whom he later served in high positions as well as in the role of Ambassador of the ROK in the United Kingdom (2001 - 2003) and Ambassador of the ROK in Japan (2004-2007) The Baekbong Political Culture Research Institute: http://bbi.or.kr/ Inside North Korea's Theocracy (book): https://www.amazon.com/Inside-North-Koreas-Theocracy-Song-thaek/dp/1438473729 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra_Jong-yil Thank you to Han Jong-chul for helping me record on location: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Korea Under Occupation 9:10 Baekbong Na Yong-kyun (Jong-Yil's father) 22:30 Liberal Democracy in Korea 44:18 On Kim Dae-jung 1:07:17 On Roh Moo-hyun 1:27:05 On Compassion, Books, and Myths   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.   Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Italian journalist Marianna Baroli joins me to discuss K-pop, fan culture, parasocial love, and how Korean music is reshaping global identity, especially in Italy. But at what cost? And where do we go next? Find Marianna online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/countingstars/ Panorama: https://www.panorama.it/author/mariannabaroli Discussion Outline 0:00 Introductions 4:55 Fan girling 2PM 7:35 Why K-pop Beat the West? 9:25 The Current State of K-pop 14:20 GOT7 17:50 Girl Groups 20:25 Italian Reactions to K-pop 25:00 Airbnb and SEVENTEEN 28:35 Toxicity in K-pop Online 32:00 Parasocial Relationships 36:00 Objectivity in Music Reviews 40:00 The Producers of K-pop 43:30 Jay Park 45:40 DPR IAN 48:22 How Big Is Hallyu in Italy? 53:46 K-Beauty 57:00 Being in Korea 1:01:40 Italian and Korean Culture 1:04:10 Where Is the Modern World Going? 1:14:40 Recommendations   David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873   Music by Jocelyn Clark    Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed  ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

Lebanese scholar Rania Hafez joins Korea Deconstructed for a wide-ranging conversation on class, culture, and the search for meaning. Rania reflects on how media pushes culture wars over class solidarity, the importance of leadership in academia, and how she discovered Korean dramas during the Covid pandemic. Her love for Crash Landing on You and Hometown Cha Cha Cha helped her find beauty and purpose again, calling Korea her "Narnia." A deeply personal and philosophical episode about rediscovery, passion, and why Korea speaks to so many hearts around the world. She also reflects on her experiences as a Muslim in Korea and how she is able to navigate these spaces. Rania: https://www.instagram.com/the_lebanese_londoner/ David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.   Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 Korea Deconstructed 2:45 Meaning in modern life 31:00 The importance of class 1:01:20 The struggles of capitalism 1:08:30 K-dramas and the love of the country 1:26:40 Being a Muslim in Korea 1:37:00 How to foster connection 1:46:45 Recommendations   Music by Jocelyn Clark    Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed   Listen to Korea Deconstructed  ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

My guest is Fyodor Tertitskiy, a prolific scholar, polyglot, and one of the few who reads the footnotes of history in multiple languages. His new book, Accidental Tyrant, a biography of Kim Il Sung, challenges the official state mythology and unearths the improbable rise of a guerrilla fighter turned dynastic dictator. This is how Kim Il Sung outwitted imperialists, communists, comrades, and colonels alike, turning chance into legacy, failure into foundation. But the question remains: what does this all mean for those of us living in a world still shaped by the ghosts of his decisions?  Buy Fyodor's latest book here: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Tyrant-Life-Kim-sung/dp/0197800882 David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 Who was Kim Il Sung? 9:00 Japanese colonization of Korea 13:40 Kim Il Sung's early life 22:30 What is communism? 27:30 Kim Il Sung the anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter 35:15 How the Soviet Union created North Korea 44:10 Why was Kim Il Sung chosen to lead? 52:40 Planning the Korean War 58:30 Who was Mun Il? 1:05:10 Chairman Mao 1:15:20 Kim Il Sung's economic policies 1:22:40 The succession policies of North Korea 1:41:50 How people misunderstand Juche 1:54:00 Recommendations Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I'm joined by four university students: young people who voted, watched, and waited as South Korea held its most recent presidential election and elected Lee Jae-myung. We discuss what the election felt like to them. What it felt like to cast a vote. What they saw among their friends. And what was never said. We'll explore the hopes and contradictions of a generation caught between economic uncertainty, cultural shifts, and a political system that doesn't always seem built for them. Korea Deconstructed #105 Big thank you to these wonderful people: Yunseo (https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/) Jennie (https://www.instagram.com/isojeong512/) Andrew (https://www.instagram.com/andrew__ko/) Ray 한종철 (https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/) David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 What did election day feel like? 8:15 Analyzing the candidates 15:40 Can you talk about politics in Korea? 23:50 What matters to you in politics? 27:15 Gender and military service 32:00 Japan, America, China, and North Korea 43:35 Produce (Politics) 101 46:40 Young people's politics 57:35 Kwon Young-guk 1:05:40 The future of Korea 1:18:30 Message to the new president 1:21:55 Recommendations Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below! #KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanculture #southkorea Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

A recent viral YouTube video claimed that Korea would soon be extinct. The country transformed negatively by one of the world's lowest birthrates. Change, it suggested, was too late. Four young adults come together to discuss the future of Korea, assessing its birthrate issues, education, culture of perfection, and the deep spiritual crisis that seems to have gripped the nation. Is Korea really over? Not necessarily... We hear from 4 young people all living here: a young Korean man interested in Jungian psychology, a woman balancing study and modeling, an ethnic Korean from Uzbekistan (Koryosaram), and someone just embarking on their college life.  Big thank you to these wonderful people: Celine (@celinesoyoon) Marina (@marina_tens) Susan Ray 한종철 Watch the original video from @Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell https://youtu.be/Ufmu1WD2TSk?si=0RuYZzEe5cr4pQ7p David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 Reactions to the video 9:43 A spiritual crisis 16:50 Gender conversations 23:40 The popularity of Korean grief 34:20 Generation gaps and the elderly 43:20 Korean education 51:55 Do young Korean people want children? 1:04:10 Is the future bright? 1:20:55 Recommendations Music by Jocelyn Clark and Radical Gary Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments! #KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanculture #kurzgesagt #southkorea Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

Kornel Chang on U.S. Power, Korean Resistance, and the Birth of Division What if Korea's true revolution was never allowed to happen? In this episode, I talk with historian Kornel Chang, author of A Fractured Liberation, to explore a moment in Korean history that most people never learn about. A moment when ordinary Koreans believed they were on the brink of something new. In 1945 Japanese colonial rule had ended and, across the peninsula, people were filled with hope. Workers seized factories, farmers reclaimed land, and women demanded rights. It was Korea's "Asian Spring"...an explosion of grassroots energy and possibility. But it didn't last.  Instead of freedom, Koreans faced a new occupying force: the U.S. military government in the South. Kornel walks us through how the American-led administration, fearful of leftist movements and obsessed with anti-communism, sidelined local efforts toward democracy, reinstalled collaborators from the colonial regime, and helped lay the groundwork for division, war, and decades of authoritarian rule. This is a story about who gets to decide the future when the dust of war settles. And it's more important than ever.    Buy A Fractured Liberation: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674258433 Kornel Chang is the author of Pacific Connections: The Making of the U.S.-Canadian Borderlands, winner of the Association for Asian American Studies Book Prize in History. He is Associate Professor of History and American Studies and Chair of the History Department at Rutgers University–Newark.   About David A. Tizzard  David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873   Discussion Outline   0:00 From Pyongyang to New York 9:49 The Paths Not Taken 27:48 Why Was Korea Divided? 41:36 Who Could Lead Korea? 52:42 Collaboration with the Japanese 1:04:35 The Lived Experiences of 1945-1948 1:17:14 Using Literature to Centre Ordinary Koreans 1:26:23 On Korean Studies and its Factions 1:37:00 Recommendations   Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below! #KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanhistory #koreanculture   Listen to Korea Deconstructed  ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

From visas to values: a positive, practical conversation about living in Korea Kim Ninja joins Korea Deconstructed to talk about building an authentic life in Korea. Born in Germany to Vietnamese parents, Kim made the jump to Korea and now helps thousands of expats and digital nomads adapt culturally, practically, and legally. Through cartoons, articles, and community building, he offers a refreshing, optimistic take on life abroad — steering away from sensationalism. In this conversation, Kim shares practical advice on visas, adapting to Korean norms, and how to find real beauty in your experiences.  Follow Kim Ninja Instagram: @iamkimninja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamkimninja/ Website: iamkimninja.com David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873   Discussion Outline  0:00 – Why Choose Korea? (Reasons to live in Korea) 2:45 – K-pop Matters for Asian People (Cultural significance of K-pop) 6:15 – Translating Eastern and Western Culture (Bridging cultural gaps) 10:40 – Living in Korea (Adapting to life in Korea) 25:00 – Avoiding The Negativity of Korea (Focus on positivity in expat life) 45:18 – Korea and Vietnamese Relations and Culture (Exploring the ties between Vietnam and Korea) 55:55 – The Visa Process in Korea (Step-by-step guide to expat visas) 1:04:50 – What Korea Can Improve for Digital Nomads (Suggestions for digital nomads in Korea) 1:10:00 – Final Thoughts (Kim Ninja's advice for future expats)   Music by Jocelyn Clark:  Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below! #KoreaDeconstructed #KimNinja #LifeInKorea #LivingAbroad #ExpatLife #KoreanVisa #DigitalNomads #KoreanCulture Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

I sat down with scholar, Nilesh Kumar to explore how Korean cinema has reflected shifting notions of gender, identity, and social structure across decades. From the angry men of the Korean New Wave to the defiant heroines of modern streaming hits, this conversation examines how bodies on screen become battlegrounds for power, memory, and desire. We begin by talking about how technology defines Park Chan-wook's groundbreaking movie Oldboy, as well as its absence of allegory, signaling the start of post-modern Korean cinema. Then, we explore three main themes in Korean cinema across time: Masculinity, femininity, and queer representation. The first section sees us discuss Chilsu and Mansu (1988), Peppermint Candy (1999), A Single Spark (1995), Whale Hunting (1984), Burning (2018), and Parasite (2019). We then turn our attention to Hostess Cinema (1974-1982), Yeong-ja's Heydays (1975), Right Then, Wrong Now (2015), Ballerina (2023), Han Gong Ju (2013), and My Sassy Girl (2001). Finally, we look at King and the Clown (2005), Moonlit Winter (2019), Mine (2021), The Handmaiden (2016) as well as the importance of Seo Dong-jin and Paul B. Preciado. I was particularly impressed by how Nilesh put each section in context, describing the importance of the socio-economic and political conditions of the time. Nilesh Kumar is from England, of Gujarati-Indian background, and is based in South Korea. He is a Film Curator and co-founder of the Seoul-based underground-movable cinema, STEAK FILM and the sexuality themed, STEAK CINEMA. His topics of writing have included contemporary queer South Korean culture, South Korean 'hostess' cinema (1974-82), and 6th Generation Chinese Cinema. Selected work: https://novasiagsis.com/author/nileshp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nilesh5739/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanti.love.90 David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 Oldboy and Allegory 18:40 Angry Men in Korean New Wave Cinema 44:42 Hostess Cinema and Female Representation 1:12:25 My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀) 1:37:30 The Queers are Here 2:33:46 Recommendations Music by Jocelyn Clark: https://youtu.be/IWVqqXT3TfY?si=wq2mcIIarE6JTqFS Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/ ▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/ Questions or Topic Suggestions: Write in the Comments Below #koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

보도지침 (Media Guidelines) is a satirical work that critiques the media landscape and the influence of government or corporate power on Korean journalism in the 1980s. It explores themes such as censorship, the manipulation of public opinion, and the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists. The play is known for its sharp wit and critical perspective, often using humor and irony to highlight the challenges and compromises that media professionals may face.  More and more young Koreans are bringing this play to the stage—not as a history lesson, but as a statement about their own reality. So, I spoke with four university students who recently performed 보도지침. They shared why this play matters, how it connects to the present, and why art remains a powerful tool for democracy and social change.   If you care about free speech, activism, and the role of art in shaping society, this conversation is for you. Read more about it in Korean here: https://namu.wiki/w/보도지침(연극) Go Minjeong, Lee Seoyeon, Nam Sumin, and Park Hayeol are members of the Seoul Women's University theatre group. Their Insta page: https://www.instagram.com/swutheaterart/ David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873   Discussion Outline  0:00 Introduction 3:00 보도지침 (The Play) 9:30 The Parents' Generation 15:00 Reactions to the Play 26:30 Communism and North Korea 33:00 The Importance of Theatre 42:14 Reflections on Korean History 49:25 Recommendations   Connect with us:  ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/ ▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/ ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com 

A few years ago, Blair's grandmother gave him a present. Approximately 300 photographs his grandfather had taken in Korea nearly 70 years ago. These beautifully preserved color photos not only revealed a country and its people emerging from war and beginning to rebuild, it also showed Blair members of his family. It showed him where he was from, and, therefore, where he was going. He has digitized these photos and made them into an archive. This has since grown to feature a wide range of photos and videos expertly organized to allow visitors to discover Korea as it once was and, perhaps, also help some people understand where they came from. Korean Image Archive: https://www.koreanimage.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koreanimage Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/koreanimage Discussion 0:00 My Grandparents in 1950s Korea 9:45 300 color photos of old Korea 27:40 Creating an archive 34:40 Mixed race families in Korean history 54:10 American soldiers and camptown Korean women 1:05:35 Recommendations David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/ ▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/ ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com