The Korea File

On episode 110 hosts Andre Goulet and Gennie Pimentel welcome Shanna Tan, translator of the smash hit book WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum.In this conversation Shanna explains why a slice of life novel about a high-flying career woman in Seoul who leaves a life of burnout and marital misery to open a book shop outside of the city has become a massive international success in a conversation exploring the barbarity of life under late capitalism and the changing face of contemporary South Korean literature.Find the book at your local library or independent bookstore and support this podcast at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 109 Dr. Theresa Hyun, a York University professor and the author of “Writing Women in Korea: Translation and Feminism in the Colonial Period”, joins hosts Andre Goulet and Gennie Pimentel to talk about children’s literature, fairy tales and the role of mothers in the North Korean revolution. Plus: a surprising data set on the number of immigrant and multiethnic children who live outside of Seoul and a clip from episode 1 of the classic North Korean children's cartoon 'Squirrel and Hedgehog'.Watch 'Squirrel and Hedgehog' here.Support the show at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 108 Seoul National University master's student An HaKyeng's joins hosts Andre Goulet in Montreal and Gennie Pimentel in Toronto for a conversation unpacking her research on the immigration experience for new arrivals, the challenges migrant workers face in South Korea, ethnonationalism, fertility rates, government policy and more. Works cited in this episode: Immigration in Japan and Social Mobility: Policies and Implications - HaKyeng An, Henry Cho, Wakana MoriguchiSocial capital and assimilation of migrant workers and foreign wives in South Korea: The case of Wongok community -Jun Hee-jung Ha Seong-kyu Creating hierarchies of noncitizens: race, gender,and visa categories in South Korea - Erin Aeran ChungThe citizenship of foreign workers in South Korea - Seol Dong-hoonSupport the show at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 107 Cambridge PhD candidate Alexandra Leonzini joins Andre Goulet and co-host Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring how music builds soft power and promotes national prestige, the DPRK opera's greatest hits, cultural diplomacy and the Cold War, how tourists serve as intermediaries in North Korea’s noraebang branding efforts and more.Watch 'Where Are You, General?' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGkIwZa2UEWatch 'Sea of Blood' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quIl4qeEWogThis conversation was recorded on April 10th, 2023.Support our work sharing Korean history and culture with an international audience at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On ep106 Korea University PhD candidate Elizabeth Campbell joins host Andre Goulet and associate producer Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring the role of women in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's revolutionary past and present, the legacy of anti-Japanese guerrilla and 1st Kim Il-sung spouse Kim Jong-suk, the influence of 1972 cult classic film 'Flower Girl' on DPRK cinema, regional North Korean cuisine and more.This conversation was recorded on January 19th, 2023.Find some of Campbell's recent research at https://www.northkoreanreview.net/single-post/hotels-tourist-infrastructure-in-north-koreaThe Korea File has been exploring Korean society, culture and politics since August 2014 and is produced, researched and hosted free for listeners around the world with no institutional or academic financial support. To support our mission to share Korean history and culture with an international audience for as little as a dollar a month go to patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 105 Toronto podcasters Erin Hynes and Kattie Laur, host and producer of the ethical travel show 'Alpaca My Bags', sit down with Montreal astronomer (and recent Busan/Jeju tourist) Trevor Kjorlien for a round-table conversation on ethical travel, the end of the 'Golden Age' of flying and how to approach international travel in an era of climate crisis with TKF host Andre Goulet and new associate producer Gennie Kim Pimentel.Subscribe to Alpaca My Bags wherever you get your podcasts and at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/alpaca-my-bags-responsible-travel-podcast/id1449041086Find out more about Trevor's work at https://plateauastro.com/

Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary is the unsurpassed guide of its meaning, history, and pronunciation featuring more than 600,000 words and spanning over 1000 years. In this conversation UK scholar Cerise Louisa Andrews joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the recent influx of Korean-origin words into English, the influence of the Hallyu phenomenon, and the global success of Korean culture, music, film, television, fashion and food.You can support the podcast in its mission to share Korean history and culture with an international audience by becoming a patron at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On a new episode scholar Mikayla Neyens joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the cultural events that have inspired and defined contemporary feminism in South Korea, exploring the new face of radical activism confronting the threats of Deepfake porn, 'Molka' and the 'Nth Room' cyber sex ring, and explaining how its rising political influence nearly defeated a misogynist political establishment in the 2022 Presidential election.For more from Mikayla read https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/k78zzy/k-pop-deepfake-porn-idols-cyber-investigationSupport the show at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafile

Michael Breen, CEO of Seoul-based PR firm Insight Communications Consultants and author of the outstanding 2017 book ‘The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation', joins host Andre Goulet to preview next week's Presidential Election and explore the unique ideological history and framework behind South Korean electoral politics.For more on Michael's most recent book see https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29939342-the-new-koreansOrder your Seoulbox at https://myseoulbox.com/Support The Korea File for as little as $1/month and keep the show free for listeners around the world at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafileThis conversation was recorded on March 1st, 2022.

Seoulbox has been bringing a taste of Korea through snacks, magazines, and K-pop merch to subscribers around the world since 2019 with a focus on authenticity and the darker side of Korean culture that has cultivated an enthusiastic clientele. In this conversation Suji Sohn joins host Andre Goulet to describe her journey from War Studies major at King’s College London, where she participated in the War Simulation Society, the Marxist Society and the Korean Hallyu Society, to CEO of one of the world's most successful Korea subscription boxes.For more information go to https://myseoulbox.com/Support The Korea File for as little as $1/month and keep the show free for listeners around the world at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafileThis conversation was recorded on January 12th, 2022.

On a celebratory 100th episode host Andre Goulet welcomes Harbinger Media Network podcast pals Paris Marx of leftist tech worldview critique show Tech Won't Save Us and Evan MacDonald of socialist film review show Kino Lefter to explore the historical parallels and context of Squid Game, examine the show's cultural capitalist critique, regret impulsive investments in crypto currency and try to explain why we can't help but hate those notorious VIPs. Hear Paris' popular tech critique show Tech Won't Save Us at https://techwontsave.us/ and support his work at https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveusSubscribe to hear 128 episodes of Evan's excellent, long-running Kino Lefter series at https://www.buzzsprout.com/226175 and get access to more than 100 bonus episodes by supporting the show at https://www.patreon.com/kinolefterHear Andre's political panel show Harbinger Society Presents at https://www.spreaker.com/show/harbinger-society-presentsFind out more about our work building a politically progressive podcast community at https://harbingermedianetwork.com/This conversation was recorded on November 1st, 2021.

On the 99th episode of The Korea File podcast diplomatic studies scholar Jeffrey Robertson joins host Andre Goulet to argue that foreign policy options previously considered extreme – like abandoning the US alliance, acceding to China’s dominance and even of securing a nuclear weapons capacity – are entering strategic debate in South Korea. Follow Robertson on Twitter @Junotane and read his piece athttps://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/coming-soon-neutral-south-koreaFind out more about his work athttps://www.junotane.comFollow Andre at @andremarrgoulet and listen to his other broadcasting work on left politics and society at https://www.harbingermedianetwork.com and subscribe to The Harbinger Spotlight wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to the excellent Blue Roof Politics newsletter at https://www.blueroofpolitics.com/tag/newsletter/This conversation was recorded on January 30th, 2021.

Armed with theory set out in the "Korean Revolution Manifesto" and practical experience drawn from the March 1st Independence Movement, in 1925 worker and citizen organizations including the Daegu League of Truth and Fraternity, the Changwon Black Friend League and the Jeju Island Mutual Aid group began to organize on the peninsula. In the summer of 1929 Anarchists formed an administration representing more than 2 million Koreans in the Manchurian province of Shinmin, but by the summer of 1931 Stalinist pressure in the North, Japanese pressure in the South and a series of targeted political assassinations ended a distinctly Korean experiment with an extraordinary ideology. On episode 98 of The Korea File journalist, filmmaker and screenwriter Abdul Malik joins host Andre Goulet to explore the history of this fascinating and largely forgotten era. Plus: details about our work amplifying new Left discourse at the Harbinger Media Network and what to expect from Abdul's deeply researched new sports, society and politics podcast 'Offcourt', launching in early January as a network exclusive.Find out more and get access to premium supporter-only Harbinger podcasts for as little as $3/month at https://harbingermedianetwork.com/Historical information on this episode is sourced from Ha Ki-Rak's 'A History of the Korean Anarchist Movement', published in 1986 by the Korean Anarchist Federation.Read the entirety of Hwang Dong-yun's 'Anarchism in Korea: Independence, Transnationalism and the Question of National Development from 1919 to 1984' athttps://libcom.org/files/Anarchism%20in%20Korea_%20Independenc%20-%20Dongyoun%20Hwang.pdfRead a concise summary of Anarchism in Korea by the late Irish historian Alan MacSimoin at http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/ANARCHIST_ARCHIVES/worldwidemovements/koreahis.htmlTo read about Anarchism under the Park Chung-hee regime go to https://libcom.org/book/export/html/33946Subscribe to the excellent Blue Roof Politics newsletter at https://www.blueroofpolitics.com/tag/newsletter/This conversation was recorded on December 22nd, 2020.

What is alternative education in Korea? To answer this question, Contemporary Rebellions welcomes Tae Wook Ha, an activist and professor of Alternative Education at Asia Life University in the city of Daejeon and Minyeong Kim, a graduate of one of the first wave of accredited Korean alternative high schools and a current staff member at the NGO World Without War.In these conversations they discuss the Law on Alternative Education Institutions that's currently in front of the National Assembly, the relationship between un-accredited alternative schools and the government, and the future of alternative education in South Korean society. The Contemporary Rebellions podcast is produced by a non-hierarchical volunteer collective based in Seoul with connections across the country. The collective is a group of long-term, bilingual English and Korean speaking international residents in Korea, with involvement in various progressive social movements. Contemporary Rebellions is open to all Korean and foreign members who share our core values, have a background in social activism and would like to join the project.This podcast is intended to be a tool for educators, activists and anyone interested in South Korean social movements. To get in touch or get involved reach out on Facebook, on Twitter @ContemporaryRe3 or via email at contemporaryrebellions@gmail.com.You can find the transcript for this episode at: docs.google.com/document/d/1nntumexOq-LUPHEtmzAHQVUzMGV0j1GmYMSQWysS5lA/edit?usp=sharingPeople’s Solidarity of Alternative Education: www.psae.or.krKorean Association of Alternative Education Institutions: kaaei.hompee.orgIndependent artists you heard in this episode:Kevin MacLeod (Intro): www.incompetech.comOreum Education Space student album: www.orumedu.org/notice/56790Seon Mun Bakk Hakyo: smbschool.krContemporary Rebellions is on:Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/contemporaryrebellionsLook for episode 98 of The Korea File in late December.

On a very special Halloween episode of The Korea File hear a haunting and horrific conversation between guest Joe McPherson (The Wall Street Journal, The Korea Herald, National Geographic, Zen Kimchi) and host Andre Goulet as they explore his 'The Dark Side of Seoul' walking tour, podcast and comic book and share some seasonally terrifying tales of terror in the shadowy and wind-swept hallways of the abandoned Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital.Listen to the podcast at https://darksideofseoul.com/podcast/ And find out more about the tour and Joe's sprawling Zen Kimchi empire at https://darksideofseoul.com/ and https://zenkimchi.com/This episode was produced in collaboration with the Royal Asiatic Society- Korea Branch. To find out more about the RASKB, and to see a schedule of upcoming lectures and events, follow them on Facebook or go to http://raskb.com/You can watch previous RASKB lectures at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRwQTNTB7yHlZwW0VchAJ5Y-IVM7TirrUThis conversation was recorded on October 20th, 2020.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, Korea has faced waves of foreign domination, authoritarian regimes and divided development and, throughout these turbulent times, “queer” Koreans have been ignored, minimized and erased in historical narrative. But a new collection of academic writing is challenging this marginalization through critical analysis of non-normative sexuality and gender variance. On episode 96 of The Korea File academic Todd Henry, editor of ‘Queer Korea’ and an authority on Colonial Era Seoul, joins host Andre Goulet to explore a pathbreaking work of scholarship that brings Korean queerness fully into the mainstream of Korean and East Asian studies.Find out more about the book athttps://www.dukeupress.edu/queer-koreaRead 'Queer Korea', courtesy of Duke University Press at https://www.dukeupress.edu/Assets/PubMaterials/978-1-4780-0290-1_601.pdfOrder Todd's 2014 book 'Assimilating Seoul: Japanese Rule and the Politics of Public Space in Colonial Korea, 1910–1945’ athttps://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520293151/assimilating-seoulThis episode was produced in collaboration with the Royal Asiatic Society- Korea Branch. To find out more about the RASKB, and to see a schedule of upcoming lectures and events, follow them on Facebook or go to http://raskb.com/ You can watch previous RASKB lectures at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRwQTNTB7yHlZwW0VchAJ5Y-IVM7TirrUThis conversation was recorded on September 25th, 2020.

In the charged political climate of '80s South Korea, university freshman Kim Hyun-sook finds refuge in the comfort of literature as the youngest member of a Banned Book Club, the title of the acclaimed 2019 graphic novel from Kim, co-author Ryan Estrada and artist Ko Hyung-ju. On episode 95 of The Korea File, Estrada joins host Andre Goulet to discuss censorship, sequential art and what Kim's powerful story of repression and dissent has to tell us about contemporary Korean politics, illiberalism and the erosion of democratic norms around the world.Find Ryan’s work at http://www.ryanestrada.com/ and buy the book at https://ironcircus.com/?product=banned-book-club This conversation was recorded on August 14th, 2020.Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafile

How has K-pop evolved and changed over the last decade? Is right-wing political paranoia about Tiktok teens and BTS Army activism exaggerated? And is the so-called 'dark side' of the industry just a reflection of broader South Korean society? On episode 94 of The Korea File K-pop authority Dr. CedarBough Saeji educates host Andre Goulet on the history, impact and world-wide popularity of the country's most influential cultural export. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Royal Asiatic Society- Korea Branch. To find out more about the RASKB, and to see a schedule of upcoming lectures and events, follow them on Facebook or go to http://raskb.com/ You can watch previous RASKB lectures at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRwQTNTB7yHlZwW0VchAJ5Y-IVM7TirrUThis conversation was recorded on July 25th, 2020.Support the show at patreon.com/thekoreafile

Introducing a special presentation of the March episode of Contemporary Rebellions: Yonsan. Never again everyone said. Yet in February, 2020 hired thugs attacked the Noryangjin Fish Market workers. The latest episode of the show explores how displacement and state sanctioned violence, as well as resistance to redevelopment and forced evictions, continue.The Contemporary Rebellions podcast is produced by a non-hierarchical volunteer collective based in Seoul with connections across the country. The collective is a group of long-term, bilingual English and Korean speaking international residents in Korea, with involvement in various progressive social movements. Contemporary Rebellions is open to all Korean and foreign members who share our core values, have a background in social activism and would like to join the project. This podcast is intended to be a tool for educators, activists and anyone interested in South Korean social movements. To get in touch or get involved reach out on Facebook, on Twitter @ContemporaryRe3 or via email at contemporaryrebellions@gmail.com.Look for episode 94 of The Korea File in late July.

A powerful new memoir ‘Witnessing Gwangju’ was released this month to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The book’s author, former American Peace Corps volunteer Paul Courtright, was one of only a handful of foreign witnesses to this pivotal event in modern South Korean history. On episode 93 of The Korea File, he joins host Andre Goulet to explore how his simple rural life of living and treating patients in the South Jeolla leprosy village of Hohyewan in May, 1980 collided with the Korean people’s struggle against dictatorship. Find the book at https://www.hollym.com/product/witnessing-gwangju/Listen to ‘A March of the Beloved: The May 18 Democratization Revolution Song’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=droIt4Gam_4 Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafileThis conversation was recorded on May 22nd, 2020.