A deadly kidnapping in Matamoros, Mexico had international media breathlessly reporting every shocking twist: first, four American tourists were kidnapped, then two were murdered, and finally the cartel allegedly involved sent out a written apology letter.

But for the locals of the long cartel-held city, it was business as usual except for just one thing: the Americans were actually found. We'll hear what life alongside the Gulf Cartel is really like and the complex relationship between the community and these criminal organizations.

Plus, protests erupted in South Korea last week over the government's new plan to use the country's own funds to pay for the harm caused to people who were forced to work in factories and mines during Japanese occupation from 1910-1945. We'll get into why this dispute has persisted for so many decades why South Koreans are still dealing with colonial scars today.

Featuring:
Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, political science professor and author of Los Zetas Inc.: Criminal Corporations, Energy, and Civil War in Mexico.
Michelle Ye He Lee, Tokyo and Seoul bureau chief for the Washington Post.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/nothing-is-foreign-transcripts-listen-1.6732059