The State's Sexuality: Prostitution and Postcolonial Nation Building in South Korea (University of California Press, 2024) by Dr. Park Jeong-Mi uncovers how the lives and work of women engaged in prostitution, long considered the most abased members of society, have been strategically intertwined with the lofty purpose of building South Korea's postcolonial nation-state.Through a complicated, contradictory patchwork of laws and regulations, which Dr. Park conceptualizes as a "toleration-regulation regime," the South Korean state did not merely exclude sex workers from ordinary citizenship; it also mobilized them for national security, national development, and the making of a gendered citizenry. In the process, the newly independent state was constructed, augmented, and consolidated. Sex workers often protested such draconian policies and sometimes utilized state apparatuses to get recognition as citizens. Based on expansive, meticulous archival research and sophisticated interpretation of historical records and women's voices, Dr. Park rewrites the dynamic history of South Korea from 1945 to the present through the lens of prostitution.This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

General He Yingqin: The Rise and Fall of Nationalist China (Cambridge UP, 2016) is a revisionist study of the career of General He Yingqin, one of the most prominent military officers in China's Nationalist period (1928-49) and one of the most misunderstood figures in twentieth-century China. Western scholars have dismissed He Yingqin as corrupt and incompetent, yet the Chinese archives reveal that he demonstrated considerable success as a combat commander and military administrator during civil conflicts and the Sino-Japanese War. His work in the Chinese Nationalist military served as the foundation of a close personal and professional relationship with Chiang Kai-shek, with whom he worked closely for more than two decades. Against the backdrop of the Nationalist revolution of the 1920s through the 1940s, Peter Worthing analyzes He Yingqin's rise to power alongside Chiang Kai-shek, his work in building the Nationalist military, and his fundamental role in carrying out policies designed to overcome the regime's greatest obstacles during this turbulent period of Chinese history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

How do states build vital institutions for market development? Too often, governments confront technical or political barriers to providing the rule of law, contract enforcement, and loan access. In From Click to Boom: The Political Economy of E-Commerce in China (Princeton, 2024) Lizhi Liu suggests a digital solution: governments strategically outsourcing tasks of institutional development and enforcement to digital platforms—a process she calls “institutional outsourcing.”China’s e-commerce boom showcases this digital path to development. In merely two decades, China built from scratch a two-trillion-dollar e-commerce market, with 800 million users, seventy million jobs, and nearly fifty percent of global online retail sales. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Liu argues, this market boom occurred because of weak government institutions, not despite them. Gaps in government institutions compelled e-commerce platforms to build powerful private institutions for contract enforcement, fraud detection, and dispute resolution. For a surprisingly long period, the authoritarian government acquiesced, endorsed, and even partnered with this private institutional building despite its disruptive nature. Drawing on a plethora of interviews, original surveys, proprietary data, and a field experiment, Liu shows that the resulting e-commerce boom had far-reaching effects on China.Institutional outsourcing nonetheless harbors its own challenges. With inadequate regulation, platforms may abuse market power, while excessive regulation stifles institutional innovation. China’s regulatory oscillations toward platforms—from laissez-faire to crackdown and back to support—underscore the struggle to strike the right balance.Lizhi Liu is assistant professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she is also a faculty affiliate of the Department of Government. Her work has been published by American Economic Review: Insights, Studies in Comparative International Development, Minnesota Law Review, Oxford University Press, and Princeton University Press. She was also listed as a Poets&Quants Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professor of 2021. She holds degrees in Political Science (PhD), Statistics (MS), and International Policy Studies (MA) from Stanford University and in International Relations (LLB) from Renmin University of China.Interviewer Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of San Francisco, a nonresident scholar at the UCSD 21st Century China Center, an alumnus of the Public Intellectuals Program of the National Committee on US-China Relations, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions. His research focuses on the economics of information, incentives, and institutions, primarily as applied to the development and governance of China. He created the unique Master’s of Science in Applied Economics at the University of San Francisco, which teaches the conceptual frameworks and practical data analytics skills needed to succeed in the digital economy.Lorentzen’s other NBN interviews relating to China’s tech sector include Trafficking Data, on how Chinese and American firms exploit user data, The Tao of Alibaba, on Alibaba’s business model and organizational culture, Surveillance State, on China’s digital surveillance, Prototype Nation, on the culture and politics of China’s innovation economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

Today, the Hong Kong Philharmonic is one of the world’s great symphony orchestras. But when John Duffus landed in Hong Kong in 1979 as the Philharmonic’s general manager–its fifth in as many years–he quickly learned just how much work needed to be done to make a Western symphony orchestra work in a majority Chinese city.John Duffus’s memoir Backstage in Hong Kong: A Life with the Philharmonic, Broadway Musicals and Classical Superstars (Blacksmith: 2024) charts his life from running the Philharmonic, bringing acts like the Three Tenors and Cats to Asia, and his thoughts on the Hong Kong Cultural Center and the West Kowloon Cultural District.John joins the show today to explain what the general manager of an orchestra actually does, the trickiest problems he had to solve in Hong Kong and China, and his thoughts on whether Hong Kong is truly a “cultural wasteland.”You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Backstage in Hong Kong. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia.Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

In this engaging discussion, Jia Tan, Associate Professor of Cultural Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, explores her influential work on feminist rights and queer media in China. She introduces the concept of 'digital masquerade,' revealing how digital platforms empower queer and feminist activism while navigating censorship. Jia delves into the emergence of 'rights feminism' and shares insights from her research on media practitioners and community events, highlighting the significance of queer film festivals and the role of social media in challenging traditional narratives.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Dennis Wuerthner, an assistant professor of East Asian literature, introduces his translation of Yi Illo's 'Pahan chip,' offering insights into Korea's rich literary history. He delves into the challenges of translating pre-modern works and the cultural dynamics of the Silla dynasty. Wuerthner explores themes of political dissent, identity, and the significance of leisure in Yi Illo's writings. The conversation illuminates the interplay of humor and critique in historical narratives, revealing the timeless relevance of these stories.

Join Professor Kerry Brown, a leading voice in Chinese Studies from King's College London, as he unpacks Taiwan's pivotal role in global geopolitics. He explores Taiwan's significance in the ideological battle between democracy and autocracy, and how its situation may shape future international dynamics. Brown delves into the historical tensions with China under Xi Jinping, Taiwan's democratic evolution, and the economic struggles influencing aggressive policies. Discover why understanding Taiwan is crucial for navigating today's complex global landscape.

Andrea Benvenuti, an Associate Professor at UNSW, dives into the pivotal Bandung Conference of 1955 and its influence on India's non-aligned strategy during the Cold War. He reveals that Nehru was less enthusiastic about the summit than commonly believed, highlighting how it underscored national divisions. The discussion also explores Nehru's complex relationship with China, particularly with Zhou Enlai, and critiques the efficacy of Nehru's foreign policy. Finally, Benvenuti compares Nehru's vision for Afro-Asian leadership with that of Indonesia's Sukarno.

Tamara Jacka, Emeritus Professor at The Australian National University, shares her insights on the intricate tapestry of rural Chinese life through her recent work. She delves into Ginkgo Village's traumatic past, marked by civil war and famine, and its dramatic social transformations due to labor migration. Emphasizing empathy, Jacka explores the evolving gender dynamics and the collaborative nature of her ethnographic research. Her storytelling invites listeners to understand the resilience and challenges faced by villagers while illuminating broader socio-cultural shifts in contemporary China.

Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee, a Professor at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu and author of 'Confucian Feminism: A Practical Ethic for Life', discusses the innovative overlap between Confucian principles and feminist theory. She explores how Confucian terms like ren and xiao offer fresh insights into gender oppression. The conversation reveals a reimagined view of marriage based on friendship and mutual growth. Rosenlee emphasizes the creation of a compassionate society through interdependence, advocating for policies that enhance care and community support.