Korea Deconstructed

Subin Kim is a writer, translator, and journalist. His work currently appears in Al Jazeera and he’s previously been associated with the BBC and NK News. He’s a self-described serf and a lover of pigs. Our conversation started with understanding what webtoons actually are and who reads them. We discussed the popular webtoon Miaseng (미생) and how a lot of content seems to be based on daily life and people’s ordinary struggles. Subin told me about the relationship between webtoons and portal sites. Gang Full (강풀)’s 2003 Soonjung Manhwa was the first webtoon to achieve great success and from there we looked at popular modern stars such as Yaongyi (야옹이). Subin recommends Damage Over Time as a webtoon that would make a great Netflix adaption. We then talk about the future in terms of whether they will become more interactive, and if they can achieve international success like K-pop and K-dramas.   Subin’s website: https://subin.kim/ Subin’s writing on webtoons for Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/31/korean-webtoons Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubinBKim   Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en  

Seohyun Lee was born and raised in central Pyongyang, North Korea. She went to China to study when she was a sophomore at Kim Il Sung University and earned her bachelor’s degree of Science in Finance from Dongbei University of Economics and Finance in 2014. She defected from North Korea in October 2014 during a heightened period of brutal purges by the Kim Jong Un regime. With her long- term vision to build a liberal democratic system and bring freedom in North Korea, she pursues further graduate studies an currently runs a YouTube channel ‘Pyonghattan’ with her brother. Our conversation started with language and Seohyun made it clear that rather than being called a defector or escapee, she prefers the term North Korean freedom seeker. She had done nothing wrong before leaving her country and wants to find a term that best encapsulates that sense of innocence and positivity. She spoke about her childhood in North Korea: what toys she had, what games she played, and what school was like. She also recounted the pressures of trying to stay warm in the country during the cold winters. She explained dating culture in North Korea, shopping, drinking, and the dangers of watching South Korean content. In terms of politics, Seohyun finds problems with the theocratic leadership in North Korea rather than the citizens. She paints a picture of what socialism means in the country in day-to-day life and describes the misconceptions and misunderstandings that many have about the country. Finally, she gave us her views on life, its meaning, and what the future holds. Pyonghattan YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Pyonghattan Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pyonghattan Why I Left North Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5AoG...   Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig... Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...

Se-Woong Koo is founder of Korea Exposé. Before joining the media world, Koo earned his PhD from Stanford University for a dissertation examining the intersection of politics and religion in modern Korea. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, France, from 2012 to 2013; and he taught at the Asian University for Women and at Yale University as Henry Hart Rice Foundation Faculty Fellow and Lecturer. We talked about the foundation of modern Korea and the role religion as a belief system has played in the country’s development. We then discussed the South Korean domestic journalism scene, focusing on ethical problems as well as well as where various outlets sit in the political spectrum. During our discussion, Se-Woong pointed to the construction and reinforcement of ‘grand narratives’ that reify rather than challenge the status quo. The Korea Exposé was founded by Se-Woong to challenge the continued inadequacy of a lot of western reporting on the country. It also positioned itself to the left, addressing issues of social justice and inequality. On particular topics, Se-Woong shared his thoughts on anti-Chinese sentiment, freedom of speech vis-à-vis North Korea, the danger of transgressing historical norms through Korean dramas, social justice in cultural products, and economic inequality. He finished by offering his thoughts on how journalism on Korea can improve. As always, the last question we tackled was the notion of what gives life meaning. The Korea Expose: https://koreaexpose.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KoreaExpose Words that Defined Korea in 2021: https://koreaexpose.com/defining-word... Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig... Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...

Regina Kim is a Culture and Trends Writer for Netflix. Her articles on the hallyu phenomenon and Korean content have appeared in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, ELLE, MTV News, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, NBC News, and Teen Vogue. They also include an interview with Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk. We talked about what it feels like to be writing about Korean content while it is so popular. Because Regina works for Netflix, we talked about distribution, algorithms, and access to the latest Korean dramas. From there, we look at what constitutes a Korean drama and whether there are any that people might be sleeping on. After that, it was K-pop, NFTs, and metaverses; what was her track of the year; and why are idol groups more popular internationally than acts like IU or AKMU. Finally, we looked at her work on anti-Asian racism. Her pieces on this struck a chord with many, suggesting that if one is to stan Korean content, there is also a responsibility to stand up against anti-Asian behavior. The conservation closes with Regina’s thoughts on the future and the meaning of life. Netflix Tudum: https://www.netflix.com/tudum Regina’s website: reginakim.com The K-Drama Renaissance: https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37293494/korean-drama-renaissance-explained/ K-Pop Artists: https://www.elle.com/culture/music/g38302910/best-k-pop-artists-if-you-love-bts-blackpink/ Anti-Asian Racism: https://www.elle.com/life-love/a36411959/stop-aapi-hate-k-pop/   Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en  

Becky White is a model, a singer, a podcast host, a writer, and countless other things. She is also the daughter of a Korean mother and an American father. Drawing on her own experiences growing up and then living and working in Korea, she created The Halfie Project: a journey to discover the meaning of a mixed identity - an identity which inhabits two cultures. We talk about what it means to be Korean, what she learned from the Halfie Project, and the nature of beauty and appearance in Korean society The Halfie Project: https://www.thehalfieproject.com/ Podcast: https://www.thehalfieproject.com/halfieprojectpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehalfieproject/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHalfieProject Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/ Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/ Video: Dan www.nongrataproductions.com 

Lee Taewoong is a producer for KBS, holding a position in the sports bureau since 2003. After his initial feature lengths explorations of ssiruem, football, and archery, he soon turned to more historic, social, and cultural work. His hugely successfully and acclaimed documentary 88/18 depicted the real life experiences of Korean people as they prepared for the Olympics, from the President, to middle-class aspirants, leftists protestors, and school children. This approach to covering Korean society as it actually existed was continued in the series Modern Korea – a multipart documentary based on Taewoong’s signature style of archival footage, music, and narrative-less full-length features. I sometimes compare his work to Adam Curtis’ and believe much of what he has done is better than most Korean history books out there.   88/18 Documentary: https://youtu.be/cS-MZlwLqYQ Ssireum Documentary: https://youtu.be/pK-rDB7PliM 1968 - 싸우면서 건설한다: https://youtu.be/WnGZQhA-mAg Modern Korea Documentary: https://modernkorea.wordpress.com/   Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873  Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en

Dr. Jungmin Kwon is an assistant professor of digital culture and film studies in the School of Film at Portland State University. Her research and teaching interests include digital culture, film and media, gender and sexuality, media industry, fans and audiences, media celebrity, and Korean/East Asian popular culture. She is the author of Straight Korean Female Fans and Their Gay Fantasies (2019, University of Iowa Press). Currently, Dr. Kwon is writing her second book, titled The (In)Visibility Dilemma: Queer Media Cultures and Voices in Contemporary South Korea. Jungmin’s book: https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9... Jungmin’s recent research: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapter... Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXcd... Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig... Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...

Growing up, Sylvia rejected her Korean identity and it took her decades to come to terms with it. Her attitude changed when she began writing and researching the tragedy of sexual slavery, particularly that carried out by the Japanese in Korea. She discovered generational pain: something passed down, unresolved. Something, she says, that might be “han”. A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia is her new book published by Penguin. It explores the stories and memories of women across the continent who suffered unspeakable acts and then seeks to shine a light of compassion on their lives. Based on the time she spent with these women, Sylvia believes there are political solutions that must be sought. Moreover, history must be explored and contended with, despite what bitterness might arise. But for us as individuals, we have a responsibility to be informed and give back to our society, particularly at the local level.     "...I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

If you’ve ever tried to learn Korean, there’s a really strong chance you did so by listening to Hyunwoo. The founder of Talk To Me In Korean, he has become a leading figure in the language learning community thanks to his books, podcasts, and videos. He shared his thoughts on the Korean language and how hierarchy and democracy plays into all of this, particularly with age and honorific systems. Hyunwoo also talks about the language itself, in terms of its relative ease, focus on verbs, and lack of pronouns. He suggests that despite the boom in Hallyu worldwide, the Korean language learning community has not experienced too many crossover effects yet, but that they might be coming soon. We also discuss the Talk To Me In Korean community with its millions of subscribers worldwide, the way people study, the joy it brings him, and the changing nature of his celebrity and public image amidst all this.

Hallyu is not a sudden phenomenon, Dr. Lee says. It’s been an international culture since the 1990s. But from about the 2010s, enjoying Korean popular culture for non-Asians has become a new trend in cyberspace. This means Korean popularity is closely connected to technological changes in the media environment and industry. The two are interdependent. Despite the earlier popularity of Japanese cultural products, the promotion strategies used then were not very effective and there was not a concerted effort at spreading it to the rest of Asia. Locally, Dr. Lee talks of how one of his friends at high school was punished for playing a Japanese song at lunchtime. Eventually, economic difficulties domestically pushed Korean cultural products outside of the country and seeking new markets. China’s change from communism to capitalism provided a very fortuitous suitable landing pad for many of these products. In Korea, Dr. Lee suggests K-pop is normally considered music for teenagers. There is a social consensus that it is not really appropriate as a genre for people in their 20s. Thus, many people stop listening to it (or perhaps hide their interest) due to cultural conventions. However, international fans are not affected by such attitudes. Conversely, for them, the more knowledge and depth of understanding they show of K-pop, the trendier they are seen. K-pop can also serve as a gateway into other genres. For international fans, K-pop is not mainstream. Instead it speaks to minority and alternative cultures. For Dr. Lee, K-pop should not just be understood as music: it is related to fashion, fan relationships, videos, and choreography. The fans now believe they are responsible for the artists’ success. Thus they expect the idols and entertainment agencies to listen to their requests and desires. However, that democratic culture of fan-led artists is slowly being consumed by capitalism and the entertainment industry like punk and hip-hop were in the past. Moreover, despite K-pop being apolitical in nature, it’s been used by the Democratic Party in the United States. Musicians and entertainment companies are aware of this politicization and it has become necessary for them to follow the trend and remain loyal to their fans. Dr. Lee finishes by questioning what will happen to Hallyu going forward if it continues to internationalize. If the only thing remaining is the Korean ethnicity of the performers, then what will this mean for the culture industry and, more importantly, Korean identity in general. Can a balance be found?