Thu, 19 May 2016
South Korea is going to great lengths to attract international university students, for example through scholarships and programs taught in English. Over the past decade, the number of foreign students has increased eightfold and now over 85.000 foreign students attend Korean universities. But while welcome on paper, they find themselves in a largely homogeneous society in which multiculturalism is a contentious issue – and this causes friction. To learn more about the situation of these students and multiculturalism in the Korean education system, we had the honor of interviewing Professor Rennie Moon. We discussed the different types of multiculturalism present in universities, the factors motivating student to come to Korea, the barriers limiting interactions between Korean and foreign students, as well as the role of foreign faculty members within the Korean education system. Rennie J. Moon is an Assistant Professor at the Underwood International College of Yonsei University with a focus on higher education in the context of globalization. Her research and writings have been published not only in academic journals but also in newspapers, such as the Comparative Education Review, the Donga-Ilbo and Korea Daily Joongang Ilbo. Professor Moon obtained her Bachelor’s degree at Wellesley College and her PhD in International Comparative Education at Stanford University. |
Thu, 5 May 2016
The events on the Korean peninsula don’t take place in a vacuum; they are influenced by the great powers that have a stake in the region. The People’s Republic of China, in particular, makes its weight felt: it is the largest trade partner of both Korean states and considered by many to be the linchpin in the international disputes surrounding North Korea. But while China has long been reluctant to put pressure on Pyongyang, recent developments in the North Korean nuclear program have seemingly led it to reconsider its position. To better understand China's foreign policy since Xi Jinping became President more than three years ago and its position with regards to North Korea, we had the honor of meeting with Bonnie S. Glaser. She spoke to us about the growing assertiveness of China in international affairs, the role its President plays in these changes, China's perception of North Korea, and the future prospects for the region. Bonnie S. Glaser is a senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Previously, she served as a consultant for various U.S. government offices, including the Departments of Defense and State. Her writings have been published various in academic journals and newspapers, including the China Quarterly, Asian Survey, and International Security as well as in The New York Times. Bonnie Glaser received her B.A. in political science from Boston University and her M.A. with concentrations in international economics and Chinese studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. |
Wed, 20 April 2016
South Korea is one of the world’s largest market for video games and famous for the success of its competitive players. A core element of the country’s gaming culture are the so-called PC Bangs: internet cafés with a focus on competitive online gaming. They are ubiquitous in South Korea, cheap and equipped with up-to-date gaming computers, and usually open around the clock. In order to learn more about the workings, culture and history of PC Bangs -- and about why they are popular in Korea but virtually unknown elsewhere -- we spoke to Jun-Sok Huhh. As he argues, their emergence is the result of the country’s historical circumstances during the 1990s, they have shaped what games Koreans play and how they play them, but are now struggling in the face of recent developments in the gaming industry. Jun-Sok Huhh is game industry analyst at NCSoft, one of South Korea’s largest game development companies. He obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degrees in Economics from Seoul National University and has written multiple academic papers on the culture, business and history of PC Bangs and gaming in South Korea. |
Tue, 5 April 2016
At first glance, advertisement in South Korea is no different from what can be seen in many other countries. At the same time, the country’s political, economic and social history has shaped how goods and services are promoted, and what is seen as the right way to do so. To learn more about South Korean advertising, its unique features and its industry, we met with Professor Olga Fedorenko. We talked about the history of South Korean advertising, its relation to democracy, why it has been described in South Korea as the "flower of capitalism," and how advertisement was and is an arena where social norms are renegotiated. Olga Fedorenko is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Seoul National University. She obtained her Bachelor in Korean studies from the Institute of Asian & African Studies at Moscow State University and holds an MBA from Yonsei University. She completed her PhD in East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. She has published various articles and chapters on advertising in South Korea and is currently working on a book manuscript: Flower of Capitalism - South Korea Advertising at Crossroads. |
Tue, 22 March 2016
While Europe experienced the Middle Ages and waged war in the Crusades, the Korean peninsula was ruled by the Koryo dynasty, which lasted from 918 to 1392 AD. This era is remembered for the unification of the previous three Korean kingdoms, its pottery, Buddhist wood carvings and movable type technology; yet there is comparatively little popular knowledge about the period’s political system and society. To learn more about the Koryo dynasty, we had the privilege of meeting with Professor Remco Breuker who discussed with us some of its characteristics and especially its pluralistic nature. Professor Breuker is Professor of Korean Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He obtained his PhD from the same university and pursued graduate studies there as well as at Seoul National University. He has published on Korean history in various academic journals, translated numerous modern and historic texts from Korean, and is the author of Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea - History, Ideology, and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty, which was published in 2010 |
Tue, 8 March 2016
One of Korea's most successful exports is Taekwon-Do: a martial art practiced by tens of millions around the globe and recognized as an olympic sport since the 2000 games in Sydney. Yet, far from being united, the world of Taekwon-Do has suffered various schisms. The story of its founder is as disputed as it is marred in the politics of the Korean Peninsula, and as a discipline Taekwon-Do is represented by two competing organizations on the international stage. To learn more about the history of Taekwon-Do and the life story of its founding father, General Choi Hong Hi, we had the honor of interviewing Dr. George Vitale. He kindly offered to guide us through the complex politics of Taekwon-Do, the endeavors of General Choi, and of course the distinctive aspects of this modern martial art. Dr. Vitale holds an 8th dan -- the second highest rank -- in Taekwon-Do and was inducted into the Official Taekwon-Do Hall of Fame in 2009 for his lifetime achievements, and provided assistance to Grandmaster Jung Woo-Jin in bringing a team of North Korean athletes to tour the United States. He is also the first (and only) American to have earned an academic PhD (in Taekwon-Do) from North Korea in 2011. He previously served for over two decades in the New York State Police, which included a senior role in the security detail for two New York State governors. |
Sun, 21 February 2016
For the past two decades, North Korea has repeatedly caused international concern with its development and testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. But while the political aspects of these programs receive plenty of media attention, it is difficult to gain a realistic picture of the technologies at work, their effectiveness and the actual stockpiles in North Korea. To learn more about North Korea's weapons programs, and especially the country’s missiles, we had the pleasure of interviewing Daniel A. Pinkston, lecturer in International Relations with Troy University in Seoul. Professor Pinkston is also the Northeast Asia Deputy Project Director for the International Crisis Group in Seoul and, before that, was director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Middlebury College. Professor Pinkston received his M.A. in Korean studies from Yonsei University and his Ph.D. in international affairs from the University of California, San Diego. He wrote The North Korean Ballistic Missile Program (2008) for the Strategic Studies Institute, and has published various academic articles and book chapters on security issues on the Korean peninsula. |
Sun, 14 February 2016
For North Korean defectors, escaping from North Korea is only the beginning of a long and perilous odyssey towards permanent resettlement in South Korea or elsewhere. The overwhelming majority of defectors start their journey by crossing the Chinese border, stepping foot into a land where they risk arrest and repatriation should they ever be caught. Their status as illegal immigrants makes them vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation, such as forced labor, human trafficking and prostitution. One organization helping defectors on the ground and smuggling them out of China is Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), a non-governmental organization headquartered in the United States. We had the pleasure of interviewing its Director of Research & Strategy, Sokeel Park, who talked to us about the dangers defectors face in China and LiNK’s mission to provide them with much needed relief and support. Sokeel Park worked for the Korean government and the United Nations before joining LiNK’s Seoul office, where he is charge of research and global media outreach. He belongs to the community of Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum and has lectured about North Korea and LiNK’s operations around the world. Sokeel Park holds a Bachelor in Psychology from the University of Warwick and an M.A. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. |
Sun, 7 February 2016
North Korea and China have a special relationship. The two countries are each other’s only military alliance partners, and China is commonly seen as shielding North Korea from the discontent of the international community. But while this relationship started as an ideological alliance and was forged in blood during the Korean War, it has seemingly become of a more pragmatic nature in recent years. In order to understand the history of Sino-North Korean relations better, we sat down with Professor John Delury. We talked about the premodern interactions between China and the Korean peninsula and the insights they hold for the situation today, about the distrust that has long characterized relations between China and North Korea, and about where the countries stand today with regards to each other. John Delury is Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the Graduate School of International Studies of Yonsei University in Seoul. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in History at Yale University. In 2013, he published with Orville Schell the critically acclaimed Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century (Random House). Professor Delury’s writings have appeared in various publications including Foreign Affairs, 38 North and Asian Perspective.He is also active on Twitter. |
Sun, 31 January 2016
It’s been four years since Kim Jong-un came to power in North Korea after the death of his father in 2011. To assess how the comparatively young and inexperienced leader has been doing so far, we had the pleasure of meeting with Andrei Lankov, the guest of our first episode. With him we spoke about Kim Jong-un's approach to the North Korean economy, the country’s relationship with China, the impact and value of the international community’s sanctions, and whether North Korea has become more stable ever since it is in the hands of Kim Jong-un. Andrei Lankov is Professor of Korean Studies at Kookmin University. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Leningrad State University and also attended Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung University. He has published books in English and Russian and contributes to various news outlets, including The Korea Times and Al Jazeera. |