East Asia Now

Over a six-month period from October 2024 until March 2025, CEAS Associate Director David Fields had the incredible opportunity to record an extensive oral history with Hyuk YU, emeritus professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While he is best known as a chemist, this oral history focused on Professor Yu’s early life in Korea. Born in 1933, Professor YU was an eye-witness to many of the historical events that shaped the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 20th century.

In the final episode of our series, Professor YU recounts his time as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army during the most desperate months of the Korean War. Professor YU shares his eyewitness account of the historic Hungnam Evacuation and describes how his relationship with an American Colonel eventually paved his way to a new life in the United States.

This episode was co-produced, edited, and mastered by Nate Gass. Jihoon Suk selected, restored, and digitally transferred the music on this episode.

Music Credits

삼수갑산 Samsu Gapsan

Sung by Kang Hongsik 강홍식

Lyrics by Kim Anseo 김안서(김억)

Music by Kim Kyoseong 김교성

Recorded on May 9th, 1933

Originally issued as Victor 49233-A in September 1933.

달마지 Dalmaji

Sung by Wang Subok 왕수복

Lyrics by Yi Woonbang 이운방

Composed by Kim Myeon-kyun 김면균

Originally issued as Polydor 19375-A in December 1935

애수의 소야곡 Aesu-ui Soyagok

Sung by Nam Insu 남인수

Lyrics by Yi Nohong 이노홍

Composed by Park Sichun 박시춘

Originally issued as Okeh 12080-A in December 1937

방랑가 Bangrang-ga

Sung by Kang Seokyeon 강석영

Lyrics by Kim Yeonghwan 김영환

Music by Kang Yunseok 강윤석

Recorded on March 22nd, 1931.

Originally issued as Columbia 40138-A in July 1931.

삼수갑산 Samsu Gapsan

Sung by Kang Hongsik 강홍식

Lyrics by Kim Anseo 김안서(김억)

Music by Kim Kyoseong 김교성

Recorded on May 9th, 1933

Originally issued as Victor 49233-A in September 1933.

번지없는 주막 Beonji-upneun Jumak

Sung by Baek Nyeonseol 백년설

Lyrics by Park Yeongho 박영호

Composed by Yi Jaeho 이재호

Originally issued as Taihei GC-3007-A in August 1940.

Over a six-month period from October 2024 until March 2025, CEAS Associate Director David Fields had the incredible opportunity to record an extensive oral history with Hyuk YU, emeritus professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While he is best known as a chemist, this oral history focused on Professor Yu’s early life in Korea. Born in 1933, Professor YU was an eye-witness to many of the historical events that shaped the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 20th century.

In this episode, we will discuss his experiences during the opening weeks of the Korean War. Unlike millions of other Koreans, Professor YU’s family chose not to flee further south during the war, but to ride out the conflict in Incheon. This decision surely spared them from some hardships, but exposed them to others.

This episode was co-produced, edited, and mastered by Nate Gass. Jihoon Suk selected, restored, and digitally transferred the music on this episode.

Music Credits

삼수갑산 Samsu Gapsan

Sung by Kang Hongsik 강홍식

Lyrics by Kim Anseo 김안서(김억)

Music by Kim Kyoseong 김교성

Recorded on May 9th, 1933

Originally issued as Victor 49233-A in September 1933.

신라의 달밤 Silla-ui Dalbam

Sung by Hyeon In 현인

Lyrics by Yu Ho 유호

Composed by Park Sichun 박시춘

Originally issued as Lucky L7701-A in May 1949

도라지타령 Doraji-Taryeong

Sung by Kang Namhyang, Ko Boksu, Yi Nanyong 강남향, 고복수, 이난영

Traditional (Folksong)

Originally issued as Okeh 1696-A in January 1935.

타향 Tahyang

Sung by Ko Boksu 고복수

Lyrics by Keum Neung-in 금능인

Composed by Sohn Mokin 손목인

Originally issued as Okeh 1677-B in April 1934

Over a six-month period from October 2024 until March 2025, CEAS Associate Director David Fields had the incredible opportunity to record an extensive oral history with Hyuk YU, emeritus professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While he is best known as a chemist, this oral history focused on Professor Yu’s early life in Korea. Born in 1933, Professor YU was an eye-witness to many of the historical events that shaped the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 20th century.

In this episode, we will discuss his family's experience under Soviet occupation, their flight from North Korea communism, and their life in South Korea as North Korean refugees.

This episode was co-produced, edited, and mastered by Nate Gass. Jihoon Suk selected, restored, and digitally transferred the music on this episode.

Music Credits

삼수갑산 Samsu Gapsan

Sung by Kang Hongsik 강홍식

Lyrics by Kim Anseo 김안서(김억)

Music by Kim Kyoseong 김교성

Recorded on May 9th, 1933

Originally issued as Victor 49233-A in September 1933.

조선팔경가 Joseon-Palgyong-ga

Sung by Seonwoo Ilseon 선우일선

Lyrics by Pyonwol 편월

Composed by Hyung Seok-gi 형석기

Originally issued as Polydor 19290-A in March 1936.

눈물젖은 두만강 Nunmul-jeojeun Dumangang

Sung by Kim Jeong-gu 김정구

Lyrics by Kim Yong-ho 김용호

Composed by Yi Si-woo 이시우

Originally issued as Okeh 12094-A in January 1937.

굳세어라 금순아 Gutse-eora Geumsuna

Sung by Hyeon In 현인

Lyrics by Kang Hae-in 강해인

Composed by Park Sichun 박시춘

Originally issued as Orient R8025-A in October 1952.

Over a six-month period from October 2024 until March 2025, CEAS Associate Director David Fields had the incredible opportunity to record an extensive oral history with Hyuk YU, emeritus professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While he is best known as a chemist, this oral history focused on Professor Yu’s early life in Korea. Born in 1933, Professor YU was an eye-witness to many of the historical events that shaped the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 20th century.

This episode will focus on Professor YU's childhood in the far north of Korea. Born in the "exile locale" of Kapsan in 1933, he offers a rare eyewitness account of life under Japanese colonial rule and what it means to be Korean in the Japanese Empire.

This episode was co-produced, edited, and mastered by Nate Gass. Jihoon Suk selected, restored, and digitally transferred the music on this episode.

Music Credits

삼수갑산 Samsu Gapsan

Sung by Kang Hongsik 강홍식

Lyrics by Kim Anseo 김안서(김억)

Music by Kim Kyoseong 김교성

Recorded on May 9th, 1933

Originally issued as Victor 49233-A in September 1933.

방랑가 Bangrang-ga

Sung by Kang Seokyeon 강석영

Lyrics by Kim Yeonghwan 김영환

Music by Kang Yunseok 강윤석

Recorded on March 22nd, 1931.

Originally issued as Columbia 40138-A in July 1931.

달없는 항로 Dalupneun Hangno

Sung by Yi Nanyeong 이난영

Lyrics by Kim Yong-ho 김용호

Composed by Um Jae-geun 엄재근

Originally issued as Okeh 12237-B in May 1939.

타향 Tahyang

Sung by Ko Boksu 고복수

Lyrics by Keum Neung-in 금능인

Composed by Sohn Mokin 손목인

Originally issued as Okeh 1677-B in April 1934.

David Rennie, current geopolitics editor at The Economist, shared how he stumbled into journalism as well as stories that have stayed with him over 20 years of reporting during his return to Wisconsin to deliver the CEAS Professional Lecture. He also delved into how both the US and China share some similarities despite their conflicting political ideologies, the intricacies of Chinese and American perceptions of their respective political leaderships, and the future of US and East Asia alliances.

This episode was edited and mastered by Nate Gass.

Nick Lardy, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), offered a brief origin story of his entry into the field of Chinese Economics, which involved an interesting piece of local Madison political engagement. He discussed his illustrious career across academia and think thanks, and gave us a breakdown on the ebbs and flows of the role of the private sector in China’s historic economic growth. Offering a corrective to misconceptions of China’s slowed growth and fundamental untrustworthiness, he also outlines how an increasingly hardline U.S. policy towards this rising global power could force it towards self-sufficiency in ways that would be detrimental to the U.S. economy.

This episode was edited and mastered by Nate Gass.

John Fitzgerald, Senior Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra, discussed his professional journey and his work on the development of Chinese nationalism. His foray into this field of study was a result of “serendipity and opportunity” involving an interesting convergence with a piece of UW-Madison history. He argues for the necessity of looking at the development of Chinese nationalism from a comparative perspective and the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the region.

This episode was edited and mastered by Nate Gass.

Sarah Mellors Rodriguez, then Associate Professor of History at Missouri State University, joined David Fields, CEAS Associate Director, for a discussion on reproductive policies in the PRC. She shared the genesis of her first book, Reproductive Realities in Modern China: Birth Control and Abortion, 1911-2021 (Cambridge University Press, 2023) and explored the uneven trajectory of abortion from a banned practice to a staple reproductive healthcare service in China today. Listen to the full episode for a sneak peek of her current project and insights into conducting research in China!

Check out Rodriguez’s earlier episode with the East Asia Now podcast from 2018: https://soundcloud.com/eastasianow/sarah-mellors-on-birth-control-in-china

This episode was edited and mastered by Nate Gass.

In this episode, Jean-François di Meglio, the President of Asia Centre, discussed EU-China relations and his professional experiences in international finance with David Fields, CEAS Associate Director. Asia Centre is a Paris-based independent research institute which focuses on international and economic relations with countries in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the area’s sociopolitical developments. He offered an overview of the European approach to China, which is both similar and different to the US approach, and the ways it needs to adapt to preserve the interests of all parties and reduce conflict. Head to www.asiacentre.eu for a deeper dive into related topics, as well as information on an upcoming podcast and other projects.

Kaiser Kuo, the host of the Sinica Podcast, sat down with CEAS's David Fields during his visit to the UW campus. He discussed how he became interested in the political climate surrounding US & China relations, what drew him away from graduate school, and how his personal history influenced his desire to shed a light on information coming out of China. He asks that the listeners be cautious of anyone who calls themselves and "China expert" and that rather than the highly polarized viewpoints, consider things from multiple angles. Kaiser also recommends the best episodes from the Sinica backlog to get an newly interested party started.