Bart van Genugten is a Dutchman with a passion for people, history, stories, and 분위기 (atmosphere). His recent project, Welcome to my Dong, looks to explore all of Seoul's 467 dongs (neighborhoods) and it has proved incredibly successful online, with millions of views, countless stories, and a host of well wishers. Bart is keeping history alive amidst a rapidly changing urban culture and it is no surprise that many of his greatest fans are Koreans themselves.

During his journey, Bart is also discovering himself. Coming to terms with mental health, online identity, his Dutch family, and his place in Korean society. He is also a published author, cowriting a book (직항은 없다) with his wife, 김휘아, describing his experiences in Pyongyang with his father.

Find Bart online

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iGoBart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igobart_/

Discussion

0:00 Korean life and drinking culture

18:10 Welcome to my Dong

42:13 The ethics of filming people

45:10 Online success

1:00:45 The people of Seoul

1:13:00 Does Hallyu help?

1:17:26 North Korea

1:35:55 Subtitles and Content

1:41:49 Working with your wife

1:52:28 Fans of the channel

1:55:53 Mental health

2:06:50 The beauty of Korea

Thanks to 전윤서 for some help with this episode

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

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