James Scullin is the Programs Director at Asia Society.

James' Asia journey started when his Melbourne school made Mandarin studies compulsory for the first four years of high school.

James and I first crossed paths via our China connection. But what intrigued me about his Asia journey was his experience leading guided tours to North Korea, which later inspired him to create a photo book documenting the hotels in the country’s capital city.

We talk about the juxtaposition of China’s rapid development versus its enduring cultural identity, I discover James’ love for Japanese surf rock, and we dive behind the scenes into his time in North Korea, including the making of his book Hotels of Pyongyang.

Welcome to Clout Asia, where we ask Australians to take us on their journey to Asia capability by choosing a food, song, show, and person that captures the essence of their experience - to help us understand, what being an Aussie with Clout, is all about.

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FOOD: Pyongyang cold noodles

MUSIC: Takeshi Terauchi

TV SHOW: Early movies by Zhang Yimou

PERSON: Ri So Hyang (North Korea tour guide)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cloutasia.substack.com