When you live and work in Korea, it's hard to escape talk around BTS. Their comeback concert in Gwanghwamun generated a huge amount of media attention, both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of traditional elements such as Arirang and Gyeongbuk Palace generated both national pride and a sense of domestic fatigue. I got a group of young adults who have grown up with BTS to talk about their reactions to the showcase, the album, the psychological pressure the group face, and the practice of streaming and fandom in K-pop culture.

I am joined by two young Korean adults, Esha and Namu, as well as two international students living and studying here in Korea, Violet and Alina.

Discussion Outline

0:00 Reacting to the Album

13:48 No. 29 and Korean Philosophy

23:56 The Comeback Concert

46:00 The Psychological Pressure of Being an Idol

55:15 Fan Labour and Streaming

1:07:30 Korean Nationalism and Culture

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Why do people join cults? The reality is seemingly very complex. In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Peter Daley, a long-term resident of Korea and someone who has spent decades observing and documenting the world of fringe religious movements and cultic groups.

Peter Daley is an Australian who has lived in Korea since 2002. He worked at Keimyung University in Daegu for eight years, teaching English for six years and spending two years working in Keimyung's Office of International Affairs. He has been teaching English at Sookmyung Women's University since 2012.

Find him online: https://peterdaley.net/strangerthings/

https://internationalculticstudies.org/ (ICSA)

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction to Cults

7:00 The Unification Church (통일교)

13:00 Church or Cult?

20:00 Who Do Cults Approach?

23:56 Shincheonji

29:00 Christianity

37:20 Influence in Korean Society

40:55 Aum Shinrikyo

46:50 Former Members of Cults

56:30 Scientology

1:06:00 The Necessity of Empathy

1:11:20 Getting People Out of Cults

1:17:02 Are Cults Getting Bigger or Smaller in Korea?

1:20:10 How to Spot Cults?

1:25:55 Mass Weddings

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

How was North Korea, a state that famously mandates atheism, built on a foundation of Christian fervor? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal's China Bureau Chief, to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult.

We trace the journey of Pyongyang from the "Jerusalem of the East" to the center of the world's most rigid cult of personality. From the collapse of the Joseon Dynasty's caste system and the arrival of missionaries like Samuel Moffett to Kim Il Sung's own Christian upbringing, we explore how the linguistic and structural tools of the church were co-opted to create a "God on Earth." We cover the Pyongyang Revival and the "Mystical" texts of early Korean Christianity. How the oppression of the Joseon era made the peninsula fertile ground for a new faith. The "Exodus South" and the influential figures like Cho Man-sik. Why Kim Il Sung remains the most pivotal—and misunderstood—figure in modern Korean history.

The Book: https://koreanmessiah.com/

Find Jonathan onlie

Twitter: @jchengwsj

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cheng-546b703/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

5:15 The Joseon Dynasty

11:25 The Erasure of Kija

14:45 Christianity's Arrival in Korea

19:25 Samuel Moffett and the Jerusalem of the East

30:00 The Figures of Pyongyang's Church

37:15 Jeonggamnok (정감록, 鄭鑑錄)

43:50 Kim Il Sung's Christian Upbringing

50:00 Cho Man Sik (조만식) - the Gandhi of Korea

56:00 The Legend of Kim Il Sung

59:40 The Christian Exodus South

1:04:25 Cults in Modern Korea

1:16:25 Recommendations

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

What happens when you take the wrong camera to a Day6 K-pop concert? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore the recent "SEAbling War". Discussing viral memes to deeply uncomfortable conversations about race and history, our four guests demonstrate why this is about much more than just social media comments. For them, it's also a lived experience and connected to their own identity as individuals bridging multiple cultures.

The Guests

1) Gabby https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaimanuels/

2) Yelynn

3) Dabin https://www.instagram.com/dabinnjung

4) Nuri https://www.instagram.com/nurichoii/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

3:25 What Happened at the Day6 Concert?

7:30 The SEAblings Internet War Begins

11:27 Nouveau-riche Nationalism

15:30 Lived Experience in Korea

19:15 The Influence of Media: Racket Boys (라켓소년단)

23:50 Online Behavior

33:58 Indonesian Culture in Korea

53:50 Looking Forward

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

Connect with us:

▶ Get in touch: [email protected]

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

What does it mean to be queer in a society often defined by its rigid traditions, colonial scars, and rapid neoliberal transformation? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with Dr. Samuel Perry from Brown University to challenge the common misconception that LGBT issues are a "new" or "Western" import to the Korean peninsula.

Through his new anthology, A Century of Queer Korean Fiction, Dr. Perry reveals a long-standing tradition of diverse sexualities and gender expressions that have navigated censorship, war, and dictatorship for over a hundred years. We explore the coding of literature during oppressive eras, the dangers of using Western yardsticks to measure Korean resistance, and how the rise of neoliberalism has impacted social visibility versus true acceptance. From figures like Yi Gwangsu to the gritty, three-dimensional characters of modern writers like Sang Young Park, we explore a literary history that is as complex but, at the same time, beautiful.

About the Guest: Samuel Perry is an Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at Brown University. A specialist in Japanese and Korean history, culture, and literature, he is the author of Recasting Red Culture in Proletarian Japan: Childhood, Korea, and the Historical Avant-garde. His most recent work includes the dual-language anthologies A Century of Queer Korean Fiction and 한국의 퀴어 문학: 한 세기 (2023).

Public Profiles

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

Publications: https://sites.brown.edu/samuelperry/publications/

Brown Profile: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/sperry

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

7:00 Queer Issues are Not Modern

13:30 Yi Kwangsu and Colonial Queerness

18:30 Does Modernity Oppress Queerness?

25:00 What is Korean Literature?

31:00 Sang Young Park

44:00 Yi Seoyoung

48:00 Changing Language

54:00 The Future of Queer Literature

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

▶ Get in touch: [email protected]

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

What happens when a democracy is pushed to the brink? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ben Engel to explore the outrageous martial law declaration, the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the life sentence, and the rise of the far-right in South Korea. We also explore the powerful concept of Min-sim (민심) and how ethno-nationalism is reshaping the country's democratic future.

About the Guest: Benjamin Engel is an assistant professor of Korean Studies at Dankook University. He received his Ph.D. and Master's in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. He previously worked as a research professor at the Institute of International Affairs at Seoul National University and as a researcher at the Institute of Peace and Unification Studies and at the East Asia Institute. His recent academic publications include "Koreagate Revisited: ROK Government Lobbying on the Human Rights Issue" in Cold War History (2024) and "Making Amends: U.S. Public Diplomacy Efforts in the late 1980s to Address the Gwangju Democracy Movement" in Korea Journal (2024). Additionally, he has written several articles linking history to current affairs and analyses of US-ROK relations in various publications including East Asia Forum, The Diplomat, and Korea Pro and has been quoted in various media outlets including the Washington Post, Financial Times, and Korean Herald. Originally from United States and a graduate of the University of Missouri, he has been living and researching in South Korea since 2010.

Public Profiles

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-engel-73178443/

https://bsky.app/profile/benjaminaengel.bsky.social

Discussion Outline

0:00 Explaining What Happened

5:00 How Dangerous Was It?

7:10 Why Did Yoon Do It?

11:40 Sentencing the President

16:40 Explaining Minsim

23:10 Ideology in Korea

27:25 Ethnonationalism in Korea

33:00 Gender and Demographics

37:00 Assessing Lee Jae Myung

43:00 Democratic Lessons for the US

47:15 Korean Culture

51:40 How Did Korea Become Democratic?

58:15 Recommendations

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

Connect with us:

▶ Get in touch: [email protected]

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Episode Summary:

What defines a neighborhood? In this episode, we are joined by Mi-young Kim, a writer and essayist who has written about the unique culture and practices of Itaewon in Seoul. We dive into her latest book, Itaewon Is My Home (이태원에 삽니다), and explore how "place" shapes our sense of self.

About the Guest:

Mi-young Kim is an essayist and the Korean Director of the International Comedy Association. Having majored in Philosophy and Arts Management, Mi-young explores the intersections of identity and place. She is the author of the essay Bellefleur's Dream and her newest work, Itaewon Is My Home (이태원에 삽니다). Beyond her writing, Mi-young leads a community of creators through writing groups focused on self-discovery and healing.

Miyoung's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellefleur_de_france/

이태원에 삽니다: https://www.yes24.com/product/goods/172736056

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

2:30 Who is Kim Mi-young?

10:55 Moving to Itaewon

28:54 Being a Writer

33:22 Meditation

39:00 Discovering the Self

48:10 The Importance of the Book

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades.

Connect with us:

▶ Get in touch: [email protected]

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

Anthony Curtis Adler is professor of German and Comparative Literature at Yonsei University's Underwood International College, where he has taught since 2006. His present research interests span modern and Classical literature, literary theory, continental philosophy, media studies, and German idealism.

Academia : https://yonsei.academia.edu/AnthonyCurtisAdler

Bong Joon Ho book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/bong-joon-ho-9781350414655/

Celebricities: https://www.amazon.com/Celebricities-Culture-Phenomenology-Commodity-Inventing/dp/0823270807/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Discussion Outline

0:00 The Blandness of Face

2:45 Bong Joon Ho's Reputation

9:30 Categorizing Bong's Movies

12:25 Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

22:20 Memories of Murder (2003)

41:10 Mother (2009)

48:50 Morality and Anti-Americanism in Bong's Movies

52:50 The Host (2006)

1:01:15 Okja (2017) and Snowpiercer (2013)

1:11:45 Parasite (2019)

1:25:45 Recommendations

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore Korean indie music, its culture, artists, and how capitalism and technology is reshaping the K-indie scene. Joined by Zuza Sołtykowska, a Polish writer and academic based in London, we discuss Korean language studies, underground music culture, and the tensions between art, industry, and economic growth.

Zuza is a Polish writer and academic currently based in London. Her work spans Korean indie music, film, and art, with a particular focus on gender, cultural identity, and economic equality.

Find her online https://www.instagram.com/zuzasoltykowska/

https://www.koreanindie.com/author/zuza/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Discovering the Korean Language

7:20 Identity and Being Polish

9:05 Introduction to Korean Indie Music

15:40 Writing and Researching K-Indie

21:20 Capitalism and the Indie Music Industry

33:30 The Growth of Korean Indie Music

40:00 Ideology and Meaning in K-Indie

47:12 Rethinking the Korean Music Industry

51:36 The Beauty of Korean Indie + Artist Recommendations

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

Connect with us:

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

What's it really like to study in South Korea? In this episode, I sit down with four exchange students from around the world to talk honestly and openly about their experiences at Korean universities. We cover everything from first impressions and making Korean friends to campus culture, visa challenges, professors, trends, expectations, and the toughest parts of living here as a foreigner.

Dillon

Lia (https://www.instagram.com/lia_nana9/)

Zhaniya

Joana

Topics & Timestamps

0:00 Expectations Before Coming to Korea

10:10 First Impressions

20:00 Interacting with Korean People

30:00 Making Friends in Korea

40:00 Studying in Korea

48:20 Korean Professors

1:07:00 Korean University Campus

1:13:20 Working on a Student Visa

1:21:20 Korean Trends

1:41:15 Hardest Thing About Being a Foreigner

1:56:05 Advice for Studying in Korea

Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels

Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].

Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076

Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos

Music by Jocelyn Clark

Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.

▶ Get in touch: [email protected]

▶ David's Insta: @datizzard

▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE

▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com