Korea Deconstructed

A lot is said about Korea online. In fact, one of the easiest ways to attract attention on social media these days seems to be to feature Korea in your content. This has been good for the country in many ways, raising awareness, building pride, and showcasing its fantastic transformation from a country devastated by war and division into a cultural and economic powerhouse. But social media rewards attention, and attention often comes from exaggerated, provocative, and sometimes misleading takes.

With that in mind, nine students from Seoul Women's University embarked on a project to put together a podcast episode of their own. They chose the topics, reached out to people online, worked together, and ultimately found the courage to get in front of the camera themselves. Their teamwork and bravery throughout made me incredibly proud. I'll share some behind-the-scenes photos on Patreon for anyone interested in seeing how we put this together. In the meantime, sit back and listen to four young Korean women describe the country they live in, in their own words. Their five friends are just off camera, supporting them all the way.

The guests: Hyeseong, Gaeul, Hyejin, Gayeon

Supporting the project: Dahyeon, Yuri, Gahyeon, Yeyoung, Hajin

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

3:00 Plastic Surgery in Korea

10:07 Perfectionism in Korea

16:55 Are Koreans depressed?

22:18 Do Koreans drink a lot?

27:05 Koreans should go to Hagwon?

36:40 Is Korea full of cults?

40:33 Koreans always take photos of food?

42:50 Does Han affect modern Korean people?

49:15 Feminism in Korea?

53:10 Samgypsal, Nunchi, and Jeong

58:40 Goodbyes

A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland, Patrícia Bastos, Ann Hong, Max Kerman, melon mail club. You are stars!!

Join Our Patreon Community Here: 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

These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Nathalie Marver-Kwon is a visiting researcher at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who studies inbound immigration from the Korean diaspora.

Nathalie's substack: https://nathaliemk.substack.com/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

2:13 The History of Koryo Saram

14:03 Koryo Saram in Central Asia

20:55 Koryo Saram, the Church, and South Korea

28:20 The Overseas Koreans Act

37:50 Koryo Saram Communities in Korea

40:55 What Does it Mean to Be Korean?

47:00 Koryo Saram and Korean Politics

51:05 Advocacy and Improvements

Find my other conversation with Koryo Saram in Episode 66: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt_vJxn8K-k

A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!! Join Our Patreon Community Here: 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 T

hese podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Korea is a country of skyscrapers and semiconductors, but if you go south, far south, you find a different version of the country. you find Jeju Island and the Haenyeo (해녀). They are women who have outlasted empires, Japanese occupation, and the modern world's desperate attempt to turn them into a souvenir.

Kylie Genter decided to join them and now shares stories about the realities, the community, the humor, and the people. Together, we give these ladies their flowers and, most importantly, see them as human beings.

Find Kylie Online

Kylie's Instagram: instagram.com/migookhaenyeo

Haenyeo Hangout Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haenyeohangout

Haenyeo Hangout YouTube: youtube.com/@HaenyeoHangout

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction to Jeju Island

8:30 The Haenyeo (해녀)

22:15 An American Haenyeo

28:40 A Day in the life of a Haenyeo

38:00 The Rules of the Sea

54:30 Haenyeo Etiquette

A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!! Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=6204...

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

These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: /https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/ Listen to Korea Deconstructed

▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast...

▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0...

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

Dr. Alexander Douglas serves as a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews. His work navigates Eastern and Western thought, focusing on the philosophy of religion, Spinoza, and early Daoism. In his latest book, Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, he draws a line between the Zhuangzi, Spinoza, and René Girard to argue that our obsession with a fixed self is the root of social pathology, and that liberation lies in embracing uncertainty and ambiguity.

Find Alex and his work online

Against Identity (book): https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/456203/against-identity-by-douglas-alexander/9781802063318

Alex's Substack: https://axdouglas.substack.com/

Discussion Outline

0:00 The Story of Hundum

4:52 The Zhuangzi

11:30 The Self and Identity in Modernity

21:15 Confucius and Zhuangzi

26:00 Explaining the Tao

33:30 Rejecting Identity

37:50 Are We Gods?

41:10 Rene Girard and Mimetic Desire

49:15 A Brave New World

59:35 Living without Identity A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!! Join Our Patreon Community Here: 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 These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Dr. Remco Breuker, one of the world's leading scholars of pre-modern Korea, joins us to explore the Samguk Yusa, a treasure trove of Korean myth, history, and folklore. We dive into the kingdom of Goryeo, its ruling elites, the position of women, the reality of slavery in old Korea, and why this period remains so misunderstood today. From women tigers to creation myths, from royal power struggles to the everyday lives of commoners, and court poets who drink too much, there should be something in here for everyone.

Find Remco and his work online

Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea: A Translation of the Samguk yusa : https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/vestiges-of-the-three-kingdoms-of-ancient-korea-a-translation-of-the-samguk-yusa/

Yi Kyubo: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/not-everything-unfolds-as-anticipated-selections-from-yi-kyubos-tongguk-yi-sangguk-chip/

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/institute-for-area-studies/korean-studies

Discussion Outline

0:00 The Samguk Yusa

5:20 The Monk Iryeon

2:20 The Language of Goryeo

18:18 Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism

31:34 The Ruling Family of Goryeo

38:30 The Position of Women

42:10 Slavery in Old Korea

46:50 Translating the Samguk Yusa

1:01:52 The Stories of Samguk Yusa

1:10:45 Yi Gyu-bo

1:15:10 Recommendations

A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!

Join Our Patreon Community Here: 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

These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

South Korea's first presidents are often remembered as either heroes or villains. But history is rarely that simple. Historian Jihoon Suk joins Korea Deconstructed to explore the country's first five leaders, the social and cultural times they inhabited, and how their legacies continue to shape Korea today.

Jihoon Suk is a historian and PhD candidate at Yonsei University specializing in modern Korean history. His research focuses on Korea's colonial period, particularly how film, radio, and recorded sound shaped Korean culture and ideas of tradition. He has worked with institutions including the Korean Film Archive, the National Museum of Contemporary Korean History, the Seoul Museum of History, and the National Gugak Center.

Find Jihoon and his work online Insta: https://www.instagram.com/idea0853

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jihoon.suk.1

This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here: https://youtu.be/fjIUd-PiMQI?si=Q6cZUu4oictfmlyb

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

3:27 Syngman Rhee (이승만)

16:00 Francesca Donner

25:22 Park Chung-hee (박정희)

44:30 Yun Poson (윤보선)

51:20 Government Atrocities

54:30 Sasanggye and Chang Chun-ha

1:06:44 Choi Kyu-ha (최규하)

1:12:33 Chun Doo-hwan (전두환)

1:21:00 Purification of Society (사회정화)

1:25:43 Gwangju (광주)

1:33:50 History Deconstructed

A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!

Join Our Patreon Community Here: 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

These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

When we think of Confucianism in the West, we often box it into a category alongside world religions like Christianity or Buddhism: a neat, systematic philosophy created by a single figure. But as I've learned through my time in Korea and my own deep dives into the tradition, this is a fundamental misnomer that actually obscures the truth. In this episode, we strip away the Western labels to look at what Confucianism—or as it's known in the East, Rujia or Yugyo—actually is. It isn't a religion of divine revelation; it is a scholarly tradition, a social ethic, and a political ideology that prioritizes the lived reality of human relationships. Confucius wasn't a prophet; he was a teacher of humanity who believed that by mastering the art of being human, we don't just improve our own lives, we manifest heaven on earth.

In this episode:

- Why Confucianism doesn't fit the Western "religion" box

- The difference between Rujia, Yugyo, and "Confucianism"

- How Confucian thought shapes Korean society today

- What it means to "master the art of being human"

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

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

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

Dr. Minsoo Kang is a historian and writer. Currently, he is an associate professor of European intellectual history in the Department of History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Find Minsoo and his work online

Against Han: https://aeon.co/essays/against-han-or-why-koreans-are-not-defined-by-sadness

The Story of Hong Gildong: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hong-Gildong-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143107690

The Melancholy of Untold History: https://www.amazon.com/Melancholy-Untold-History-Novel/dp/0063337509

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsoo_Kang

This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=queE_0_mWeo

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

2:35 The Story of Tangun

8:31 The Truth of Tangun

16:00 Important Korean Myths

19:40 The King From Elsewhere

25:08 5,000 Years of Korean Dynasty

32:00 Chinese Influence on Korea

36:19 Confucianism in East Asia

42:05 Asadal

47:30 Wi Man

52:50 Kim Bu Sik

59:16 Korea-China Relations

1:05:20 When Did Koreannes Begin?

1:16:30 Korean Ethnonationalism

1:32:56 North Korea

1:48:05 National Foundation Day and Daejonggyo

1:54:05 The King's Warden Analysis

Timeline of Korean History

Gojoseon 2333 to 108 BCE

Goguryeo 37 BCE to 668 CE

Baekje 18 BCE to 660 CE

Silla 57 BCE to 935 CE (unified the peninsula in 668)

Balhae 668 to 935 CE

Goryeo 918 to 1392 CE

Joseon 1392 to 1897 CE

Korean Empire 1897 to 1910 CE

ROK 1948 – present

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

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 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

Who was Ahn Chang-ho, and what is the real legacy of one of Korea's most revered independence activists? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with his grandson, Philip Ahn Cuddy, to explore the human story, the fight against Japanese colonization, and the enduring impact of the Dosan legacy.

Philip Ahn Cuddy served as the founding director of the Korean American Museum in LA and is the administrator of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho · Susan Ahn Cuddy Archives.

Learn more about the archives and legacy: https://www.dosan.org/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

2:25 The Lineage

6:50 Dosan Ahn Chang Ho

22:20 The Colonization of Korea

32:00 Journey to America

42:11 The Provisional Government

52:45 The Challenge of Unity

1:15:03 Park Chung Hee

1:17:50 Meeting Korean Presidents

1:20:50 North Korea

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

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

Colin Marshall is a Seoul-based essayist, broadcaster, and public speaker focusing on cities, language, and culture. Through his Substack newsletter, Books on Cities, he writes long-form essay-reviews exploring those very themes. He is the author of the Korean essay collection "한국 요약 금지" (No Summarizing Korea) and "Korean Newtro: Where Youth Meets Tradition". Additionally, he recently contributed a story to the Seoul-set mystery anthology "그날, 서울에서는 무슨 일이." He currently writes a column for the Korean newspaper 동아일보.

His essays have appeared in a wide range of outlets, including The New Yorker, Guardian Cities, Open Culture, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Los Angeles Review of Books (where he authored the Korea Blog for six years).

Find Him Online

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://x.com/colinmarshall

Korean Newtro: https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Newtro-Where-Youth-Tradition/dp/156591533X

No Summarizing Korea: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000212263515

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introduction

5:30 Writing in Korean for Koreans

13:05 The Korean Language

17:25 Korean Language and Translation

24:30 Park Chan-wook and Spacelessness

34:35 Korean Newtro Book

46:00 Seeing Korean 촌스러워

56:25 The Dabang

1:05:20 Korean Social Taboos

1:19:10 Consumption of Culture

1:25:45 Advice for Korea

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

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