The Korea File

In part two of our conversation, writer and journalist Jon Dunbar talks about his authoritative experience with Urban Exploration around the country, the 10th anniversary of his seminal zine Broke in Korea and why he believes Seoul's punk and indie rock scenes should be kept separate.

Jon Dunbar's writing and photography can be found at http://daehanmindecline.com/

This episode's music:
1960's Group Sounds band Hi 6 w/ "초원 이"

Tommy Tran is a PhD student at the University of California at Los Angeles in the department of Asian Languages and Cultures. His primary focus is urban ethnography in Korean Studies.

In this interview he discusses the hidden history of Jeju-do's streets, architecture and urban planning initiatives during the Chosun dynasty and Japanese occupation.

You can read more about his work at his blog, Jeju Palimpsest:
https://jinmunhak.wordpress.com

Music on this episode is Trot King Ko Bok-su's 타향살이 circa 1960. See it on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNY_z9AC9P4

In part one of a two-part interview, writer and journalist Jon Dunbar discusses the seedy reputation of Korean cult culture, including Cheonghaejin Marine, the company behind the sinking of the MV Sewol.

For more on Cheonghaejin Marine's alleged culpability in the Sewol's sinking, go to
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140421001183

Jon Dunbar's writing and photography can be found at http://daehanmindecline.com/

On April 3rd, 1948, Jeju Island was caught in a civil war-like time of violence and human rights abuses. This is when the period known as the Jeju Uprising and Massacre began.

The Korea File spoke with participants at the Jeju 4.3 Commemorative Street Festival last Friday to hear their impressions of this tragic event in Jeju's history.

Live music performances include Hallasanhoe's Songs for Jeju 4.3, Dedicated to 4.3/Antiwar Peace by the Parkbo Band and The Changwon Grandmothers Singing Group's songs from yesteryear with "Girls’ High School Days”.

Activist/Artist Lee Do-hee's work can be found at http://www.doheelee.com

The image for this episode is a still from the film '지슬 (Jiseul)', a semi-fictionalized account of the events of 1948 and after. A review on the award-winning film can be found at Koreana, a quarterly journal of Korean arts and culture at http://www.koreana.or.kr/months/news_view.asp?b_idx=3025&lang=en&page_type=list and the film is wildly available online.

For a long read on Jeju's 4.3 tragedy see the official governmental document The Jeju 4·3 Incident
Investigation Report at http://www.jeju43peace.or.kr/report_eng.pdf

For a brief summarization, go to http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jeju_Uprising

Tommy Tran is a PhD student at the University of California at Los Angeles in the department of Asian Languages and Cultures. His primary focus is urban ethnography in Korean Studies.

In this interview he discusses what happens when Jeju Island, a former periphery of Korea, becomes a premier testing ground for development highlighting the contradiction between urban expansion and cultural and ecological preservation.

He also speaks about his (extremely painful) 7 day, 150 km pilgrimage around the entire perimeter of Jeju (in straw sandals) in 2011 and his relationship with Korean Son Buddhism.

You can read more about his work at his blog, Jeju Palimpsest:
https://jinmunhak.wordpress.com

Music on this episode is 바니걸스 with 파도 (Banigeoulseu- Wave) circa early '80s. Watch their video on youtube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL5hyxwUuRY

Ben Spencer made it through 6 months on the biggest hardship posting in Korea's EPIK public school program, the rapidly shrinking fishing community of 2000 on Chuja Island, 2 hours north-west of Jeju by ferry.

I spoke with him in October and agreed to catch up again at the end of his contract to see how he had maintained morale and motivation in such an isolated environment.

In this exit interview two days prior to leaving Korea forever and returning to life, love and home in Ireland, Spencer speaks about life in a one industry community, Chuja's lack of self-sufficiency and why he ended his teaching contract early. He also expands on some Chuja-related topics established by The Jeju Weekly article 'And You Thought Jeju Was Remote' from August, 2009.

Spencer's intriguing and articulate prose on Chuja life can be found at OBSERVATIONS FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE at https://countryobservations.wordpress.com/ and his earlier writings can be found at SPENCER COTTAGE INDUSTRIES at https://spencersteaandsympathy.wordpress.com/

Music on this episode courtesy of '60s Korean girl-group THE PEARL SISTERS. An explainer on the group from kpopstarz.com: http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/81483/20140227/pearl-sisters-hate-it.htm

A link to The jeju Weekly article can be found here:
http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=179

Fancy folk trio FANCY MAN on playing in Jeju's music scene, using the school music room as a practice space and the joys of sharing a teaching gig with your bandmates.

You can find more music and videos including Christmas Card From Korea (part 2) at http://www.timothycushing.com/

This interview and live performance was recorded at Jeju City's Magpie Brewing Co. on 2/20/2015.

Math-rock trio MOUNTAINS on Daegu's thriving music scene, the joys of playing Seoul and the fight to promote live music in the south of the peninsula.

Live music recording from their performance at Itaewon's Thunderhorse Tavern, 1/30/2015

On this episode: musician and journalist Chance Dorland on the ups and downs of being a working journalist in Seoul and how the Peacecorps nearly (literally) killed him.

Check out Chance's work online at http://www.seoulitup.com/, and at groovekorea.com, download his podcast 'Chance and Dan Do Korea' on iTunes and listen to him live on the airwaves with his segment 'Chance Encounters' Monday Through Friday from 18:10-20:00 on TBS 101.3 FM's 'Primetime' in Seoul.

A recording of music from this episode, 'Korea, Here We Come' by Harry Choates, can be found at authentichistory.com.

Michael Breen has been working in Korea for more than 30 years as a journalist with The Guardian, The Korea Times and others. He's the author of 'The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want and Where Their Future Lies' and the CEO of Insight Communications Consultants.

In the second of a two-part interview he discusses life under South Korea's 1980's dictatorship, the perils and possibilties of Korean unification and what the future holds for the country and its people.