The Korea File

Matt VanVolkenburg's prolific blog 'Gusts of Popular Feeling' celebrates it's 10th year of analysis on Korean society, history, urban space, film and current events this month. 

In the first of a 3-part interview, Matt discusses his ongoing research on all things Korean, as well as the history of social movements in the south half of the peninsula.

For an epic 10 year run of writing check out VanVolkenburg's archived work athttp://populargusts.blogspot.kr/

Music on this episode: 

? ? ?- ? ? ? ? ?? (Joo Hyun Mi- Watery Eyes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1SreduOuiM

On April 16th, 2014 the MV Sewol sunk off the coast of Mokpo killing 304 passengers. The victims were primarily high school students on a field trip to Jeju Island.

One year later, South Korean society continues to struggle with the issues of public safety and government accountability. Families of the victims continue to grieve for their lost loved ones.

Cho Mi-sun, an activist with Sewol Truth, spoke with me at the group's petition tent in Gwangwhamun Square on May 8th, 2015. 

She discusses the organization's ongoing call for an impartial and comprehensive investigation into the tragedy, police reaction to the vigil and commemoration of April 16th, 2015 and the future role of the Sewol Truth movement in Korean society.

For more information, go to http://www.sewoltruth.com/

Art-noise provocateur Henry Demos on moonlighting between this project and weirdo-pop duo Nice Legs, the evolution of the "frankenbass" and how the character of Seoul effects music in the city. 

Drum collaborations from Andrew Blad. 

This completely improvised set was performed and recorded live at Strange Fruit, Hongdae on 5/3/15.

Photo by Douglas Vautour. See more of his work documenting Seoul's indie music scene at

https://www.facebook.com/DouglasVautourPhotography

Called to service with the American Peace Corps in Mali, she's now a public school teacher in Jeju City. Comparing and contrasting the two experiences, this is Maria Denise in conversation.

Music on this episode: Early 'Group Sounds' band The Key Boys with 'Let's Go to the Beach'.

Find out more about the Peace Corps at http://www.peacecorps.gov/

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/ "?? ?"

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 ???? circa 1960. See it on Youtube athttps://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 '?? (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 Banigeoulseu with '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