The Korea File

On episode 110 hosts Andre Goulet and Gennie Pimentel welcome Shanna Tan, translator of the smash hit book WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum.In this conversation Shanna explains why a slice of life novel about a high-flying career woman in Seoul who leaves a life of burnout and marital misery to open a book shop outside of the city has become a massive international success in a conversation exploring the barbarity of life under late capitalism and the changing face of contemporary South Korean literature.Find the book at your local library or independent bookstore and support this podcast at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 109 Dr. Theresa Hyun, a York University professor and the author of “Writing Women in Korea: Translation and Feminism in the Colonial Period”, joins hosts Andre Goulet and Gennie Pimentel to talk about children’s literature, fairy tales and the role of mothers in the North Korean revolution. Plus: a surprising data set on the number of immigrant and multiethnic children who live outside of Seoul and a clip from episode 1 of the classic North Korean children's cartoon 'Squirrel and Hedgehog'.Watch 'Squirrel and Hedgehog' here.Support the show at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 108 Seoul National University master's student An HaKyeng's joins hosts Andre Goulet in Montreal and Gennie Pimentel in Toronto for a conversation unpacking her research on the immigration experience for new arrivals, the challenges migrant workers face in South Korea, ethnonationalism, fertility rates, government policy and more. Works cited in this episode: Immigration in Japan and Social Mobility: Policies and Implications - HaKyeng An, Henry Cho, Wakana MoriguchiSocial capital and assimilation of migrant workers and foreign wives in South Korea: The case of Wongok community -Jun Hee-jung Ha Seong-kyu Creating hierarchies of noncitizens: race, gender,and visa categories in South Korea - Erin Aeran ChungThe citizenship of foreign workers in South Korea - Seol Dong-hoonSupport the show at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 107 Cambridge PhD candidate Alexandra Leonzini joins Andre Goulet and co-host Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring how music builds soft power and promotes national prestige, the DPRK opera's greatest hits, cultural diplomacy and the Cold War, how tourists serve as intermediaries in North Korea’s noraebang branding efforts and more.Watch 'Where Are You, General?' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGkIwZa2UEWatch 'Sea of Blood' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quIl4qeEWogThis conversation was recorded on April 10th, 2023.Support our work sharing Korean history and culture with an international audience at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On ep106 Korea University PhD candidate Elizabeth Campbell joins host Andre Goulet and associate producer Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring the role of women in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's revolutionary past and present, the legacy of anti-Japanese guerrilla and 1st Kim Il-sung spouse Kim Jong-suk, the influence of 1972 cult classic film 'Flower Girl' on DPRK cinema, regional North Korean cuisine and more.This conversation was recorded on January 19th, 2023.Find some of Campbell's recent research at https://www.northkoreanreview.net/single-post/hotels-tourist-infrastructure-in-north-koreaThe Korea File has been exploring Korean society, culture and politics since August 2014 and is produced, researched and hosted free for listeners around the world with no institutional or academic financial support. To support our mission to share Korean history and culture with an international audience for as little as a dollar a month go to patreon.com/thekoreafile

On episode 105 Toronto podcasters Erin Hynes and Kattie Laur, host and producer of the ethical travel show 'Alpaca My Bags', sit down with Montreal astronomer (and recent Busan/Jeju tourist) Trevor Kjorlien for a round-table conversation on ethical travel, the end of the 'Golden Age' of flying and how to approach international travel in an era of climate crisis with TKF host Andre Goulet and new associate producer Gennie Kim Pimentel.Subscribe to Alpaca My Bags wherever you get your podcasts and at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/alpaca-my-bags-responsible-travel-podcast/id1449041086Find out more about Trevor's work at https://plateauastro.com/

Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary is the unsurpassed guide of its meaning, history, and pronunciation featuring more than 600,000 words and spanning over 1000 years. In this conversation UK scholar Cerise Louisa Andrews joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the recent influx of Korean-origin words into English, the influence of the Hallyu phenomenon, and the global success of Korean culture, music, film, television, fashion and food.You can support the podcast in its mission to share Korean history and culture with an international audience by becoming a patron at patreon.com/thekoreafile

On a new episode scholar Mikayla Neyens joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the cultural events that have inspired and defined contemporary feminism in South Korea, exploring the new face of radical activism confronting the threats of Deepfake porn, 'Molka' and the 'Nth Room' cyber sex ring, and explaining how its rising political influence nearly defeated a misogynist political establishment in the 2022 Presidential election.For more from Mikayla read https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/k78zzy/k-pop-deepfake-porn-idols-cyber-investigationSupport the show at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafile

Michael Breen, CEO of Seoul-based PR firm Insight Communications Consultants and author of the outstanding 2017 book ‘The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation', joins host Andre Goulet to preview next week's Presidential Election and explore the unique ideological history and framework behind South Korean electoral politics.For more on Michael's most recent book see https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29939342-the-new-koreansOrder your Seoulbox at https://myseoulbox.com/Support The Korea File for as little as $1/month and keep the show free for listeners around the world at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafileThis conversation was recorded on March 1st, 2022.

Seoulbox has been bringing a taste of Korea through snacks, magazines, and K-pop merch to subscribers around the world since 2019 with a focus on authenticity and the darker side of Korean culture that has cultivated an enthusiastic clientele. In this conversation Suji Sohn joins host Andre Goulet to describe her journey from War Studies major at King’s College London, where she participated in the War Simulation Society, the Marxist Society and the Korean Hallyu Society, to CEO of one of the world's most successful Korea subscription boxes.For more information go to https://myseoulbox.com/Support The Korea File for as little as $1/month and keep the show free for listeners around the world at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreafileThis conversation was recorded on January 12th, 2022.