Se-Woong Koo: Grand Narratives, Journalism, and The Korea Exposé | Korea Deconstructed #018

John DiMoia is Associate Professor of Korean History at Seoul National University, South Korea. He is the author of Reconstructing Bodies: Biomedicine, Health, and Nation-Building in South Korea since 1945 (2013)

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 What is History?

7:20 Korean Medicine

30:30 Plastic Surgery

39:30 Korea and the Pandemic

57:05 Korean Health

1:00:10 The Joseon Dynasty

1:27:30 Japanese Colonization

1:50:00 The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

2:09:33 The Division of Korea

2:26:55 Seoul National University

2:36:07 The Future of Korea

 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Reconstructing-Bodies-Biomedicine-Nation-Building-Weatherhead/dp/0804784116

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/ 

At the age of sixteen, Anton discovered Taekwondo in his native Germany. From there, he began exploring Buddhism only to be told by a visiting monk that if he wanted to truly understand it, he would have to visit Korea. Anton then embarked on a journey of practice and discovery in Korea in 1994, initially intending to stay for just a year. This conversation took place in 2024, thirty years later.

Anton has regularly appeared on television during his time here. He has also worked as a producer for the German public broadcaster ARD, offered his expertise as a business consultant, taught at a university, and sought to capture the essence of Korean society as a documentary filmmaker. He has also just written a book in Korean, 한국인들의 이상한 행복, which sheds a critical light on many of the country's social problems. This book was what prompted our discussion today.

Anton's Book: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000001297085

 

Discussion Outline 

0:00 Foundations 1: Taekwondo

11:02 Foundations 2: Buddhism

54:10 The Strange Unhappiness of Korean People

59:17 Education 

1:31:27 The Home

1:41:08 Seoul

1:52:22 Korean History

2:23:00 Anton Speaking Korean

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Hack to Work by Disorientalz

서늘한 여름밤 (Lee Seo-hyun) is a South Korean writer and psychological counseling planner. She received her Master's Degree from the Department of Psychology at Korea University in 2015, and then became a counselor at a large hospital. She soon began drawing and recording her thoughts before then uploading them on the internet. This led to her also starting a popular podcast and authoring 3 different books. In 2017, she established the psychological counseling center ‘Every Mind’. Today, her Instagram and YouTube content reaches countless thousands, providing solace, honesty, and the message for Korean people that, "It's okay".

We spoke with her about her recent appearance on Mark Manson's YouTube video declaring Korean people to be the most depressed in the world. We then spoke about trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, the self, fear of failure, micro aggressions, and much more.

 

Find her work online 

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC7Z6ogmq-3N9KoNACH10Hlg

1-on-1 Coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEruSwPi33wmq9j35_oKaAhg3sfaPC0XoT2siRzQcpwD1ieQ/viewform

 

Discussion Outline 

0:00 Generations of War Trauma

2:05 Is Korea the Most Depressed Country in the World?

8:17 What Does Depression Look Like?

13:40 Who Is Most Susceptible to Depression?

16:10 Why Is Our New Generation More Open to Mental Health?

17:40 Psychotherapy and Trauma

22:25 Minorities and Depression

25:25 Drugs and Mental Health

31:45 Are We Becoming too Fragile?

33:25 서늘한 여름밤's Insta and Online Content

43:10 Ego and the Self

48:10 Perfectionism

52:00 The Steps to Self Compassion

55:30 Our Inner Child

1:00:35 The Public Gaze (남의 시선)

1:04:00 Social Media

1:10:40 Psychological Coaching

1:14:35 Breaking Taboos around Mental Health in SK

1:16:50 AI and Mental Health

1:18:45 Toxic Masculinity

1:24:10 Is it Hard to be a Psychologist?

1:27:33 강박 - Being Obsessive

1:29:53 Childhood

1:35:30 Closing Comments

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard

In communicating with each other before this conversation, Robert asked me to explain certain aspects of Korean culture to him. If you find yourself frustrated that we sometimes hear more about Korea than his own work, I completely agree with you and apologize. Nevertheless, that was part of what was established. My sense is that he also might have wanted a break from explaining his latest book to everyone. We’ve since realized that we need to look more into the rice production in Korea and I hope that we can find out more of if and how that might have affected Korean culture, particularly in terms of interdependency and human relationships.

I highly recommend his latest book Determined. It genuinely made me rethink much of what I see around me. And, even if you don’t find yourself ultimately convinced by his argument concerning free will, you will still learn lots and be treated to writing that is as comfortable making jokes and never taking itself too seriously as it is explaining the hard science.

 

Bio: Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery at Stanford University, well-known for his research on stress and behavior in wild baboons, as well as his studies on the physiology of the brain. His approach to understanding the complexities of human behavior has made him a respected figure in both the scientific and popular science communities. His latest book, Determined, argues that it is time for us to remove agency from our behavior and stop attributing praise and blame to people for things over which they often have very little control.

 

Determined: https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/0525560971

My favourite lecture from him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYcSuyLiJk

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 How Did Korea Get Here?

7:15 Rice Theory of Culture

13:55 Do We Have Free Will?

32:56 Changing Morality

37:00 Birthrates

45:15 Transhumanism?

54:40 Death

1:03:45 Closing Questions

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard 

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard

Tanner Rogers is a 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Winner. His research consists of the literary analysis of fictional texts produced during the Park Chung Hee era (1961-1979), particularly focusing on the development of “space” in its various physical and conceptual forms, and how texts engage with the rapid urbanization and industrialization of cities like Seoul and Incheon during this time.

We spoke about books, life, and Korea.

 

This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo 

Instagram: @y_jeon_s

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 Tanner's Introduction to Korea

15:55 The Park Chung-hee Era

40:05 Korean Literature

53:44 The Dwarf (난장이가 쏘아 올린 작은 공)

1:11:08 The Concept of Han

1:18:05 Hwang Sok-yong

1:36:34 Changing Korean Traditions

1:55:50 The Concept of Space

2:12:05 The Urbanization of Korean Space

2:25:35 1970s Korea vs 2024 Korea

2:36:25 Book Recommendations

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard

▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Can Korean people speak English? That was the question we explored in this discussion. Three young women studying at Seoul Women's University in South Korea talked about their own experiences of learning a foreign language and how it ultimately became something more than just education or study.

Hyun Minjung is a second-year student in the Department of Child Studies

Eo Gyeongin is a first-year student in the Department of Applied Food System

Jeon Yunseo is a first-year student in the Department of Journalism and Media

This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo

 

Find them on Instagram 

Yunseo: @y_jeon_s 

Minjung: @llovnj 

Gyeongin: @djurbyrfish

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 Encountering English for the First Time

7:50 Was English ever hard?

13:35 What kind of English Accent?

25:45 Learning English in Korea

34:15 Is there a Socio-Economic Aspect to English in Korea?

40:50 Having an English Name?

48:14 Korean Celebrities Speaking English

53:30 Interacting with Foreigners

1:01:20 Swearing in English

1:07:13 Is English more Democratic than Korean?

1:14:28 Would you Date Someone Who can't Speak English?

1:23:00 How to Learn English Online?

1:30:50 Advice for Learning English

1:47:40 Changing Korean Identity

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)

▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/ 

ID:Earth is a singer, songwriter, and music producer from Seoul, Korea. She sings about human civilization, existence, birth, and the Earth with her music providing a fantastic backdrop for these explorations. Her latest album Space Station was released on December 12, 2023. We sat down with her to learn more about her music, her life, and being an artist in South Korea.

ID:Earth
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamidearth/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCVo9uVMP5JWUfXQh_hUDK0g

Her latest album Space Station: https://www.melon.com/artist/song.htm?artistId=2622503

 

Discussion Outline*

0:00 The Birth of ID: Earth

14:18 “Aliens”

22:18 Finding a Minimalist Sound

27:18 Being an Artist in South Korea

35:23 “Fire”

41:57 Writing Choruses

48:18 Creating OSTs for Dramas and Movies

1:03:21 “Sky Where You Are”

1:06:40 People’s Brains

1:10:37 ID:Earth’s Favourite Song

1:17:25 What ID:Earth is Listening to These Days

1:21:34 ID:Earth’s Plans for 2024

1:26:00 Advice for Young Artists

1:28:22 Message to the Fans

*Due to copyright reasons on audio platforms, we had to remove the audio of the 3 songs we played in the studio. You can find the tracks on YouTube or anywhere else. 

This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo

Find her on Instagram: @y_jeon_s

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)

▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Having just finished a semester teaching 9 different classes at Seoul Women’s University and Hanyang University, I thought I’d end the year sharing some of the theories and thoughts I’ve been exploring with my students. This includes David Matsumoto’s work on culture, Han Byung Chul’s explorations of modernity and psychology, and Mark Fisher’s assertion that we are witnessing the slow cancellation of the future. These three frameworks seem to resonate with the students and, whether they agree with them or not, they all seem to have taken them on-board and understood them.

There was much more I wanted to include here, including the rice theory of culture, explorations of cultural appropriation and pronouns in Korea, multiculturalism, the LGBTGQ community and contact hypothesis, but time got the better of me during the finals season. I’ll return to these again at some point in 2024.

I have a lot of fantastic guests already lined-up for the new year so normal service will resume very shortly. This was just a special little way of saying thank you and Merry Christmas.

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 David Matsumoto

23:00 Han Byung Chul

42:30 Was Korean Modernity Worth it?

52:55 Mark Fisher

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)

▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Koryo Saram refers to the ethnic Koreans who migrated to the Russian Far East and Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The migration was mainly a result of economic opportunities and political instability in the Korean Peninsula during that period. But beyond the political and historical existence, there are people. Daniil and Yona are two of these people both trying to find their way in modern Korean society. Their identities, language skills, and feelings towards their homeland are very different, yet they relate to each other. With the help of Yunseo, we explored what it means to be a Koryo Saram and discovered much along the way.

 

Find them online/instagram

Pak Yona: @pkyo1

Daniil: @dnlyeux

Yunseo: @y_jeon_s

 

고려인 Youth Organization: https://www.instagram.com/ks.youthwave/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

대한고려인협회: https://www.instagram.com/koryosaraminkorea/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Overseas Koreans: https://www.okocc.or.kr/portal_en/global/okf_webzine.do

 

Discussion Outline

0:00 Introducing the Koryo Saram

25:00 Leaving Moscow: War and Politics

33:15 University and Visas

39:42 Language and Culture

45:30 Appearance and Visuals

53:33 Famous Koryo Saram in Pop Culture

59:20 Multicultural Korea

1:05:00 The Geography of Koryo Saram

1:11:30 North Korea

1:22:50 Misconceptions about Koryo Saram

1:42:50 Final Observations

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)

▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Bart van Genugten is a Dutchman with a passion for people, history, stories, and 분위기 (atmosphere). His recent project, Welcome to my Dong, looks to explore all of Seoul's 467 dongs (neighborhoods) and it has proved incredibly successful online, with millions of views, countless stories, and a host of well wishers. Bart is keeping history alive amidst a rapidly changing urban culture and it is no surprise that many of his greatest fans are Koreans themselves.

During his journey, Bart is also discovering himself. Coming to terms with mental health, online identity, his Dutch family, and his place in Korean society. He is also a published author, cowriting a book (직항은 없다) with his wife, 김휘아, describing his experiences in Pyongyang with his father.

Find Bart online

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iGoBart

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

Discussion

0:00 Korean life and drinking culture

18:10 Welcome to my Dong

42:13 The ethics of filming people

45:10 Online success

1:00:45 The people of Seoul

1:13:00 Does Hallyu help?

1:17:26 North Korea

1:35:55 Subtitles and Content

1:41:49 Working with your wife

1:52:28 Fans of the channel

1:55:53 Mental health

2:06:50 The beauty of Korea

 

Thanks to 전윤서 for some help with this episode

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr

▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873

▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard 

▶ 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/

▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)