ké cast S2 E5: The Mixed Legacy of the U.S. Military Base in Seoul
The American military is gradually leaving Yongsan, a major garrison located in the heart of Seoul. How are the dynamics of military spatial reorganization playing out beyond the metropolis? In this conversation, Bridget Martin, a contributor to Korea Exposé and a researcher at the University of California at Berkley joins
The K-beauty Nation Begins to Question Its Obsession With Beauty
After months of deliberation, Shim Jung-hyun, a 26-year-old South Korean YouTuber known for her beauty tips, announced to her subscribers that she would stop filming makeup tutorials, skincare routines and cosmetics unboxing videos. “I’m no longer happy with making myself up beyond the point of gaining self-satisfaction,” Shim said
ké cast S2 E4: Being Ethnic Korean in China
With a unique cultural and geographical history going back centuries, Joseonjok are considered too different to be fully Chinese in China while simultaneously “not good enough” as Koreans to fit in in South Korea. In this conversation, writer Eddie Park joins host Andre Goulet to discuss his recent
ké cast S2 E3: Is There Room For Conscientious Objectors in Korea?
Is there room for freedom of conscience in the South Korean military? Amnesty International says that there are more than 230 conscientious objectors currently incarcerated in the country. But a Constitutional Court ruling this summer, a ruling that states that the government must provide alternative civilian roles for those who
Koryo Saram: 4th Generation Redefines Korean 'Roots'
His mother tongue is Russian. His ancestors left Korea to settle in Uzbekistan. Now, a fourth generation Koryo Saram is ‘back’ in the land of his great grandparents. Check out the Koryo Saram video series from Korea Exposé: Between the Former USSR and Korea Korean Noodles from Kazakhstan
'Too Different to Be Chinese, Not Good Enough to Be Korean'
“South Koreans treat us like foreigners. Worse, they treat us like dogs!” shouted Li Zhangyan, a retired 67-year old Joseonjok. Together with other ethnic Korean men, Li had drunk a few too many shots of soybean-paste liquor—a local specialty. It made him welcoming to strangers like me, but also
Koryo Saram: Korean Noodle from Kazakhstan
Oksana is a chef from Kazakhstan who makes the noodles of her ancestors. Her sense of history stays alive through her food. Check out the Koryo Saram video series from Korea Exposé: Between the Former USSR and Korea Korean Noodles from Kazakhstan 4th Generation Redefines Korean ‘Roots’ For early video
Plus Power: South Korea's Plus-Size Runway
These girls are changing the face of K-beauty. On September 7, 2018, the annual Jstyle Muse Contest held its third competition between plus-size models in South Korea. Check out an in-depth interview with some of Korea’s most prominent plus-size models:
Koryo Saram: Between the Former USSR and Korea
This is the story of a people that are still in search of an illusive homeland. Their predecessors left Korea to escape Japanese colonialism, only to face Stalin’s harsh immigration policies in the former USSR. Who are the Koryo Saram? Check out the Koryo Saram series from Korea
ké cast S2 E2: Jeju's Yemeni Asylum Seekers
South Korean society has long been intolerant of outsiders, but the outrage sparked this summer by a thousand Yemeni asylum seekers on Jeju Island illustrates the depth of the country’s xenophobia. On this episode of ké cast, Korea Exposé publisher Se-Woong Koo joins host André Goulet to discuss why,
Painting a World in Two Square Meters
Nearly half of all senior households in South Korea live under the poverty line. Hong Gu-hyeon, a 66-year-old artist who has been living in a jjokbang for over 20 years, is one of them. Those earning less than 50 percent of the median income qualify to receive government subsidies
Interview: The Organizers of S. Korea's Spycam Rallies
There is now a huge library of articles discussing the historic anti-spycam rallies in South Korea (the fourth one just took place on Saturday, Aug. 4). But the organizers behind the movement remain largely faceless and nameless. There are around 200 of them, all women, all volunteers. Most of them