Korean Kontext

In this episode, Korean Kontext spoke to Korean-American actor Steven Yeun.  Having acted in several high profile TV shows, Yeun's interest in acting originated during his freshman year at Kalamazoo College after watching improv group "Monkapult".  Originally studying Psychology at Kalamazoo, Yeun's parents gave him two years to try acting and it didn't take long for him to win his first roles.  Fast-forward to 2010 and Yeun was cast as Glenn in the hugely popular The Walking Dead, a character that put him on millions of TV screens worldwide.

Korean Kontext caught up with Steven over Skype for a chat about his career as a Korean American actor, current role in The Walking Dead, and future career aspirations.  Tune in for a fascinating conversation with Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead.

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In this episode, Korean Kontext speaks with Ms. Jie-ae Sohn, President of Arirang TV & Radio, Korea's first English language international broadcast system. Ms. Sohn worked as the former CNN Bureau Chief for Seoul and Head Correspondent for South Korea. She was also the spokeswoman for the Seoul G-20 Summit in November 2010. During the interview, Ms. Sohn spoke about modern Korean culture, K-culture, the South Korean elections, the role of women in South Korea, her experiences as a journalist, and more.

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Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has emerged to be one of the key foreign policy priorities of the Obama administration. Despite efforts among Western powers to form a united front in trying to pressure Iran to become more transparent with its nuclear program, questions remain regarding Tehrans intentions, and talk of war has become increasingly louder in Western media.

In an effort to resolve the issue, President Obama increased the pressure on Iran on December 31 2011, by signing into law the 2012 National Defense Authorization act, a move which laid the groundwork for a policy banning any state from transactions with the Central Bank of Iran. The policy in effect prohibits the signing or continuation of oil contracts with Iran and any third country or company that wants to continue to deal with the U.S.

As a close ally of the U.S. and a country with a clear commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, South Korea has a strong impetus to go along with international efforts to reduce oil imports from Iran. However, being an energy importing country that obtains nearly ten per cent of its oil supplies from Iran each year, South Korea is in a difficult position.

In an effort to better understand the situation and choices that Seoul now faces, Korean Kontext spoke to

- Dr. Matthew Kroenig, Stanton Nuclear Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

- Dr. Balbina Hwang, Visiting Professor at the National Defense University / Georgetown University

- Philip Yun, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Ploughshares Fund

- Tim Boersma, Fellow at the German Marshall Fund's Transatlantic Academy

Join us for a stimulating discussion on the complexities of the sanctions situation, South Korea's bilateral relations with Iran, and how North Korea impacts on the decision making process.

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By the time you read this, the KORUS FTA will have entered the implementation stage. To celebrate, Korean Kontext caught up with two of the main movers-and-shakers behind the deal to find out more about what it was like to work on the agreement and learn about their thoughts and hopes as things now move forward.

Starting the conversation, Korean Kontext spoke to Ms. Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and APEC Affairs. During the conversation she talked about how the post-FTA U.S. – Korea relationship fits into the broader regional economic picture, what it had been like to work on Korea over the past decade, and what challenges still remained.

To get a better impression of Seoul’s perspective, Korean Kontext went to the ROK Embassy to speak to Minister for Economic Affairs Kim Ghee-Whan about his view on the agreement. He explained why the deal was so beneficial to Korea, how his country would take full advantage of it, and how he had found working in the U.S.

Download the podcast here and celebrate the implementation of what some are now calling the “third pillar” of the U.S. – Korea alliance.

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This episode of Korean Kontext has a distinctly British flavor, featuring interviews with two leading Ambassadors that work closely on UK and Korea related affairs.

While recently in London, Korean Kontext had the opportunity of speaking to South Korea's Ambassador to the UK,  Choo Kyu-ho. Through an insightful exchange with the Ambassador, Korean Kontext learnt about South Korea's diplomatic objectives in the UK, what lessons North East Asian countries might be able to learn from the Eurozone crisis and EU integration, and what it was like for the Embassy to work in a country also sharing a DPRK diplomatic presence.

And back in Washington DC, Korean Kontext recently met with the UK's new Ambassador to North Korea - Karen Wolstenholme.  A fascinating conversation with the UK's top diplomat in North Korea reveals what life is like as an Ambassador in Pyongyang, what level of in-country contact the UK has with DPRK officials, and how things have been like since the death of Kim Jong-il.

Tune in and download the podcast today - it is an essential listen for any Korea-watcher!

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This episode, Korean Kontext speaks to Phillippe Cousteau JR, chief spokesperson for the USA Pavillion at the 2012 Yeosu Exposition.  With the overall theme of the expo named "The Living Ocean and Coast", Korean Kontext spoke to Cousteau to find out more about his passion for marine affairs and conversation, his team's plans for the U.S. take on the theme, and to learn more about the exciting "Student Ambassador" program on offer to students seeking to get out to Korea to take part in this expo.

The 2012 Yeosu Exposition will be taking place in the coastal town of Yeosu in South Korea from May to August 2012, and the U.S. will be represented among 103 countries at the USA Pavillion.  The United States’ commitment to World Expo 2012 highlights the strong relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

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On Friday January 13, the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) celebrated Korean American day at the Newseum, in Washington, DC.  As part of the celebration, KEI recognized three Korean-American pioneers in the fields of art and literature:

- Peter H. Lee, Professor Emeritus of Korean and Comparative Literature, UCLA

- Youngsuk Chi, Chairman, Elsevier Management Committee

- Daniel Dae Kim, Actor, "Hawaii Five-0" and "Lost"

Following the award ceremony and a short discussion panel (currently viewable on KEI's Youtube Channel), Korean Kontext host Chad O'Carroll got the opportunity to speak to Daniel Dae Kim about his life as a Korean American actor growing up in the United States.

In this special Korean-American day episode of Korean Kontext, find out about Daniel Dae Kim's decision to choose acting over law, his interest in politics, how he balances being both American and Korean, and how he gives back to the community as a whole.   Join us for a fascinating insight into Daniel Dae Kim's work both on and off the stage. Tweet

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Our latest edition of Korean Kontext focuses on the recent death of Kim Jong-il and the prospects for North Korea under the stewardship of his son, Kim Jong-un.  In this special length episode recorded in the United Kingdom, host Chad O’Carroll spoke to four European experts and practitioners:

1) Britain’s long-time North Korea watcher Mr. Aidan Foster-Carter (Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds University);

2) Mr. Andray Abrahamian (the Executive Director of Chosun Exchange - a not-for-profit focusing on educational issues in the DPRK);

3)  Ms. Marie-laure Verdier (a specialist studying humanitarian NGOs active along the China-North Korea border; and

4) Mr. Gareth Johnson (a British entrepreneur who lives in China and does business in North Korea).

With North Koreans idolizing the Kim family for over six decades, it was no surprise to see the country shut-down in widespread grief for an official period of mourning following news of Kim Jong-il’s death.  But how was the news received elsewhere in the world like Europe? How was the quality of the general news coverage?  What was the impact on Western business and NGO activities along the border regions and within North Korea? How did North Korea’s interaction with the outside world change after the death especially with international NGOs and businesses?  The Korean Kontext explores these questions and more with European experts that give their assessment of North Korea’s tenuous future.

Come listen to the conversations as the Korean Kontext analyzes one of the most significant developments North of the DMZ this millennium.

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Ever wondered why someone might be motivated to spend their summer vacation  in the DPRK, or interested to learn about the guides that accompany visitors during a stay in North Korea? Perhaps you'd like to know more about the legalities of visiting Mount Kumgang, a resort originally developed by South Korea's Hyundai Asan, expropriated by DPRK authorities earlier this year.  If so, then this special-length podcast is definitely for you!

In our North Korea tourism special, Korean Kontext speaks to two of the movers-and-shakers in the world of DPRK tourism.  Simon Cockerell is the General Manager at Koryo Tours, a British run company that has been leading tours to the DPRK since 1993 , that has also helped produce several award winning documentaries on the country.  Walter Keats is President of Asia Pacific Travel, a U.S. company that has been conducting tours to N.E. Asia since the 1970s, and visits specifically to North Korea since 1995.  Join us for a fascinating conversation about the nature of tourism in one of the world's most unique destinations!

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In this episode, Chad O'Carroll speaks with "TK" ("The Korean"), the man behind the must-read blog, "Ask a Korean".  TK has been running his blog for five years and it covers a wide range of questions from curious visitors on everything from Korean customs and culture to politics and law. The "Ask a Korean" blog has also been featured in a variety of media outlets, including the New York Times, the Economist, and CNN Online. Join us as TK shares his insights on U.S.-Korea relations, being a Korean living in America, and even the dreaded scourge of fan death.

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In this episode, Korea Economic Institute's Director of Communications Chad O'Carroll speaks with Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations. Having written a number of publications on U.S. relations with South and North Korea, and speaking regularly to various media, Scott is one of the leading voices on Korean affairs in Washington DC. In this interview, he talks to Chad about President Lee Myung Bak's recent summit meeting with President Obama in Washington DC, and recent developments with regards to both the KORUS FTA and North Korea.

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In this episode, Korea Economic Institute's Director of Public Affairs and Regional Issues Sarah Yun speaks with Dr. Andrei Lankov of Kookimin University. Having written a number of books on North Korea, and contributing to regular columns in the Asia Times, Korea Times and The Daily NK, Dr. Lankov is one of the leading voices on the DPRK. Hailing originally from Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad), Lankov has a unique background among Korea Watchers, having studied in North Korea during the 1980s and witnessed the breakup of his native Soviet Union in the early 1990s. In this interview, he talks to Sarah about his time living in North Korea, current prospects for inter-Korean relations, and how he remains motivated to work on the issue - despite a rather negative outlook for the future of the peninsula.

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In this episode, new Korean Kontext presenter Chad O'Carroll speaks with Curtis Melvin, the man behind the NK Econ Watch blog and developer of "North Korea Uncovered", a Google Map overlay that was front page news in the Wall Street Journal back in 2009. In the interview, Mr. Melvin describes where his interest in North Korea came from, explains why he set up his mapping project, and talks about some of the issues that his blog touches upon day-to-day.

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In this episode, we speak with Kevin O'Donnell, who, after decades on a private sector career path, became the first-ever Peace Corps country director for South Korea, followed by a term as national director of the Peace Corps. Mr. O'Donnell shares with us his accounts of moving to Korea for the first time, some of the challenges he faced during a budget crisis, and the relationship between the Peace Corps and its host nations.

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In this episode of Korean Kontext, I have the opportunity to speak with Richard V. Allen, who, in the weeks preceding his official instatement as National Security Advisor to President-elect Ronald Reagan in 1981, was involved in a secret agreement to intervene on behalf of liberal political leader Kim Dae-jung, who had been sentenced to death by the then-Korean government under Chun Doo-hwan. The details of this story have only recently become known, even to Kim Dae-jung, who, nearly 20 years later, became the 15th president of South Korea.

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This episode features a conversation with Sam Yoon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA). Prior to his work with NACEDA, Sam served on the Boston City Council before running in the Boston mayoral race in 2009. Sam shares with us stories of his experiences as an Asian-American in Boston politics, his efforts in local community organizing, and the need to get more Korean-Americans active on the political scene.

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In this episode we hear from author Mike Kim, who speaks with Korean Kontext about his experiences living and working with North Korean refugees on the China-North Korea border. Mike shares with us what prompted him to leave everything behind and move to China, what it was like to work directly with North Korean escapees, and what more must be done to help them.

Since his time in China, Mike has published a book, "Escaping North Korea", which he is currently working on turning into a full-length film.

Check out Mike's Twitter feed: MikeKimNK

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In this episode we hear from Korean-American filmmaker Michael Kang, who made his directorial debut at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with The Motel, which was awarded the Humanitas Prize as well as the NHK International Filmmakers Award. Michael also directed West 32nd and speaks with us about his third full-length film, Knots, which is slated for release this spring.

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We bring the Korean Kontext studio to the U.S. Department of State to speak with Kathleen Stephens, current U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. Ambassador Stephens shares with us her personal memories of Korea in the 1970s when she served there in the Peace Corps, her experience as not only the first female U.S. Ambassador to South Korea but also the first to speak Korean fluently, and her response to the recent WikiLeaks uproar.

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In this episode we speak with Ambassador John Everard, who served as Ambassador of Great Britain to North Korea from 2006-2008. Ambassador Everard experienced firsthand life as one of only a handful of foreign diplomats posted in Pyongyang, and draws from his experience to share anecdotes and insights into a way of life and a system of governance that is largely obscured from public view.

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Hello again after the holiday break!

Just before the holidays I spoke with Hawon Lee, who was just wrapping up his nearly four years as Washington D.C. Bureau Chief of the Chosun Ilbo. The Chosun Ilbo is one of the largest newspapers in Korea with nearly 2 million printed editions circulated daily and an international readership spanning the globe. Mr. Lee spoke with me just days before he departed for his permanent move back to Seoul, where he will continue to work as a journalist for the Chosun Ilbo.

Mr. Lee has by now interviewed both Presidents Obama and Lee, and has spent years shedding light--and sometimes sparking controversy--on the domestic and international policies of both the United States and his home country, South Korea. In this conversation, Mr. Lee shares with us his insights on what it's like to "create oneself" as a foreign correspondent in D.C., how the current administration seems to differ from its predecessor, and how to maintain objectivity in an environment that seems to place a high premium on personal connections.

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In this episode we speak with Mr. Ken E. Gause, currently a senior research analyst with the International Affairs Group and Iranian Studies Program at CNA Strategic Studies in Alexandria, Virginia.  In our conversation we focus primarily on North Korean succession, its current state, and implications for the future. Mr. Gause has published a number of articles, book chapters, and papers on North Korean military and leadership including “The North Korean Leadership: System Dynamics and Fault Lines,” in North Korean Policy Elites by Kongdan Oh Hassig, et al. and “North Korean Civil-Military Trends: Military-First Politics to a Point,” published by the Strategic Studies Institute at the United States Army War College.

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In this episode, we are joined by Balbina Hwang, currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University and the National Defense University here in D.C. Ms. Hwang is here to speak about the G-20 summit meeting hosted in Seoul just last week, on November 11^th and 12^th. More specifically, Ms. Hwang offers her insights on what exactly was riding on the summit meeting, what actually happened there, and what the implications are for member nations now that the meeting has concluded.

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This episode takes us directly into the office of Ambassador Han Duk-Soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, who shares his thoughts on the much-anticipated G-20 Summit to be hosted in Seoul next week. Having served as Korea's Prime Minister, Trade Minister, and Finance Minister before assuming his current role, he draws from past and present experiences alike to discuss Korea's changing role on the world stage, his hopes for the outcome of the G-20 Summit, prospects for passage of the KORUS FTA next year.

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In this episode we speak with Doug Goudie, Director of International Trade Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Mr. Goudie draws from his experiences to share his perspective on the U.S.-Korean manufacturing relationship, its prospects for the future, and how the relationship may be affected by the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.

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In this episode we hear from Tami Overby, Vice President for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and former President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. Ms. Overby discusses the current state of the KORUS FTA, the challenges it faces, its prospects for the future, and her own experiences as a leader of the Chamber of Commerce, Korea.

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We are joined in the Korean Kontext studio by Ambassador Christopher Hill, who has recently taken up the position of Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver after recently concluding an assignment as United States Ambassador to Iraq in 2010. During his more than three decades at the Department of State, Ambassador Hill has served as U.S. Ambassador to four countries, including South Korea. Ambassador Hill has garnered a reputation as a high-stakes negotiator, having served as Head of Delegation for the Six Party Talks as well as deputy to chief negotiator Richard Holbrooke at the Dayton Peace Talks, which brokered the Bosnia peace settlement in 1995.

In this conversation, Ambassador Hill reflects upon his personal experiences as a career diplomat, his observations from the vantage point of a high-level negotiator, influences on his own career decision-making, and how he has managed to keep his cool in one of the most stressful career paths one could take.

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In this episode we hear from the elusive James Church, author of the acclaimed Inspector O novels, which include The Corpse in the Koryo and Hidden Moon. Mr. Church has recently published his fourth book, The Man with the Baltic Stare, and I am one of the first and only to  speak with him about it publicly.

What makes this even more exciting is the enigma behind James Church, who has for years now enshrouded himself from the public eye. The name is actually a pseudonym, and his voice has been altered for this recording. The author is a former Western intelligence officer who has spent a great deal of time in Asia. This is just about everything that we and the public know about Mr. Church, so we will take advantage of this opportunity to dig into the mystery hopefully illuminate a bit more about this man and his books.

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Since 2006, NetKAL has assembled a formidable representation of Korean-American leaders. Spanning every possible industry and specialization, these individuals are on the front lines of inciting positive change in both the United States and abroad. In this episode, we speak with this year's participants, alumni, and the creators of the program to get at the heart of the NetKAL program: who participates, what does the experience offer, and why we, on the outside of the NetKAL framework, should care.

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Now in its tenth year, KEI's Opinion Leaders Seminar (OLS) is an annual gathering of some of the world's foremost policymakers and scholars on the U.S.-South Korean alliance. In this episode, we highlight this year's OLS event, if only to springboard into some of the most important topics related to U.S.-Korea affairs at the moment. The event was closed to the public and off the record to allow the participants an open environment in which to express their true opinions without inhibitions. Although we were not able to record the actual discourse (for obvious reasons), I was able to snag a few words with the American co-chair of the seminar, Alan Romberg, as well as with Dr. Kim Yongho, one of OLS' Korean participants.

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An exclusive interview with Dr. Alon Levkowitz, author of the most recent edition of the Korea Economic Institute's Academic Paper Series. His paper, titled "The Republic of Korea and the Middle East: Economics, Diplomacy, and Security," was presented at the KEI conference facility on August 4.

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