
Advertise on podcast: Korea Deconstructed
Rating
4.6from
This podcast has
137 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
David TizzardExplicit
No
Date created
2021/09/24
Latest episode
2026/09/12
Average duration
79 min.
Release period
14 days
Description
Exploring Korea through open conversations with historians, students, professors, pop stars, and everyone in between. Learn, reflect, and understand with Korea Deconstructed. The host, David Tizzard, has a Phd in Korean Studies and is a Professor at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He also writes a weekly column in the Korea Times.
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Koryo-saram and the Korean Diaspora (with Nathalie M Kwon) #137
2026/09/12
Nathalie Marver-Kwon is a visiting researcher at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who studies inbound immigration from the Korean diaspora.
Nathalie's substack: https://nathaliemk.substack.com/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:13 The History of Koryo Saram
14:03 Koryo Saram in Central Asia
20:55 Koryo Saram, the Church, and South Korea
28:20 The Overseas Koreans Act
37:50 Koryo Saram Communities in Korea
40:55 What Does it Mean to Be Korean?
47:00 Koryo Saram and Korean Politics
51:05 Advocacy and Improvements
Find my other conversation with Koryo Saram in Episode 66: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt_vJxn8K-k
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!! Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed T
hese podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Jeju Island and the Haenyeo of Korea (Kylie Genter) #136
2026/09/06
Korea is a country of skyscrapers and semiconductors, but if you go south, far south, you find a different version of the country. you find Jeju Island and the Haenyeo (해녀). They are women who have outlasted empires, Japanese occupation, and the modern world's desperate attempt to turn them into a souvenir.
Kylie Genter decided to join them and now shares stories about the realities, the community, the humor, and the people. Together, we give these ladies their flowers and, most importantly, see them as human beings.
Find Kylie Online
Kylie's Instagram: instagram.com/migookhaenyeo
Haenyeo Hangout Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haenyeohangout
Haenyeo Hangout YouTube: youtube.com/@HaenyeoHangout
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction to Jeju Island
8:30 The Haenyeo (해녀)
22:15 An American Haenyeo
28:40 A Day in the life of a Haenyeo
38:00 The Rules of the Sea
54:30 Haenyeo Etiquette
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!! Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=6204...
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: /https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/ Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast...
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
How Taoism Helps You Escape Yourself | Dr. Alexander Douglas #135
2026/08/27
Dr. Alexander Douglas serves as a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews. His work navigates Eastern and Western thought, focusing on the philosophy of religion, Spinoza, and early Daoism. In his latest book, Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, he draws a line between the Zhuangzi, Spinoza, and René Girard to argue that our obsession with a fixed self is the root of social pathology, and that liberation lies in embracing uncertainty and ambiguity.
Find Alex and his work online
Against Identity (book): https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/456203/against-identity-by-douglas-alexander/9781802063318
Alex's Substack: https://axdouglas.substack.com/
Discussion Outline
0:00 The Story of Hundum
4:52 The Zhuangzi
11:30 The Self and Identity in Modernity
21:15 Confucius and Zhuangzi
26:00 Explaining the Tao
33:30 Rejecting Identity
37:50 Are We Gods?
41:10 Rene Girard and Mimetic Desire
49:15 A Brave New World
59:35 Living without Identity
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!
Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
The Goryeo Dynasty and the Samguk Yusa | Dr. Remco Breuker #134
2026/08/10
Dr. Remco Breuker, one of the world's leading scholars of pre-modern Korea, joins us to explore the Samguk Yusa, a treasure trove of Korean myth, history, and folklore. We dive into the kingdom of Goryeo, its ruling elites, the position of women, the reality of slavery in old Korea, and why this period remains so misunderstood today. From women tigers to creation myths, from royal power struggles to the everyday lives of commoners, and court poets who drink too much, there should be something in here for everyone.
Find Remco and his work online
Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea: A Translation of the Samguk yusa : https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/vestiges-of-the-three-kingdoms-of-ancient-korea-a-translation-of-the-samguk-yusa/
Yi Kyubo: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/not-everything-unfolds-as-anticipated-selections-from-yi-kyubos-tongguk-yi-sangguk-chip/
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/institute-for-area-studies/korean-studies
Discussion Outline
0:00 The Samguk Yusa
5:20 The Monk Iryeon
2:20 The Language of Goryeo
18:18 Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism
31:34 The Ruling Family of Goryeo
38:30 The Position of Women
42:10 Slavery in Old Korea
46:50 Translating the Samguk Yusa
1:01:52 The Stories of Samguk Yusa
1:10:45 Yi Gyu-bo
1:15:10 Recommendations
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!
Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
South Korea's First Five Presidents Explained | Jihoon Suk
2026/07/24
South Korea's first presidents are often remembered as either heroes or villains. But history is rarely that simple. Historian Jihoon Suk joins Korea Deconstructed to explore the country's first five leaders, the social and cultural times they inhabited, and how their legacies continue to shape Korea today.
Jihoon Suk is a historian and PhD candidate at Yonsei University specializing in modern Korean history. His research focuses on Korea's colonial period, particularly how film, radio, and recorded sound shaped Korean culture and ideas of tradition. He has worked with institutions including the Korean Film Archive, the National Museum of Contemporary Korean History, the Seoul Museum of History, and the National Gugak Center.
Find Jihoon and his work online Insta: https://www.instagram.com/idea0853
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jihoon.suk.1
This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here: https://youtu.be/fjIUd-PiMQI?si=Q6cZUu4oictfmlyb
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
3:27 Syngman Rhee (이승만)
16:00 Francesca Donner
25:22 Park Chung-hee (박정희)
44:30 Yun Poson (윤보선)
51:20 Government Atrocities
54:30 Sasanggye and Chang Chun-ha
1:06:44 Choi Kyu-ha (최규하)
1:12:33 Chun Doo-hwan (전두환)
1:21:00 Purification of Society (사회정화)
1:25:43 Gwangju (광주)
1:33:50 History Deconstructed
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!
Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Why Confucianism Isn't a Religion (And Why That Matters for Korea) | Dr. David Tizzard #132
2026/06/25
When we think of Confucianism in the West, we often box it into a category alongside world religions like Christianity or Buddhism: a neat, systematic philosophy created by a single figure. But as I've learned through my time in Korea and my own deep dives into the tradition, this is a fundamental misnomer that actually obscures the truth. In this episode, we strip away the Western labels to look at what Confucianism—or as it's known in the East, Rujia or Yugyo—actually is. It isn't a religion of divine revelation; it is a scholarly tradition, a social ethic, and a political ideology that prioritizes the lived reality of human relationships. Confucius wasn't a prophet; he was a teacher of humanity who believed that by mastering the art of being human, we don't just improve our own lives, we manifest heaven on earth.
In this episode:
- Why Confucianism doesn't fit the Western "religion" box
- The difference between Rujia, Yugyo, and "Confucianism"
- How Confucian thought shapes Korean society today
- What it means to "master the art of being human"
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Myths, Stories, and the Origins of Korean Civilization and History | Dr. Minsoo Kang #131
2026/05/30
Dr. Minsoo Kang is a historian and writer. Currently, he is an associate professor of European intellectual history in the Department of History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Find Minsoo and his work online
Against Han: https://aeon.co/essays/against-han-or-why-koreans-are-not-defined-by-sadness
The Story of Hong Gildong: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hong-Gildong-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143107690
The Melancholy of Untold History: https://www.amazon.com/Melancholy-Untold-History-Novel/dp/0063337509
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsoo_Kang
This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=queE_0_mWeo
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:35 The Story of Tangun
8:31 The Truth of Tangun
16:00 Important Korean Myths
19:40 The King From Elsewhere
25:08 5,000 Years of Korean Dynasty
32:00 Chinese Influence on Korea
36:19 Confucianism in East Asia
42:05 Asadal
47:30 Wi Man
52:50 Kim Bu Sik
59:16 Korea-China Relations
1:05:20 When Did Koreannes Begin?
1:16:30 Korean Ethnonationalism
1:32:56 North Korea
1:48:05 National Foundation Day and Daejonggyo
1:54:05 The King's Warden Analysis
Timeline of Korean History
Gojoseon 2333 to 108 BCE
Goguryeo 37 BCE to 668 CE
Baekje 18 BCE to 660 CE
Silla 57 BCE to 935 CE (unified the peninsula in 668)
Balhae 668 to 935 CE
Goryeo 918 to 1392 CE
Joseon 1392 to 1897 CE
Korean Empire 1897 to 1910 CE
ROK 1948 – present
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ 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
Who Was Ahn Chang Ho (안창호)? | Conversation with His Grandson Philip Ahn Cuddy (#130)
2026/05/24
Who was Ahn Chang-ho, and what is the real legacy of one of Korea's most revered independence activists? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with his grandson, Philip Ahn Cuddy, to explore the human story, the fight against Japanese colonization, and the enduring impact of the Dosan legacy.
Philip Ahn Cuddy served as the founding director of the Korean American Museum in LA and is the administrator of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho · Susan Ahn Cuddy Archives.
Learn more about the archives and legacy: https://www.dosan.org/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:25 The Lineage
6:50 Dosan Ahn Chang Ho
22:20 The Colonization of Korea
32:00 Journey to America
42:11 The Provisional Government
52:45 The Challenge of Unity
1:15:03 Park Chung Hee
1:17:50 Meeting Korean Presidents
1:20:50 North Korea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Korean Culture without the K | Colin Marshall #129
2026/05/02
Colin Marshall is a Seoul-based essayist, broadcaster, and public speaker focusing on cities, language, and culture. Through his Substack newsletter, Books on Cities, he writes long-form essay-reviews exploring those very themes. He is the author of the Korean essay collection "한국 요약 금지" (No Summarizing Korea) and "Korean Newtro: Where Youth Meets Tradition". Additionally, he recently contributed a story to the Seoul-set mystery anthology "그날, 서울에서는 무슨 일이." He currently writes a column for the Korean newspaper 동아일보.
His essays have appeared in a wide range of outlets, including The New Yorker, Guardian Cities, Open Culture, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Los Angeles Review of Books (where he authored the Korea Blog for six years).
Find Him Online
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://x.com/colinmarshall
Korean Newtro: https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Newtro-Where-Youth-Tradition/dp/156591533X
No Summarizing Korea: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000212263515
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
5:30 Writing in Korean for Koreans
13:05 The Korean Language
17:25 Korean Language and Translation
24:30 Park Chan-wook and Spacelessness
34:35 Korean Newtro Book
46:00 Seeing Korean 촌스러워
56:25 The Dabang
1:05:20 Korean Social Taboos
1:19:10 Consumption of Culture
1:25:45 Advice for Korea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Korean Dragons, Religion, and Culture Explained by David Mason | #128
2026/04/23
How do dragons affect Korean culture, philosophy, and cosmology? I brought my friend Professor David Mason back into the studio to explore the differences between Asian and Western dragons. The "Dragon King's" role in Buddhism, Shamanism, and Taoism. Why East Asian cosmology views the world without a concept of absolute evil. And how these ancient symbols can still offer solutions to modern life. Learn about history, pansori, Korean temples, and the hidden "Tao" behind it all.
The Guest David A. Mason recently retired as a Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Kyung Hee & Sejong Universities for 17 years, and is a longtime researcher on the deep religious characteristics of Korea's mountains. Prior to this, he served as a consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and Tourism for five years. Mason earned a Masters' Degree in the History of Korean Religions from Yonsei University in 1997, and was appointed the national Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Ranges in 2011. He has authored and edited ten books on Korean culture and tourism. He is now a tour-guide and public-speaker, based in Seoul. A native of the USA, he has been living in South Korea for 40 years now.
For tours and books, find him online:
[email protected]
sanshinseon.com
mntnwolf@facebook
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:25 Asian Dragons & Western Dragons
8:31 Do Dragons Exist?
17:30 Dragons in Korean Culture
27:40 The Animals of the Zodiac
33:10 The Dragon King in China and Korea
38:44 Dragons in Buddhism and Shamanism
42:05 The Dragon King in Pansori
54:43 No Evil in East Asian Cosmology
57:15 Taoism
1:06:30 Dragons in the Modern World
1:10:55 Life Advice
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ 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
Koreans, BTS, and Reactions to the Arirang Comeback #127
2026/04/05
When you live and work in Korea, it's hard to escape talk around BTS. Their comeback concert in Gwanghwamun generated a huge amount of media attention, both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of traditional elements such as Arirang and Gyeongbuk Palace generated both national pride and a sense of domestic fatigue. I got a group of young adults who have grown up with BTS to talk about their reactions to the showcase, the album, the psychological pressure the group face, and the practice of streaming and fandom in K-pop culture.
I am joined by two young Korean adults, Esha and Namu, as well as two international students living and studying here in Korea, Violet and Alina.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Reacting to the Album
13:48 No. 29 and Korean Philosophy
23:56 The Comeback Concert
46:00 The Psychological Pressure of Being an Idol
55:15 Fan Labour and Streaming
1:07:30 Korean Nationalism and Culture
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ 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
The Human Cost of Korean Cults | #126
2026/03/31
Why do people join cults? The reality is seemingly very complex. In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Peter Daley, a long-term resident of Korea and someone who has spent decades observing and documenting the world of fringe religious movements and cultic groups.
Peter Daley is an Australian who has lived in Korea since 2002. He worked at Keimyung University in Daegu for eight years, teaching English for six years and spending two years working in Keimyung's Office of International Affairs. He has been teaching English at Sookmyung Women's University since 2012.
Find him online: https://peterdaley.net/strangerthings/
https://internationalculticstudies.org/ (ICSA)
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction to Cults
7:00 The Unification Church (통일교)
13:00 Church or Cult?
20:00 Who Do Cults Approach?
23:56 Shincheonji
29:00 Christianity
37:20 Influence in Korean Society
40:55 Aum Shinrikyo
46:50 Former Members of Cults
56:30 Scientology
1:06:00 The Necessity of Empathy
1:11:20 Getting People Out of Cults
1:17:02 Are Cults Getting Bigger or Smaller in Korea?
1:20:10 How to Spot Cults?
1:25:55 Mass Weddings
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ 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
The God of Pyongyang: How Christianity Built North Korea | #125
2026/03/22
How was North Korea, a state that famously mandates atheism, built on a foundation of Christian fervor? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal's China Bureau Chief, to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult.
We trace the journey of Pyongyang from the "Jerusalem of the East" to the center of the world's most rigid cult of personality. From the collapse of the Joseon Dynasty's caste system and the arrival of missionaries like Samuel Moffett to Kim Il Sung's own Christian upbringing, we explore how the linguistic and structural tools of the church were co-opted to create a "God on Earth." We cover the Pyongyang Revival and the "Mystical" texts of early Korean Christianity. How the oppression of the Joseon era made the peninsula fertile ground for a new faith. The "Exodus South" and the influential figures like Cho Man-sik. Why Kim Il Sung remains the most pivotal—and misunderstood—figure in modern Korean history.
The Book: https://koreanmessiah.com/
Find Jonathan onlie
Twitter: @jchengwsj
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cheng-546b703/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
5:15 The Joseon Dynasty
11:25 The Erasure of Kija
14:45 Christianity's Arrival in Korea
19:25 Samuel Moffett and the Jerusalem of the East
30:00 The Figures of Pyongyang's Church
37:15 Jeonggamnok (정감록, 鄭鑑錄)
43:50 Kim Il Sung's Christian Upbringing
50:00 Cho Man Sik (조만식) - the Gandhi of Korea
56:00 The Legend of Kim Il Sung
59:40 The Christian Exodus South
1:04:25 Cults in Modern Korea
1:16:25 Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ 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
The SEAbling War: Why Koreans and Southeast Asians are Fighting Online | #124
2026/03/15
What happens when you take the wrong camera to a Day6 K-pop concert? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore the recent "SEAbling War". Discussing viral memes to deeply uncomfortable conversations about race and history, our four guests demonstrate why this is about much more than just social media comments. For them, it's also a lived experience and connected to their own identity as individuals bridging multiple cultures.
The Guests
1) Gabby https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaimanuels/
2) Yelynn
3) Dabin https://www.instagram.com/dabinnjung
4) Nuri https://www.instagram.com/nurichoii/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
3:25 What Happened at the Day6 Concert?
7:30 The SEAblings Internet War Begins
11:27 Nouveau-riche Nationalism
15:30 Lived Experience in Korea
19:15 The Influence of Media: Racket Boys (라켓소년단)
23:50 Online Behavior
33:58 Indonesian Culture in Korea
53:50 Looking Forward
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: [email protected]
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ 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
100 Years of Queer Korean Fiction | Dr. Samuel Perry
2026/03/09
What does it mean to be queer in a society often defined by its rigid traditions, colonial scars, and rapid neoliberal transformation? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with Dr. Samuel Perry from Brown University to challenge the common misconception that LGBT issues are a "new" or "Western" import to the Korean peninsula.
Through his new anthology, A Century of Queer Korean Fiction, Dr. Perry reveals a long-standing tradition of diverse sexualities and gender expressions that have navigated censorship, war, and dictatorship for over a hundred years. We explore the coding of literature during oppressive eras, the dangers of using Western yardsticks to measure Korean resistance, and how the rise of neoliberalism has impacted social visibility versus true acceptance. From figures like Yi Gwangsu to the gritty, three-dimensional characters of modern writers like Sang Young Park, we explore a literary history that is as complex but, at the same time, beautiful.
About the Guest: Samuel Perry is an Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at Brown University. A specialist in Japanese and Korean history, culture, and literature, he is the author of Recasting Red Culture in Proletarian Japan: Childhood, Korea, and the Historical Avant-garde. His most recent work includes the dual-language anthologies A Century of Queer Korean Fiction and 한국의 퀴어 문학: 한 세기 (2023).
Public Profiles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emersonius/
Publications: https://sites.brown.edu/samuelperry/publications/
Brown Profile: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/sperry
Find the book here: https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9781603296274/a-century-of-queer-korean-fiction/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
7:00 Queer Issues are Not Modern
13:30 Yi Kwangsu and Colonial Queerness
18:30 Does Modernity Oppress Queerness?
25:00 What is Korean Literature?
31:00 Sang Young Park
44:00 Yi Seoyoung
48:00 Changing Language
54:00 The Future of Queer Literature
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
▶ Get in touch: [email protected]
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ 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
Podcast reviews
Read Korea Deconstructed podcast reviews
Obdurate42 2024/07/15
Simply Awesome!
I thoroughly enjoy this podcast and the variety of topics discussed. I’ve learned so many things and always come back for more. Keep bringing the love...
britzman 2023/03/07
Understand nuances of Korea.
Fantastic podcast if you want to understand Korea on a deeper level. The host asks questions that reveals issues Korea faces from generational tension...
Gabsea 2022/04/28
Really great Korean critical thinking podcast
I absolutely love this podcast and it’s ability to breakdown complex topics and discuss them in detail. The episodes are engaging and the host is good...
papixshampoo 2022/04/03
Nancy
I wanna see more trap from sunny girls,
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