Korean Kontext

With appearances on major mainstream American TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel and the American Music Awards, BTS have broken into the American market in an unprecedented way this year. With their success and increased popularity for k-pop in the United States, it is clear that Korean pop music is here to stay. But how has k-pop managed to break through in 2018 in a way it has not been able to before?   To learn more about the state of k-pop in the United States and how we got to the point where the wave of Korean entertainment is now washing upon American shores, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with journalist Tamar Herman. Tamar, who is a kpop columnist at Billboard and contributor at Forbes, discusses the state of k-pop in the United States, what has brough this recent success in a way that hasn't been seen in the past, and what trends to look for in the future. 

The Trump Administration is once again considering using Section 232 to impose tariffs on imported goods based on a threat to national security. The President originally used this provision to add tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and his administration is now considering whether to allow tariffs on auto imports as well.   To learn more about Section 232 and how it would impact not only car manufacturers, but also local dealers, and even the American consumer, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with representatives from Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia. David Kim, Vice President of Government Affairs at Hyundai Motor Company's Washington Office, and Christopher Wenk, Vice Oresident of Government Affairs at Kia Motors Corportation's Washington Office, discussed the background of 232, how it would impact their operations in the United States, and why it could have adverse effects on every part of the auto industry.

On August 1, the remains of what are believed to be 55 American servicemen lost during the Korean War finally returned home, arriving in Hawaii to begin the long process of identification. These are the first remains returned from North Korea since the June 12 Singapore Summit, when Kim Jong-un pledged to begin sending back bodies recovered in North Korea.   This week's guest personally participated in previous efforts to recover and return American remains from North Korea during the 1990s and 2000s. Ashton Ormes, a retired U.S. Army colonel, an Army Northeast Asia Foreign Area Officer, and a former civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, sat down with Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson to discuss those experiences, what it was like traveling within North Korea to search for remains, and what is different about this round of repatriations.   Col. Ormes also wrote a blog for KEI titled "Five Misconceptions About Recovering the Remains of America’s Korean War Servicemen Missing in North Korea." You can find it on the KEI blog by clicking here.

After more than a year in office, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and has administration have pushed for an economic policy of "income-led growth," which includes a minimum wage increase, providing more public sector jobs, and higher social spending.   Dr. Randall Jones, the head of the Japan/Korea Desk at the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), returns to Korean Kontext to discuss the 2018 OECD Economic Survey on South Korea and what the results mean for the administration's policy and Korea's economic future.   *Dr. Jones last appeared on Korean Kontext in 2016 to discuss the 2016 OECD survey. That episode can be found at this link: http://keia.org/podcast/korea%E2%80%99s-economic-outlook-view-oecd

With the Trump Administration's North Korea negotiations ongoing, many analysts have been making comparisons to past talks to try to make sense of the current process, and to predict what may happen in the future. For this episode, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson spoke with a distinguished expert who has firsthand knowledge of negotiating with North Korea during one of those previous processes, the Six Party Talks.   Ambassador Chris Hill was Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and served as Head of the U.S. delegation to the Six Party Talks. Ambassador Hill is now the Chief Advisor to the Chancellor for Global Engagement and Professor of the Practice in Diplomacy at the University of Denver.

Ghosts and goblins are everywhere in Korean folktales, causing havoc for people through their antics. Equally common are the shamans who act as intermediaries, helping offer solutions to life's supernatural problems.   For this week's episode of Korean Kontext, host Jenna Gibson interviewed Dr. Michael Pettid, of the State University of New York at Binghamton, who specializes in pre-modern Korea, particularly the role shamanism and folk culture has played in Korea. They discuss the history and experience of Korean shamans over the centuries, how they fit into folk tales, and what to do when a hobgoblin tries to steal your shoes.    Please note: this episode originally aired in August, 2016.

On June 30, after 5 1/2 years as the head of KEI, Donald Manzullo will be retiring. In honor of his service to the Korea policy community, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with him to chat about his journey to KEI, how things have changed in the last five years since he took over the organization, and his advice for Korea policy watchers going forward.   Please enjoy this conversation with President Manzullo, and join us in thanking him for his leadership over the last five years.

Now that Trump has met Kim, and with the Singapore Summit laying out the beginning of a path to denuclearization, analysts are still trying to figure out if Kim Jong Un is sincere about the possibility of giving up his nuclear arsenal.    This week's guest, Dr. Marco Milani, has focused on North Korea's nuclear program as a part of the regime's identity and security - not just as a guaranteur of physical security, but legitimacy and economic security as well. But that doesn't necessarily mean they won't give them up within the right context. Check out this week's episode to learn more about his research.

South Korea's government has increased its focus on different forms of diplomacy in recent years, from the more traditional government-to-government outreach of the Moon Administration's North Korea policy to a greater appreciation for public and cultural diplomacy. But one area that could benefit from more attention is the realm of science diplomacy.   This week's guest is Dr. Olga Krasnyak of Yonsei University, who recently wrote a paper for KEI's Academic Paper Series entitled "Science Diplomacy: An Underestimated Toolkit of South Korea’s Foreign Policy." In this episode, she explains what exactly science diplomacy entails, how some countries have used it successfully, and what South Korea can do to boost its foreign policy through science diplomacy projects.

With the world's attention on Singapore on June 12, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un walked across a stage flanked by American and North Korean flags, and officially made history. Afterward, they released a Singapore Statement that laid out some common goals that both sides agree to implement. But anaysts point out that much of that Statement is vague at best, and skepticism about the success of future talks is still high. In this week's episode, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with Ambassador Jim Zumwalt, who is CEO of Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, to discuss his thoughts on how the summit went, what the two countries need to do in the coming weeks to move the process forward, and how other regional players like Japan and South Korea have reacted to the big meeting.

With U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un headed to Singapore next week for the first ever U.S.-DPRK summit, people around the world are watching to see how the two leaders will interact, what outcomes they will announce after their meeting, and how the two countries move forward after June 12.   With this historic event just around the corner, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with distinguished North Korea expert Ambassador Joe Yun. Ambassador Yun, who retired as the State Department's Special Representative for North Korea Policy earlier this year, is now watching these issues closely as a Senior Advisor for both the Asia Group and the U.S. Institute for Peace. In this episode, we discuss with him his predictions for the summit, how he sees the role of other countries like South Korea, Japan, and China, in these discussions, and what he hopes not to see as part of the outcome on June 12. 

Covering news on the Korean peninsula can be a hectic task. With all the rapidly evolving developments in economics, politics, and society, it's often hard for journalists who cover the peninsula to keep up with everything that they need to cover on a daily basis. NPR journalist Elise Hu talks about her experiences working as the first NPR chief in Seoul with KEI Senior Director Troy Stangarone. She discusses her hectiv first day, how things have changed drastically in both North and South Korea over the last year or so, and what life is like as a foreign correspondent.   *Please note: The podcast was recorded before the announced cancellation of the Trump-Kim summit.

With the Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore still on the calendar at least for the moment, pundits and analysts alike have been predicting the outcomes or sharing their advice for how the United States should deal with North Korea. From Dr. Stephen Blank's perspective, we've been looking at this issue all wrong for decades - this isn't primarily a nonproliferation issue, he claims, but a regional security one.   In a recent paper for KEI, Dr. Blank lays out why he thinks we need to approach the talks with North Korea differently, and lays out a diplomatic framework for the Trump Administration that could help them reach a more sustainable solution - and one that takes into account American interests in East Asian security. In this episode, he discusses his research, his proposed framework, and why it's important to weave more academic thinking and research into policy discussions.

After a year of threats and weapons tests in 2017, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has shifted course and embarked on a diplomatic campaign. The normally reclusive Kim Jong-un made his second trip to China earlier today to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping mere weeks after his first visit, and he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April for the first inter-Korean summit in over ten years. With a pending summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korea's recent diplomatic efforts have sparked global speculation on what North Korea is hoping to achieve. As part of KEI's Academic Symposium, Eun A Jo, Assistant Editor for The Asan Forum, presented on Kim Jong-un's public relations strategy as part of a panel on North Korea's diplomatic outreach in 2018 hosted by KEI. She spoke with Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson about her presentation and what utility diplomacy has for Kim Jong-un. Note: The interview was recorded on April 19th before the Moon-Kim summit held on April 27th.

On the eve of the third inter-Korean summit, stakes are understandably high for what the meeting will mean for the future of inter-Korean relations and North Korea's weapons program. In over a half-century since the end of the Korean War, the two countries have struggled to find a substantive peaceful resolution to their decades-long conflict. North Korea's recent diplomatic outreach has brought up questions of the reclusive country's motives and how peace could realistically be acheived.  General Chun In-bum (retired) of the Repubic of Korea Army recently presented on North Korea's outreach at KEI as part of KEI's Academic Symposium. He sat down with Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson to discuss the upcoming summit and what may be on the table for both countries.