On episode 110 hosts Andre Goulet and Gennie Pimentel welcome Shanna Tan, translator of the smash hit book WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum. In this conversation Shanna explains why a slice of life novel about a high-flying career woman in Seoul who leaves a life of burnout and marital misery to open a book shop outside of the city has become a massive international success in a conversation exploring the barbarity of life under late capitalism and the changing face of contemporary South Korean literature. Find the book at your local library or independent bookstore and s ..read more

On episode 107 Cambridge PhD candidate Alexandra Leonzini joins Andre Goulet and co-host Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring how music builds soft power and promotes national prestige, the DPRK opera's greatest hits, cultural diplomacy and the Cold War, how tourists serve as intermediaries in North Korea’s noraebang branding efforts and more. Watch 'Where Are You, General?' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGkIwZa2UE Watch 'Sea of Blood' at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quIl4qeEWog This conversation was recorded on April 10th, 2023. Support our work sharing Korean history and ..read more

On ep106 Korea University PhD candidate Elizabeth Campbell joins host Andre Goulet and associate producer Gennie Pimentel for a conversation exploring the role of women in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's revolutionary past and present, the legacy of anti-Japanese guerrilla and 1st Kim Il-sung spouse Kim Jong-suk, the influence of 1972 cult classic film 'Flower Girl' on DPRK cinema, regional North Korean cuisine and more. This conversation was recorded on January 19th, 2023. Find some of Campbell's recent research at https://www.northkoreanreview.net/single-post/hotels-tourist-inf ..read more

On episode 105 Toronto podcasters Erin Hynes and Kattie Laur, host and producer of the ethical travel show 'Alpaca My Bags', sit down with Montreal astronomer (and recent Busan/Jeju tourist) Trevor Kjorlien for a round-table conversation on ethical travel, the end of the 'Golden Age' of flying and how to approach international travel in an era of climate crisis with TKF host Andre Goulet and new associate producer Gennie Kim Pimentel. Subscribe to Alpaca My Bags wherever you get your podcasts and at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/alpaca-my-bags-responsible-travel-podcast/id1449041086 F ..read more

Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary is the unsurpassed guide of its meaning, history, and pronunciation featuring more than 600,000 words and spanning over 1000 years. In this conversation UK scholar Cerise Louisa Andrews joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the recent influx of Korean-origin words into English, the influence of the Hallyu phenomenon, and the global success of Korean culture, music, film, television, fashion and food. You can support the podcast in its mission to share Korean history and culture with an international ..read more

On a new episode scholar Mikayla Neyens joins host Andre Goulet to discuss the cultural events that have inspired and defined contemporary feminism in South Korea, exploring the new face of radical activism confronting the threats of Deepfake porn, 'Molka' and the 'Nth Room' cyber sex ring, and explaining how its rising political influence nearly defeated a misogynist political establishment in the 2022 Presidential election. For more from Mikayla read https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/k78zzy/k-pop-deepfake-porn-idols-cyber-investigation Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/thekoreaf ..read more

Michael Breen, CEO of Seoul-based PR firm Insight Communications Consultants and author of the outstanding 2017 book ‘The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation', joins host Andre Goulet to preview next week's Presidential Election and explore the unique ideological history and framework behind South Korean electoral politics. For more on Michael's most recent book see https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29939342-the-new-koreans Order your Seoulbox at https://myseoulbox.com/ Support The Korea File for as little as $1/month and keep the show free for listeners around the world at https://www ..read more

Seoulbox has been bringing a taste of Korea through snacks, magazines, and K-pop merch to subscribers around the world since 2019 with a focus on authenticity and the darker side of Korean culture that has cultivated an enthusiastic clientele. In this conversation Suji Sohn joins host Andre Goulet to describe her journey from War Studies major at King’s College London, where she participated in the War Simulation Society, the Marxist Society and the Korean Hallyu Society, to CEO of one of the world's most successful Korea subscription boxes. For more information go to https://myseoulbox.com ..read more

On a celebratory 100th episode host Andre Goulet welcomes Harbinger Media Network podcast pals Paris Marx of leftist tech worldview critique show Tech Won't Save Us and Evan MacDonald of socialist film review show Kino Lefter to explore the historical parallels and context of Squid Game, examine the show's cultural capitalist critique, regret impulsive investments in crypto currency and try to explain why we can't help but hate those notorious VIPs. Hear Paris' popular tech critique show Tech Won't Save Us at https://techwontsave.us/ and support his work at https://www.patreon.com/techwontsav ..read more

On the 99th episode of The Korea File podcast diplomatic studies scholar Jeffrey Robertson joins host Andre Goulet to argue that foreign policy options previously considered extreme – like abandoning the US alliance, acceding to China’s dominance and even of securing a nuclear weapons capacity – are entering strategic debate in South Korea. Follow Robertson on Twitter @Junotane and read his piece at https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/coming-soon-neutral-south-korea Find out more about his work at https://www.junotane.com Follow Andre at @andremarrgoulet and listen to his other br ..read more