New Books in Korean Studies

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This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

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Publishes	Twice monthly	Episodes	141	Founded	5 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	BooksHistoryArts

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Latest Episodes

Re-examining the Women’s Movement in Cold War South Korea and Beyond

In the past decade, feminism has become one of the heated topics in public debate in South Korea. Feminism is embraced by activists, attacked in election campaigns, and increasingly framed as the source of conflict between men and women. In this epis... more

9 Jan 2026 • 26 min

Serk-Bae Suh, "Against the Chains of Utility: Sacrifice and Literature in 1970s and 1980s South Korea" (U Hawaii Press, 2025)

Against the Chains of Utility: Sacrifice and Literature in 1970s and 1980s South Korea (University of Hawaii Press, 2025) explores literary texts that countered the prevailing rhetoric of South Korea’s exploitative developmental state. These texts ca... more

7 Jan 2026 • 1 hr 7 min

Joel S. Wit, "Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea" (Yale UP, 2025)

After nearly four decades of negotiations, sanctions, summits, threats, and backdoor channels, the United States has failed to stop North Korea's nuclear program which now has the capability to strike American cities with weapons of mass destruction.... more

26 Dec 2025 • 49 min

Todd A. Henry ed., "Queer Korea" (Duke UP, 2025)

Edited by Todd A. Henry, Queer Korea (Duke UP, 2020) offers a vital and long-overdue examination of this subject. More than an academic text, it is a powerful collection that brings to light the hidden histories of non-normative sexuality and gender... more

27 Sep 2025 • 49 min

Stephanie K. Kim, "Constructing Student Mobility: How Universities Recruit Students and Shape Pathways between Berkeley and Seoul" (MIT Press, 2023)

Constructing Student Mobility: How Universities Recruit Students and Shape Pathways between Berkeley and Seoul (MIT Press, 2023) challenges the popular image of the international student in the American imagination, an image of affluence, access, and... more

8 Sep 2025 • 53 min

Benoit Berthelier and Immanuel Kim, "Hidden Heros: Anthology of North Korean FIction" (Anthem, 2025)

Hidden Heroes (Anthem Press, 2025) offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of ordinary North Koreans through a collection of short stories by renowned DPRK authors. Spanning from the 1980s to the present, these works explore the theme of th... more

29 Jul 2025 • 45 min

Zev Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thou... more

3 Jul 2025 • 44 min

Gregory N. Evon, "Salvaging Buddhism to Save Confucianism in Choson Korea (1392-1910)" (Cambria Press, 2023)

Salvaging Buddhism to Save Confucianism in Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910) (Cambria Press, 2023) is a fascinating book that sits at the intersection of Buddhist studies and premodern Korean literary history. Gregory N. Evon’s book unfolds in two parts: the ... more

16 Jun 2025 • 1 hr 6 min

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Recent Guests

Dr. Pil Ho Kim

Associate professor of Korean studies at the Ohio State University and author of Polarizing Dreams.

Ohio State University

Episode: Pil Ho Kim, "Polarizing Dreams: Gangnam and Popular Culture in Globalizing Korea" (U Hawaii Press, 2024)

Kornel Chang

Professor of History and Chair of his department at Rutgers University-Newark, scholar of U.S. immigration and foreign relations, focusing on U.S.-East Asian relations.

Rutgers University-Newark

Episode: Kornel Chang, "A Fractured Liberation: Korea Under U.S. Occupation" (Harvard UP, 2025)

Dr. Tycho van der Hoog

Lecturer at the Netherlands Defense Academy and author of 'Comrades Beyond the Cold War'

Hurst

Episode: Tycho van der Hoog, "Comrades Beyond the Cold War: North Korea and the Liberation of Southern Africa" (Hurst, 2025)

Hye Seung Chung

Film historian and author specializing in South Korean cinema

University of Buffalo

Episode: Hye Seung Chung, "Cinema Under National Reconstruction: State Censorship and South Korea's Cold War Film Culture" (Rutgers UP, 2024)

Seungsook Moon

Professor of Sociology at Vassar College, political and cultural sociologist, and scholar of gender studies specializing in South Korea.

Vassar College

Episode: Seungsook Moon, "Civic Activism in South Korea: The Intertwining of Democracy and Neoliberalism" (Columbia UP, 2024)

Dr. Yumiko Shimabukuro

Co-author of "Misery Beneath the Miracle in East Asia"

Columbia University

Episode: Arvid J. Lukauskas and Yumiko Shimabukuro, "Misery Beneath the Miracle in East Asia" (Cornell UP, 2024)

Jingoo Kang

Doctoral researcher focusing on climate change education and gender equity in STEM

University of Eastern Finland

Episode: Willingness for climate action in South Korea and Finland: A cross-cultural comparison

Sakari Tolppanen

Researcher specializing in climate change education and attitudes towards climate issues

University of Eastern Finland

Episode: Willingness for climate action in South Korea and Finland: A cross-cultural comparison

Sixiang Wang

Historian of Chosŏn Korea specializing in early modern East Asia.

Columbia University Press

Episode: Sixiang Wang, "Boundless Winds of Empire: Rhetoric and Ritual in Early Chosŏn Diplomacy with Ming China" (Columbia UP, 2023)

Host

Dr. Miranda Melcher

One of the hosts who engages with authors on a variety of topics related to Korean studies.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Zev J. Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Q: What about Zhuang? Where is it today?

Zev discusses how Zhuang is largely influenced by the pressures to use Mandarin and the limited use of its traditional Chinese character-based writing systems, which still have a cultural role in specific contexts.

Zev J. Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Q: So what happens historically when Korean and Vietnamese start using a writing system that's not adapted from Chinese characters?

Zev clarifies that the development of native writing systems in Korea and Vietnam happened later, when national identities began to form, leading to the adoption of alphabetic systems that were easier for the masses to learn.

Zev J. Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Q: What about then how classical Chinese script came to be used to represent Korean and Japanese?

Zev highlights the historical context in which written Chinese spread to Korea and Japan, noting how local elites learned to write in Chinese despite speaking non-Chinese languages and adapted the characters to their own languages.

Zev J. Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Q: How then does that help us understand what happened with Vietnamese? Was that a different historical process or linguistic process?

Zev explains that while there are similarities in the adaptation process of Chinese characters in Vietnamese, the structure of the language led to unique developments like creating new characters by combining sound and meaning-based adaptations.

Zev J. Handel, "Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Q: How has the process that Chinese characters developed through, is that similar to how other writing systems developed?

Zev discusses the similarities between the early history of Chinese writing and the other independently invented writing systems, explaining the role of pictorial origins and sound-based adaptations in their development.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Korean Studies

What is New Books in Korean Studies about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Exploring a rich variety of topics within the realm of Korean studies, the focus is primarily on interviews with authors who bring new insights and narratives to light through their recent publications. Topics discussed often range from Korean language and literature to the complexities of Korea's socio-political landscape, the impact of cultural phenomena such as K-Pop, and the nuances of historical contexts affecting modern Korea. The conversations provide both academic depth and personal anecdotes, allowing listeners to grasp the cultural significance of these works and their implications for understanding contemporary Korean society. Unique in its commitment to showcasing fresh scholarly perspectives, this collection of dialogues undoub... more

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New Books in Korean Studies launched 5 years ago and published 141 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Korean Studies?

Recent guests on New Books in Korean Studies include:

1. Dr. Pil Ho Kim
2. Kornel Chang
3. Dr. Tycho van der Hoog
4. Hye Seung Chung
5. Seungsook Moon
6. Dr. Yumiko Shimabukuro
7. Jingoo Kang
8. Sakari Tolppanen

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