Korea Deconstructed

David Tizzard

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.

  1. Sep 6

    Jeju Island and the Haenyeo of Korea (Kylie Genter) #136

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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

    Jeju Island and the Haenyeo of Korea (Kylie Genter) #136
  2. Aug 27

    How Taoism Helps You Escape Yourself | Dr. Alexander Douglas #135

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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/

    How Taoism Helps You Escape Yourself | Dr. Alexander Douglas #135
  3. Aug 10

    The Goryeo Dynasty and the Samguk Yusa | Dr. Remco Breuker #134

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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
  4. Jul 24

    South Korea's First Five Presidents Explained | Jihoon Suk

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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
  5. Jun 25

    Why Confucianism Isn't a Religion (And Why That Matters for Korea) | Dr. David Tizzard #132

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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

    Why Confucianism Isn't a Religion (And Why That Matters for Korea) | Dr. David Tizzard #132
  6. May 30

    Myths, Stories, and the Origins of Korean Civilization and History | Dr. Minsoo Kang #131

    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 datizzard@swu.ac.kr. ▶ 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

    Myths, Stories, and the Origins of Korean Civilization and History | Dr. Minsoo Kang #131
4.6
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

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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