The Soju Sessions The Soju Sessions

In this week's episode, we speak to American teacher Lizzie Hobbie.

We discuss all sorts of things including (not) waving at old people, questionable driving in Korea and not having an adult conversation at work for 5 years.

We also get into a BBC show which claimed Koreans are unhelpful, Korean people asking how old you are within 5 minutes of meeting (and also being shocked at how Westerners address older people) and another hot take on geopolitics (this time the Taiwan-China debate).

There's also some chat about naked cartwheels in PC Bangs (we never quite know where these conversations will go).

Something for everyone as per.

Get on it.

In this week's episode of #thesojusessions, we talk to university lecturer and part-time DJ, Paul Wynne.

We discuss leaving England and heading to Korea at 40, living in rural Korea and the cultural phenomenon that is Koreans using roundabouts.

We also get into Paul’s passion for Northern Soul music and playing local festivals in Seoul and the wider East Asia area, our shared disdain for K-Pop, as well as vinyl snobs.

Have a listen, you might like it.

Or don't. I'm not the boss of you.

In this week’s episode we speak to the organiser of the Jinju English FIlm Festival, Steve Alexander-Larkin.We discuss a couple of University scandals, one including a K-Pop band who were receiving free grades and not attending, the other a spot of blackmail, as well as the reasons the Jinju Film Festival came about.We also get into the use of Chat GPT in the classroom, Josh’s last 5 Chat GPT searches (which will almost certainly be a regular segment going forward) and South Korea’s “Hero Visa” (really).As usual, something for everyone.Get on it.

In the second part of David's #sojusessions, we delve DEEP into North Korea and discuss things like why they don't want the population to become rich, their campaign of terror over the years and why the "freedom-loving" West hasn't intervened.

We also talk about the complicated relationship between the Big 3 in East Asia, Korean politics flitting between a hatred of Pyongyang and Tokyo and ex-pats with "main character" syndrome.

As usual, something for everyone.

Get on it.

In this episode of #thesojusessions, we talk to Professor David A. Tizzard, a 20-year veteran of Korea with a PhD in Korean studies. 

We discuss moving to Korea in the mid-2000’s to escape a slightly hedonistic lifestyle, the idea of Korean adult students turning up for class no matter what state they’re in and never truly being “friends” with a Korea in the traditional Western sense.

We also get into the fantastic phenomenon of Korea having no chavs whatsoever, being able to leave your laptop on a table in a busy cafe without it being stolen and Koreans not being able to travel abroad until 1989.

There’s loads more in this one, including women supposedly not being allowed to smoke in public until fairly recently,  Koreans not doing small talk and the difference in the Korean festival to its British counterpart (lol).

Safe to say David knows what he’s on about when it comes to Korea, which makes this one a solid listen.

Something for everyone, as usual.

Get on it.

In this episode, we delve deep into the mystique of K-Pop and its "fandoms", with the help of marketing expert, Brandy Sweesy.

We discuss all sorts of things such as K-Pop fans feeling as though they have a sort of ownership over idols, "fans" ruining the careers of those who fall out of favour (often for innocuous things like posting a photograph with a girlfriend) and K-pop trainees not being allowed to have a mobile phone, let alone a boyfriend or girlfriend.

We also get into the highly organised nature of fandoms, (BTS fandom) ARMY weighing in on geopolitics and a possible romance between two of the BTS lads. Oh, and there's also a shout-out for The Sopranos' Phil Leotardo, as well as world-famous shagger, Tom Jones.

A real eye-opener for those who, like me and Josh, have limited knowledge of this particular industry.

Get on it.