K-pop had an explosive year in 2018, but it didn't arise from a vacuum. Since 1998, one web community - Soompi - has been sharing the latest information about Korea's thriving pop culture scene and steadily building a community. It would be no exaggeration to claim that a lot of South Korea's soft power is built on this community.
Korean Kontext sits down with Soompi's founder, Susan Kang - who is also the 2019 Korean-American Day honoree for her contributions to advancing awareness of Korean culture in the United States. But as the interview with her reveals, the community she built was more than a place for K-pop fans to gather - it was a safe place, a home away from home, and a place of understanding. And perhaps that's the biggest takeaway from the Korean Wave: that we are not all that different from one another.
Steve Byrne: Sullivan And Sons
L. Gordon Flake - Mike & Maureen Mansfield Foundation
Lt. General Robert Gard Jr. - Korean War Veteran
Shin Kyung-sook - Author, "Please Look After Mom"
South Korean Minister for Trade, Bark Taeho
James Kyson - Heroes
Steven Yeun: The Walking Dead
How Korea’s English-Language Media is Changing the World: A Discussion with Sohn, Jie-Ae, Arirang TV
Iran Sanctions and South Korea
KORUS FTA: Wendy Cutler and Kim Ghee-whan
Ambassadors Wolstenholme and Choo
Phillippe Cousteau, JR - USA Pavillion
Daniel Dae Kim: Actor
North Korea After Kim Jong-il
Tourism in North Korea: A Special Feature
TK: Ask a Korean
Scott Snyder: Council on Foreign Relations
Andrei Lankov: Kookmin University
Curtis Melvin: NKEconwatch.com
Kevin O'Donnell: National Director of Peace Corps
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