The Kim family legacy and the (possible) future of North Korea
Since the defeat of the Japanese in World War II, and the subsequent freeing of the Korean peoples, dispute has raged about how to rule the Korean peninsula. After several years of open conflict, the two Koreas had seemed on a path of reunification and peace. In recent months, this seems to have evaporated completely. [SEE THE … Read more
The Backdrop for the (Ongoing) Korean War
The Korean War is heating up again. The 1950-53 microcosm of the Cold War never truly ended, being resolved not with a peace treaty but with a cease fire. There have been several times over the years that things heated up, first under national founder Kim Il-Sung (The Great Leader), then under current national leader, Kim’s son … Read more
Chinese in Korean
The Korean language is so different from English, it really makes a fascinating study. But to understand anything about Korean, it helps to understand a little Chinese. Most Westerners know that Chinese is written with pictographs. A simple (or not so simple) character represents a concept, an idea. The symbol 山, for example, means mountain in … Read more
How a White Guy Came to Speak Korean
Over the years, I’ve been asked many times how I came to speak Korean. My favorite is when shopping for the wife at the Korean market – being a white guy who answers in complete Korean sentences is pretty much a rarity. But over the years I’ve had the opportunity not only to surprise people, but … Read more
