Below is a link to an album of pictures taken during my trip there. I will upload more pictures and add captions as time permits.
I will write a lot about North Korea in this blog, as well as South Korea, Korean society in general, China, East-West comparisons, Asian America, American Asia, and all things cultural and social. There are many "Korea hands" out there, in government, industry, non-profits, churches, and the academy. This last year has given me an opportunity to reflect on the reasons why many foreigners become interested in Korea and why a subset of them, myself in particular, dedicate their life's work to the country.
I have come to understand that my commitment to Korea is an outgrowth of my mother's life-long fascination with Asia, my own experiences there as a young LDS missionary, and the countless relationships, connections and insights that I have since developed with Korea's people, culture, and society. Korea, once fascinating because it was exotic, is now comfortable because it is familiar. And the more familiar Korea becomes, the deeper the contrasts and comparisons I can draw between it and the world I was born into. I do not aspire to be a critic nor an apologist for either Korean or American society. Rather I aspire to better understand both of them and to promote mutual empathy and exchange between their respective peoples.
What brought you to Korea, or America, or this blog?
What do you wonder about and do you have a purpose vis-a-vis Korea?
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