"Experiences from Two Koreas' Contact Zone: Possibilities of Change of North Korean People"

This lecture shares the experiences of a journalist who visited North Korea 25 times over 20 years of exceptional inter-Korean exchanges. During this time, North Koreans met South Koreans—viewed as enemies—and engaged in business, sharing common interests. Contact with the outside world sometimes shocked and confused the North Korean people, but it was also seen as an opportunity for prosperity and hope. We will uncover unknown aspects of North Korean society and explore its potential for change.

Lecturer:

Dr. Hyun-Kyung Kim (Former Managing Director at Unification Broadcasting Center, MBC)

Hyun-Kyung Kim worked as a journalist at MBC, one of the major Korean broadcasting companies, for 38 years. She spent most of her career as a correspondent for the Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea and as an analyst specializing in North Korean affairs. She served as the producer and anchor for MBC's North Korea-focused TV program, "Observatory for Reunification(통일전망대),” and made 25 reporting trips to North Korea, producing joint projects as well. Currently, she teaches North Korean Media at the University of North Korean Studies, where she earned her Ph.D. Her dissertation is 'From Preparation to Execution: Discourse Strategy over Kim Jong Un’s Succession in North Korea.'