Korean. American. Podcast
How does modern day Korea compare to America? Join co-hosts Daniel and Jun every week as they explore a topic and discuss it from both the American and Korean perspective. If you're looking to learn more about Korean society and culture, are a part of the Korean diaspora and curious how Korea has changed since you, your parents, or your grandparents left, or are simply interested in broadening your personal worldview and perspective, then we hope you'll listen in and join us on this journey! Host Bios Daniel, a Korean American in his 30s, was born and raised in the US, having lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and California. During the pandemic, realizing that time is precious, he moved with his wife and young children to Korea in 2021 to help them connect with their cultural heritage and to expand their global cultural awareness. He has a background in software engineering, works as an investor, and enjoys basketball and gaming. Jun, a native Korean in his 30s, was born in Daegu, where he also spent his childhood years. After moving to Seoul for college, he went to the US (Boston) for grad school, but returned to Seoul after and has lived there ever since. He has a background in architecture, works as a product designer, makes ice cream, and is a drummer in a band.
Episodes
This week, Daniel and Jun reflect on the small routines and habits that shape daily life—and how those ordinary moments reveal cultural contrasts between Korea and America. From elevator etiquette to bike-riding, math education to parenting styles, they explore how values like speed, structure, and success show up in the simplest of places. They also touch on entrepreneurship in Korea, screen time for kids, and the cultural weight ...
This week, Daniel and Jun recap significant news events from February to mid-April 2025. They discuss several major stories including the impeachment of the Korean president and upcoming emergency elections, the worst wildfires in Korean history and how Indonesian foreign workers heroically helped with rescue efforts, controversial allegations surrounding Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun, and the viral trend of Ghibli-style AI-generated i...
This week Jun and Daniel explore the differences in roommate culture between Korea and America. They discuss why having roommates is more common in the US compared to Korea, where most unmarried adults either live alone or with their parents. From college dorm experiences to adult living arrangements, our hosts examine how factors like geography, finances, cultural expectations, and the jeonse housing system influence these differe...
This week Jun and Daniel dive deeper into the concept of "jeong”, building on past discussions about social circles and neighbors. They stand-up a working definition of jeong as the “blurring of boundaries between individuals”– in a sense, the ultimate form of collectivism– and explore how it can help explain key cultural differences between Korea and the US, from friendships to the workplace. Our hosts discuss how modern Kore...
This week Jun and Daniel welcome their guest Byeong, a Korean Canadian who shares his unique cultural journey growing up in Toronto, working in Hong Kong, and now living in Korea. Through exploring Byeong's experiences as a "third culture kid," our hosts dive into fascinating discussions about Canadian multiculturalism, the concept of being a "freeloader" younger sibling with fewer parental expectations, an...
This week Jun and Daniel review the popular Korean reality dating show "Na Neun Solo" (I Am Solo). They explore the format of the show where six men and six women live together for five days in hopes of finding love, using pseudonyms throughout their stay until revealing their real names during the final confession. From analyzing the various character "types" assigned to contestants, to discussing the show&apos...
This week Jun and Daniel dive into a deep exploration of social circles in Korea compared to America. Daniel shares his recent experience joining a church community group after five years, which sparks the main discussion about how social connections form differently across cultures. The hosts debate whether Korean social groups are more like "cliques" while American groups function as broader "communities," exa...
This week Jun and Daniel interview Nelson, a third-culture kid who was born and raised in Brazil before attending college in the US and eventually settling in Korea. They explore his unique journey navigating multiple cultural identities, from experiencing racism as an Asian in Brazil to voluntarily serving in the Korean Marines during a college gap year. Nelson shares how being an "outsider" everywhere ultimately became ...
This week Jun and Daniel respond to comments from their Instagram Reels, YouTube channel, and emails in their second "Read and Response" episode. From discussing American strawberries tasting like "vegetables you put in soup" to deeper conversations about Korean American identity, our hosts thoughtfully address both supportive feedback and critical comments. They explore topics like Korean snowmen versus America...
This week Daniel and Jun dive into the latest trends in Korea, as well as looking into predictions for 2025. They explore what's currently popular across the categories of food, fashion, technology, language, culture, and finance. Food trends include the massive popularity of the Netflix show "Culinary Class Wars," blood sugar monitoring, and protein drinks. In fashion, they discuss the term "demure," the p...
This week Jun and Daniel host their first guest interview with Korean American couple Janice and David Jung from the HoneyJam podcast. Listen in as they discuss navigating Korean American identity, their extended stay in Korea for IVF treatment, and David's innovative venture dehydrating Korean food for camping. From exploring the evolution of jeong in modern Korean society to comparing food culture and social norms across cou...
This week Jun and Daniel discuss COVID-19 and how Korea and America differed in their responses to the pandemic. From the earliest cases in January 2020 through the various waves of restrictions and regulations, our hosts explore how their respective countries handled everything from contact tracing and quarantine rules to vaccination policies and mask mandates. They examine how cultural differences between individualistic and coll...
This week Jun and Daniel welcome two very interesting and unique guests, Seil and Lera. They talk about their life journeys, with topics ranging from the Korean citizenship test, growing up as a third generation Korean in Russia, playing Division III basketball in the US, country living in Korea, and so much more. What does the current naturalization process look like for becoming a Korean citizen through marriage, and how has it c...
This week Jun and Daniel discuss major news headlines from December 2024 and January 2025 in both Korea and the United States. They cover four significant events: the martial law declaration in Korea, the Jeju Air crash tragedy, the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the Los Angeles wildfires. Our hosts explore these events through cultural lenses, examining how Koreans and Americans react differently to national tr...
This week Jun and Daniel dive into design differences between Korea and America, from social media and advertising to architecture and mobile apps. The hosts explore how and why Korean designs tend to be text-heavy and informative, while American designs focus more on visuals and artistic impact. Topics include YouTube thumbnails, movie posters, advertisements, mobile app UI/UX, building design, and book covers. They discuss how cu...
This week Jun and Daniel discuss Daniel's recent family trip to Taiwan for the holidays. Listen as Daniel shares his observations and experiences visiting Taipei and surrounding areas, while Jun offers his commentary as someone who has visited multiple times before. From weather to food to cultural influences from both Japan and China, our hosts explore what makes Taiwan unique while drawing comparisons to Korea and America. T...
This week Jun and Daniel discuss the much anticipated Squid Game 2, and use it as a way to explore various aspects of Korean culture. Our hosts run through the cast of characters with commentary, discuss each of the Korean games that were played, dive into Korea’s high household debt to GDP ratio, and more. Through discussions of character portrayals, game mechanics, and underlying themes, they touch on topics like Korea's med...
This week Jun and Daniel review the 2005 Korean film "Lady Vengeance", the unofficial final installment in Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy. Through their analysis of the film, they explore how revenge is depicted differently in Korean versus American media, discussing themes of collectivism versus individualism, institutional injustice, and the contrast between surface appearances and underlying realities in Korea...
This week Jun and Daniel reflect on 2024, and look ahead to 2025 in their year-end wrap-up “SSAMary” episode. The hosts examine their podcast's growth over the past year including reaching #1 on the Apple Podcasts Korea charts and 27000% growth in YouTube subscribers. Additionally, our hosts discuss their most and least favorite episodes, dive into stats across various platforms, highlight memorable milestones, and share their...
This week Jun and Daniel discuss all things winter! Prompted by the recent first snow (첫눈), which happened to be the biggest November snowfall ever recorded in Korean history, our hosts discuss winter life and traditions in Korea compared to America. What is gimjang (김장) season and what is typically eaten with the first batch of kimchi? What are the distinct differences between Korean and American snowmen, and what do these diffe...
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.