This week, Jun and Daniel sit down to review the highly anticipated second season of "Culinary Class Wars" (흑백요리사). In a break from their usual format, the hosts dedicate the entire episode to dissecting the show, noting how this season felt less like a global competition and more like a "love letter" to Korean cuisine, ingredients, and geography. They discuss the shift in casting—notably the lack of foreign chefs compared to season one—and analyze the distinct narrative arcs that made this season emotionally resonant, from the "Loner Chef" to the tear-jerking backstories of the "Black Spoon" underdogs.

If you’re interested in understanding why a "vegan Dweji-gomtang" (pork soup) is a cultural oxymoron that made a judge smirk, the ethics of cooking live crabs in Korea versus the US, or why Koreans consider tofu to be a "perfect food" while Americans might find it bland, this episode is for you. We also dive into the cultural pressure to be humble versus confident, and a deep philosophical discussion sparked by the show’s finale about "doing things for yourself" versus living for societal expectations.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week, Jun and Daniel kick off 2026 (while still technically in 2025) with a travel-centric episode filled with cultural observations. Daniel recounts his family trip to Okinawa, sharing his struggles with driving on the "wrong" side of the road and his honest takes on local culinary quirks like taco rice and fruit sandwiches. Jun shares his recent experience in Beijing, contrasting the city's futuristic, cashless convenience with its lingering "old school" habits like indoor smoking and the stark contrast between state-run and private architecture.

Where did Jun find himself shocked to be working out, and what did Jun do recently that had Daniel incredibly jealous? What does our podcast’s resident architecture expert think of the architectural legacy of the late Frank Gehry? Our hosts also dive into the social implications of the recent Coupang data leak, note the staying power of Dubai Chocolate in Korea, and answer a listener's question about common K-Drama tropes and sayings.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week, Jun and Daniel celebrate Christmas and close out 2025 with their third annual "Ssamary"—a comprehensive year-end wrap-up. The episode begins with a look at their current holiday vibes, exploring why Daniel is struggling to feel festive this year and Jun's memories of his father's unique "sparrow" surveillance tactic for behavior. As they transition into the review, they break down the podcast's statistics, celebrate milestones like surviving creative burnout to find a sustainable schedule, and share their personal highs and lows of the year, including Daniel’s journey toward finding peace in Korea and Jun’s resilience through career turbulence.

If you’re interested in hearing about the surprising history behind December 25th, the exorbitant price of Korean hotel Christmas cakes, or Daniel's daughter’s ambitious Christmas wish list asking for a new house and baby twins, this episode offers plenty of laughs and insights. We also dive deep into our personal resolutions for 2026, including Jun’s "9th inning" career mindset and Daniel’s candid thoughts on whether his family will stay in Korea or move back to the US next summer. Whether you want to know which episodes were our favorites or just hear us reflect on the reality of aging and job stability, tune in for this special holiday edition.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week, Jun and Daniel catch up on a busy month of events, kicking things off with Daniel’s participation in "No Shave November" and the cultural stigma surrounding beards in Korea. The conversation moves to a visit to a US Army base for Halloween, which sparks a debate about cultural differences in fairness and connections highlighted by a specific incident involving a pizza order. Daniel also vents about his frustration with household items constantly breaking in Korea, leading to a broader discussion on consumerism, manufacturing quality, and the "fast fashion" mindset that permeates daily life.

If you’re interested in hearing a deep dive into why Americans identify so strongly with their driver's licenses compared to Korea's centralized resident ID system, or the sociological flip where Americans trust their neighbors but distrust the government while Koreans generally feel the opposite, this episode is for you. We also discuss the intense fitness culture of HYROX, differing attitudes toward pregnancy and activity, the reality of job stability and layoffs in the AI era, and Daniel’s realization that after four years, he finally feels completely settled and comfortable living in Korea.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week Jun and Daniel discuss recent news and cultural trends from November 2025. The episode covers APEC 2025 hosted in Gyeongju where Korea gifted Trump a Shilla gold crown, contrasting Korean labor debates between the London Bagel Museum overwork death and dawn delivery service bans, the viral Gwangjang Market pricing scandal, and the election of Zoran Momdani as New York City's first Muslim and youngest mayor in over a century. The hosts also discuss Gen Alpha slang, tackle Suneung English questions, and respond to listener comments.

If you're interested in any of these topics, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This episode offers cross-cultural analysis on labor rights, cultural diplomacy, and social responsibility.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week Jun and Daniel dive deep into a media review of "The Wailing" (곡성), the critically acclaimed 2016 Korean horror film directed by Na Hong-jin. They begin by unpacking the clever wordplay behind the Korean title—"Gokseong" doubles as both the name of the real Korean city where the film is set and the Chinese character meaning "wailing." The hosts explore the film's complex narrative structure, debating whether the mysterious Japanese man is truly a demon or just an unfortunate scapegoat, analyzing the deacon character's true motivations, and discussing the tragic ending where the protagonist's choices lead to devastating consequences. They examine the film's commentary on faith, superstition, and mob mentality, while also touching on the masterful cinematography, the haunting shaman ritual scene, and the unforgettable performances.

If you're interested in understanding why this film is considered one of Korea's most important horror achievements, how Korean shamanism and religious syncretism create the story's ambiguity, why the film's open-ended interpretation makes it endlessly rewatchable, or Daniel's instant regret watching a horror film late at night in the dark, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This episode also features discussion about recognizing famous Korean actors (including Hwang Jung-min, one of Korea's top movie stars), comparisons to The Blair Witch Project, and reflections on how the film uses the real city of Gokseong as its setting.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week Jun and Daniel return from their extended Chuseok holiday break to discuss a range of topics starting with daily life observations about technology, from wireless floor fans to Tesla's touchscreen interfaces to the state of autonomous vehicles in both the US and Korea. They then share their Chuseok vacation experiences, with Jun describing his MT-style trip to Gapyeong and Daniel reflecting on his trip to Seodaemun prison and museum. The conversation then shifts to significant news including the No Kings protests—massive nationwide demonstrations against Donald Trump's second presidential term in 2025—the controversial ban on Chinese chess at Tapgol Park in Seoul, the tragic incident involving Koreans in Cambodia, and the W Magazine Breast Cancer Awareness campaign controversy. The episode concludes with listener questions about Korean apartment uniformity and a spirited debate about nunchi, sparked by a question from a previous guest episode.

If you're interested in understanding how Korean efficiency and collectivism shape everything from apartment design to consumer products, learning about the No Kings movement and its significance in American politics, exploring the concept of nunchi and indirect communication in Korean culture, or hearing about nonprofit youth programs bridging Korean and American communities, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more!

As a reminder, we record one episode a week in-person from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!:

Sponsored Content

This episode is sponsored by City Youth Martial Arts, a nonprofit taekwondo program serving Milwaukee's diverse urban neighborhoods. Find out more at https://cityyouthmartialarts.org

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)

This week, Daniel and Jun sit down with Raychel McKelvy, a Black American teacher and aspiring actor who just moved to Korea from Chicago less than a month ago. Raychel shares her unique journey from living across multiple U.S. cities to taking a "midlife gap year" in Seoul to study Korean at Yonsei University's language institute. They discuss her incredibly diverse upbringing and friend group, spanning Japanese, Indian, Latino, and Korean American communities, and how those experiences shaped her worldview. The conversation explores the stark differences between being a minority in America versus being a "super minority" in Korea, navigating the challenges of staring and othering, and finding beauty in cultural differences. Raychel opens up about her language learning journey, the reality of living in a co-living space in Yeongdeungpo, and adjusting to Korean social norms around public transit etiquette, restaurant timing, and high-context communication.

If you're interested in hearing a fresh perspective on moving to Korea, understanding the complexities of race and diversity across cultures, learning about the unexpected challenges and joys of language immersion, or gaining insights into how collectivism and individualism shape American versus Korean society, tune in to hear Daniel, Jun, and Raychel discuss all this and more. This episode offers an honest, thoughtful look at cultural adaptation, the privilege of diversity, and the courage it takes to completely upend your life for personal growth.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Guest bio:

Raychel is an American currently living in Korea and attending Korean language school. When she is not studying Korean, she can be found talking to her family or nerding out on her 2 podcasts: MultiNerds Podcast and Tavern of Tomes.

Follow her Korean adventures on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/raychelmckelvy

Links:

MultiNerds:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cDn8vhL0XRTTBxl5z5xaL?si=PrrWuVz4TDyMA-d_sz0esQ

Tavern of Tomes:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3sx3q8fhQ7mNLvt2I9PRJk?si=FTh-4cX3T-Sw_mLY5fEcoQ

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com

Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)