Feminism with Juche Characteristics: Gender Political Thought in North Korea

April 16, 2019

  How is the role of women portrayed and idealized in North Korea? In official discourse, the DPRK has long claimed that it is a champion of women’s rights. Although this has never been applied in practice, Pyongyang’s professed allegiance to female equality stems from a core tenant of Marxist-Leninist statecraft which has placed emphasis … More Feminism with Juche Characteristics: Gender Political Thought in North Korea

Exploring the Early U.S Discursive World of Korea (1945-1948)

April 11, 2019

I have often mentioned on twitter that there is a problem amongst some voices on the subject of Korea that tend to portray the country’s politics and history in somewhat simplistic terms. For many U.S observers, the story of North and South Korea is heavily condensed into prevailing Cold War narratives, presenting a rudimentary fairy … More Exploring the Early U.S Discursive World of Korea (1945-1948)

Analysis: China is not rowing back on North Korea pressure, here’s why.

April 10, 2019

Yesterday analysts observed the opening of a new bridge between China and North Korea in Jilin province, connecting the two countries. On hearing the news, it was widely assumed that the new infrastructure was a sign of China’s easing pressure upon Pyongyang and would of course, be used to facilitate trade and commerce between the … More Analysis: China is not rowing back on North Korea pressure, here’s why.

The analytical dehumanizing of the North Korean

March 30, 2019

  Early Saturday morning I observed a twitter exchange between several journalists and an academic on the matter of North Korea. In the midst of Britain’s Brexit turmoil, BBC journalist Laura Bicker had tweeted that a colleague had met with a North Korean economist in Pyongyang who reportedly said “so sorry about what’s happening in … More The analytical dehumanizing of the North Korean

Washington’s Turn Against China

September 26, 2018

America’s increasing resistance to China’s rise is rooted deeper than the will of the President and his trade war. Once having believed that Beijing could be socialized into the status quo international order through economic development, Washington has recalibrated its China stances to incorporate the growing belief that the country will pose a challenge, rather … More Washington’s Turn Against China

The Origin of the Surname “Fowdy”: A family history insight

September 3, 2018

I never knew the origin of my own surname. It’s not a common surname, it stands out and it’s a question which confounded me for years. It’s trivial of course, yet always interesting to know. Sometimes people would ask me and I simply didn’t know. Why this is important? A surname reveals heritage, its an … More The Origin of the Surname “Fowdy”: A family history insight