Writing
Lee rallies the troops
SEOUL — Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics and head of the Samsung Group, is working to instill a sense of crisis in his companies’ ranks, urging staff to shed old ways and help Samsung reinvent itself.
By Geoffrey Cain
Nikkei Asia Review
Feb 13, 2014
South Korea: It’s a nice day for a shady wedding
SEOUL, South Korea — Weddings here are not just huge American-style parties. They’re lavish, anxiety-inducing celebrations. They’re even sometimes used for nefarious purposes, such as influence peddling.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Feb 10, 2014
Message to North Korea ‘engagers’: You’re helping Kim Jong Un
SEOUL — Dennis Rodman’s birthday serenade for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and his drunken defense of the spectacle on CNN, drew no shortage of virulent mud-slingers.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Feb 7, 2014
Did Kim Jong Un really execute his uncle’s extended family?
SEOUL, South Korea — On Sunday, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that “all relatives of Jang [Song Taek]” — including children and the ambassadors to Cuba and Malaysia — have been put to death at the orders of the generalissimo.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Jan 27, 2014
Treating garment workers in Cambodia as terrorists
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — In the Canadia Industrial Park, factories are mostly back in operation, bustling to fulfill orders for major Western labels. There are few signs of the brutal crackdown that recently afflicted this complex on the Cambodian capital’s southern outskirts.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Jan 17, 2014
South Korea finally seizes the Silicon Valley dream
SEOUL, South Korea — In a country dominated by sprawling conglomerates like Samsung and Hyundai, young graduates typically covet a ticket to corporate power and affluence.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Jan 9, 2014
2013 was a poor year for South Korean democracy
SEOUL, South Korea — Read South Korea’s 1948 National Security Act and you can glean a picture of the perilous era during which it was written.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Jan 7, 2014
Seoul, South Korea. Where the future begins
SEOUL, South Korea — After a week or two in the South Korean capital of Seoul, newcomers often harbor extreme views on the city. They either love it or absolutely despise it.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Jan 3, 2014
Unable to afford Gangnam-style plastic surgery, Korean teens deploy DIY methods
SEOUL, South Korea — In the heart of Seoul’s famous Gangnam neighborhood lies the “Beauty Belt,” a grouping of streets lined with hundreds of cosmetic surgery joints.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 19, 2013
North Korea execution: The nation is sliding into chaos. Or it’s more stable than ever
SEOUL, South Korea — On Sunday, North Korea announced that Kim Jong Un’s uncle, the powerful guiding-hand regent, had been excommunicated from the leadership.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 13, 2013