Writing

GlobalPost boozes with Kim Jong-un

SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong-un admits he’s never met an American journalist, but that doesn’t stop our frigid winter evening from being a convivial one. We clink glasses, swig a soju shot, and plunk a few slabs of pork belly on the grill.

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Dec 19, 2014

read more

Alibaba.com: Supermarket for torture devices?

SEOUL, South Korea — It’s yet another booming market that China dominates: electric shock shields, spiked batons, electric shock stun batons, thumb cuffs, neck restraints and the like.

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Dec 8, 2014

read more

Even a bad-boy dictator needs friends

SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong Un has had a wild and crazy 2014. He rang in the New Year with rumors (later retracted) that his executed uncle had been “stripped naked, thrown into a cage, and eaten alive by a pack of ravenous dogs.”

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Dec 2, 2014

read more

K-pop fuels a hot new mainstream market: makeup for men

SEOUL, South Korea — Rapper Kwon Ji Yong, who goes by the stage name “G-Dragon,” is among South Korea’s most prominent male sex symbols, winning over fans with his suave, boyish looks and chic dance moves.

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Nov 13, 2014

read more

Jailed in North Korea: 5 Americans who got out

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in January. US officials announced today that Kenneth Bae has been released by North Korea and is returning home. You can read about his surprise release here.

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Nov 8, 2014

read more

The destructive side of Gangnam style

SEOUL, South Korea — Perched above the shimmering cityscape, in an old stone house with a makeshift aluminum roof, is an elderly shaman who goes by the spiritual name “Lotus Prophet.”

By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World

Nov 6, 2014

read more