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Daniel Tudor (journalist)

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Daniel Tudor is a British author, journalist and entrepreneur. Born in Manchester, England, he is now based in Seoul, South Korea. He graduated with a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from University of Oxford’s Somerville College and also received an MBA from the University of Manchester's Business School.[1]

Life and career

South Korea

Tudor first visited Korea to watch the 2002 World Cup at the invitation of a university friend. This was his first trip to Asia.[2] He decided to spend a year in South Korea upon graduation, and like many Westerners, his first job there was teaching English, in his case in an academy in Gimhae, Gyeongsang Province. [3].

The Economist

Tudor was The Economist’s Korea correspondent from 2010–2013, following an internship with the publication. His articles covered both South Korean and North Korean politics North Korean politics, as well as South Korean culture[4].

The Booth Brewing Co.

In 2012, Tudor wrote a piece for The Economist titled "Fiery Food, Boring Beer," in which he noted that South Koreans were known for their varied culinary traditions, but lagged behind North Korea when it came to beer culture and quality.[5] This caught the attention of Sunghoo Yang and Heeyoon Kim, who—with Tudor—co-founded The Booth Brewing Co. in 2013[6]. It started off as a small pub in a Seoul alleyway and has grown to a craft beer hub, with twenty beers produced across three continents[7].

Kokkiri ("Elephant")

Tudor is also co-founder and CEO of Kokkiri, South Korea's most popular meditation app, in partnership with Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk and author of "Things You Only See When You Slow Down" (멈추면 비로소 보인 것들).

Books

Korea: The Impossible Country

Tudor’s first and bestselling book, Korea: The Impossible Country, was first published in 2012 by Tuttle Publishing. It was one of the first books on South Korea meant for Western audiences, exploring Korea’s cultural foundations: from family and marriage to workplace culture and clan-ism[8]. It was re-released in paperback in 2018 and has been translated for foreign language readers.

A Geek in Korea

His second book, A Geek in Korea: Discovering Asia’s New Kingdom of Cool (Tuttle, 2014), also invited Western audiences to learn about modern South Korea, though it is aimed at younger audiences than his debut novel. It is an introduction to the exceedingly popular and recognizable culture—tackling topics such as K-Pop, video games and skiing[9]

North Korea Confidential

Release

North Korea Confidential (Tuttle, 2015) was co-authored with Reuters journalist James Pearson, and was named one of the best books of 2015 by The Economist. The authors’ goal was to peel back the curtain on daily life in North Korea, dispelling myths perpetuated in the Western world. According to The New York Times, "'North Korea Confidential' gives us a deeply informed close-up. Tudor, a former correspondent for The Economist, and Pearson, a Reuters reporter, have pieced together their story from North Korean insiders, defectors, diplomats and traders, and from a careful reading of texts in English, Korean and Chinese." It has been translated into Traditional Chinese, Korean, Polish, Romanian and Russian.

North Korean reception

When the book's Korean language edition was released in 2017, North Korea’s Central Court ordered two South Korean journalists and their newspaper publishers to death in absentia for their reviews of the book. The court said in a statement that journalists Son Hyo Rim (Dong-A Ilbo newspaper) and Yang Ji Ho (Chosun Ilbo newspaper), "committed [the] hideous crime of seriously insulting the dignity of the DPRK by using dishonest contents carried by a propaganda book…"[10]

The court did not mention the authors or the other numerous media outlets that covered the book’s release. North Korean media outlet Korean Central News Agency said in an article that North Korea Confidential was written through, "ludicrous statements of the riff-raffs including rubbish defectors two years ago."[11]

Ask a North Korean

Ask A North Korean (Tuttle, 2018) is Tudor’s latest book. Adapted from a long running column in NK News by the same name, this book uses firsthand accounts from North Korean defectors to provide insight into life in the "Hermit Kingdom."[12]

Other contributions

In addition to his work for The Economist, Tudor has also contributed to the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Private Eye, Joongang Ilbo and Hankyoreh 21.

Interviews

Tudor is a popular interviewee and commentator on Korean affairs. He has been featured on NPR[13], Forbes,[14] BBC,[15] The New York Times,[16] TIME magazine,[17] Wall Street Journal,[18] The Washington Post,[19] The Guardian,[20] Financial Times,[21] USA Today,[22] and The Japan Times,[23] among others.

References

  1. ^ "Korea: The Impossible Country (9780804846394)". Tuttle Publishing. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Books: Q&A with Daniel Tudor, author of A Geek in Korea". South China Morning Post. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Books: Q&A with Daniel Tudor, author of A Geek in Korea". South China Morning Post. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Korea: The Impossible Country (9780804846394)". Tuttle Publishing. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Fiery food, boring beer". The Economist. 24 November 2012. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Our Story". The Booth Brewing Co. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Why A South Korean Brewery Moved To California To Make Korean Beer". NPR.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  8. ^ Kustra, Bob. "Daniel Tudor Peels Back The Curtains On Contemporary North Korea". www.boisestatepublicradio.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Books: Q&A with Daniel Tudor, author of A Geek in Korea". South China Morning Post. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  10. ^ "North Korea sentences South Korean reporters to death over review..." Reuters. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  11. ^ "North Korea sentences South Korean reporters to death over review..." Reuters. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Ask A North Korean | NK News – North Korea News". Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Why A South Korean Brewery Moved To California To Make Korean Beer". NPR.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  14. ^ Horn, Michael. "Can Disruptive Innovation Transform South Korea's Schools?". Forbes. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  15. ^ Achin, Kurt (15 December 2014). "South Korea's craft beer battle". Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  16. ^ Jeppesen, Travis (14 February 2019). "Shopping in Pyongyang, and Other Adventures in North Korean Capitalism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  17. ^ Rauhala, Emily. "South Korea: One of the World's Great Success Stories Heads to the Polls". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  18. ^ Ramstad, Evan (15 October 2012). "Tudor's Book Covers Implausible, Impossible Korea". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  19. ^ Harlan, Chico (7 November 2012). "In S. Korea, the best education means a sacrifice for parents". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  20. ^ Tudor, Daniel; Pearson, James (18 March 2015). "Homebrew and house parties: how North Koreans have fun". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  21. ^ "North Korea begins journey from feudalism to crony capitalism". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 April 2019. (subscription required)
  22. ^ "This North Korean is getting rich off capitalism". USA TODAY. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  23. ^ Johnston, Eric (12 May 2018). "'Ask A North Korean' gets its answers from the source". The Japan Times. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
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