Episode summary:

In this episode, I’m joined by Jia Hong, an organizer with Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, to discuss the history and contemporary politics of imperialism and anticolonial resistance in Korea. We dive into the long history of foreign imperialism in the peninsula, from the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century to the ongoing U.S. military presence and its role in inflaming North-South tensions, and discuss the impact of the incoming Trump administration on Korea’s future. We also discuss the U.S. Out of Korea campaign that was launched earlier this summer by Nodutdol, a grassroots organization of diasporic Koreans and comrades organizing against imperialism in Korea and around the world.

Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock.

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Sources and helpful links:

• US Out of Korea Campaign Website
• Nodutdol Website
• Nodutdol’s Korean War Syllabus
• Jia Hong and Erica Jung — The Sacrifice of Human Health and Environment in South Korea Under US Military Occupation (Science for the People, 2023)
• What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Korea? (Statement from Nodutdol, November 2024)
• Sanctions of Empire (Zine by Nodutdol, October 2020)
• Max Balhorn — South Korea’s “Economic Miracle” Was Built on Murderous Repression (Jacobin, May 2021)

Social links:

Return to Bandung:

• Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/

Pranay Somayajula:

• Twitter: https://x.com/p_somayajula
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/
• Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/
• Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/

Nodutdol:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nodutdol
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodutdol