Wikipedia

Daniel Tudor (journalist)

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 and 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 edit

South Korea edit

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 edit

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

The Booth Brewing Co. edit

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") edit

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

Personal life edit

On 13 October 2022 MBC presenter Lim Hyun-ju announced she and Tudor would be getting married.[8] The couple held a wedding ceremony on 24 February 2023, after registering their marriage on 14 February 2023.[9] On 27 April 2023, Lim announced she was pregnant.[10] Lim gave birth to a daughter on 2 October 2023.[11]

Books edit

Korea: The Impossible Country edit

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.[12] It was re-released in paperback in 2018 and has been translated for foreign language readers.

A Geek in Korea edit

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 book. It is an introduction to the exceedingly popular and recognizable culture—tackling topics such as K-pop, video games and skiing.[3]

North Korea Confidential edit

Release edit

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 edit

When the book's Korean language edition was released in 2017, North Korea's Central Court sentenced 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 ..."[13]

The court did not mention the authors or the other numerous media outlets that covered the book's release. North Korean media outlet the 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."[13]

Ask a North Korean edit

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"[14]

Other contributions edit

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 edit

Tudor is a popular interviewee and commentator on Korean affairs. He has been featured on NPR,[15] Forbes,[16] BBC,[17] The New York Times,[18] Time,[19] The Wall Street Journal,[20] The Washington Post,[21] The Guardian,[22] Financial Times,[23] USA Today,[24] and The Japan Times,[25] among others.

References edit

  1. ^ Korea: The Impossible Country. Tuttle Publishing. 3 August 2023. ISBN 9780804846394. 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. ^ a b "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. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Why A South Korean Brewery Moved To California To Make Korean Beer". NPR. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  8. ^ Ji, Mi-young (13 October 2022). "임현주 아나운서, 깜짝 결혼 발표...외국인 남편 스펙이 놀랍습니다" [Announcer Lim Hyun-joo announces a surprise marriage... The specs of her foreign husband are surprising] (in Korean). Insight. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. ^ Jin, Hyang-hee (24 February 2023). "임현주♥다니엘 튜더, 오늘(24일) 결혼한다" [Lim Hyun-joo ♥ Daniel Tudor, getting married today (24th)] (in Korean). Star Today. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  10. ^ Tae, Yu-na (27 April 2023). "[전문] 임현주 아나, 혼전 임신 고백…"10월 출산, ♥다니엘튜더가 태몽 꿔"" [[Professional] Lim Hyun-joo Ana, confession of pregnancy before marriage… "October birth, ♥ Daniel Tudor had a prenatal dream"] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved 27 April 2023 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Jang, In-young (3 October 2023). "[단독] '득녀' 임현주 아나 "큰 역할해준 ♥다니엘, 결혼 참 잘했다" (인터뷰 종합)" [[Exclusive] 'Daughter' Lim Hyeon-joo Ana "♥Daniel, who played a big role, we had a great marriage" (Comprehensive interview)] (in Korean). Xsports News. Retrieved 3 October 2023 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Kustra, Bob. "Daniel Tudor Peels Back The Curtains On Contemporary North Korea". Boise State Public Radio. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  13. ^ a b "North Korea sentences South Korean reporters to death over review..." Reuters. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  14. ^ "Ask A North Korean | NK News – North Korea News". Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  15. ^ "Why A South Korean Brewery Moved To California To Make Korean Beer". NPR.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  16. ^ Horn, Michael. "Can Disruptive Innovation Transform South Korea's Schools?". Forbes. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  17. ^ Achin, Kurt (15 December 2014). "South Korea's craft beer battle". Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Rauhala, Emily. "South Korea: One of the World's Great Success Stories Heads to the Polls". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  20. ^ Ramstad, Evan (15 October 2012). "Tudor's Book Covers Implausible, Impossible Korea". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  21. ^ Harlan, Chico (7 November 2012). "In S. Korea, the best education means a sacrifice for parents". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "North Korea begins journey from feudalism to crony capitalism". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 April 2019. (subscription required)
  24. ^ "This North Korean is getting rich off capitalism". USA Today. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  25. ^ 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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