GWIKS Special Talk Series
“Ernest Bethell and the Great Game in Korea”
Ernest Bethell (1872-1909)
Speaker
John Burton, Washington Columnist, Korea Times
Date & Time
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Location
Room 505
Elliott School of International Affairs, the George Washington University
1957 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052
Event Description
Ernest Bethell (1872-1909) was the first foreign journalist to be based in Korea and is considered one of the founders of modern Korean journalism, along with Soh Jai-pil. He came to Korea in 1904 as a young Englishman, took up the cause of Korean independence against Japanese annexation by founding a newspaper, and ultimately paid the price by being betrayed by his own government in the name of great power politics, which led to his early death. His story provides insights into how newspapers contributed to the rise of Korean nationalism amid the clash of contending imperial powers for control of the country. The lecture will also examine the role of propaganda and disinformation in setting the political agenda and the manipulation of media outlets by foreign governments.
Speaker
John Burton is an award-winning journalist. He is currently a Washington columnist for the Korea Times and previously was Seoul Bureau Chief for the Financial Times for nearly a decade. He also worked as a foreign correspondent in Singapore, Tokyo and Stockholm for the Financial Times and other publications. He is a three-time recipient of the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOFA) journalism awards and is a former president of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club. He majored in East Asian Studies at George Washington University.
Moderator
Yonho Kim is Associate Research Professor of Practice and Associate Director of GW Institute for Korean Studies. He specializes in North Korea’s mobile telecommunications and U.S. policy towards North Korea. Kim is the author of North Korea’s Mobile Telecommunications and Private Transportation Services in the Kim Jong-un Era (2019) and Cell Phones in North Korea: Has North Korea Entered the Telecommunications Revolution? (2014). His research findings were covered by various media outlets, including Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Yonhap News, and Libération. Prior to joining GWIKS, he extensively interacted with the Washington policy circle on the Korean peninsula as Senior Researcher of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Senior Reporter for Voice of America’s Korean Service, and Assistant Director of the Atlantic Council’s Program on Korea in Transition. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in International Relations from Seoul National University, and an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
This event is open to public and on the record.
