My Recent Work

Historia de Corea: de Dangun a Chaebol

"El primer capítulo, de Armando Azúa, procura sentar las bases para la conformación del imaginario geopolítico sobre las Coreas, ya que el autor busca explicar la geografía de la península y su significado cultural para las poblaciones que aquí se han asentado. Esto implica tratar un poco la divergencia cultural entre las sociedades de Corea del Norte y Corea del Sur."
researchgate.net

Este fragmento destaca el enfoque inicial del libro en establecer una comprensión geopolítica de Corea, abordando tanto la geografía como las diferencias culturales entre el norte y el sur. El texto continúa explorando aspectos fundamentales como la organización del espacio físico, los procesos demográficos y urbanos, y los inicios de la vida cultural y social en Corea, incluyendo el idioma y las migraciones. Además, se abordan temas como el mito fundacional de Gojoseon, los periodos históricos significativos, y las dinámicas políticas y religiosas que han moldeado la identidad coreana.

How Korean Syncretism and Classic Books Are Guiding My Career Pivot

Portfolio Note for "How Korean Syncretism and Classic Books Are Guiding My Career Pivot"

This personal essay explores the intersections of cultural heritage, spiritual philosophy, and literary inspiration in navigating a midlife career change.

This piece highlights my capacity to write thoughtfully on themes of transition, identity, and personal growth, making complex ideas accessible and engaging for a general audience.

When the Dream Job Isn’t Yours Anymore

I was waiting to talk to the lawyers about my severance package when the grief hit me. Not just for the job, but for the version of myself who had spent 25 years believing this was the dream.I wasn’t just losing a paycheck—I was mourning a career, a title, an identity.In high school, I don’t remember having a dream job. Nothing realistic. My classmates were going to be doctors, lawyers, architects, and one became a nun. I wanted to travel, but “Do what you love” is not an Asian motto. Traveling?...

El Hanbok y la Identidad Coreana: Historia, Resistencia y Renacimiento

Sabías que el hanbok, la vestimenta tradicional coreana, no es solo una prenda hermosa, sino también un símbolo de resistencia cultural y orgullo nacional? En esta nueva publicación, exploramos su evolución desde la influencia Tang y Yuan, pasando por su rol en la lucha contra la colonización japonesa, hasta su impresionante renacer en la moda contemporánea y el K-pop.

Acompáñame a descubrir cómo el hanbok ha sido mucho más que ropa: un lenguaje visual, una armadura simbólica y un puente entre generaciones y culturas.

No te pierdas esta fascinante historia que conecta tradición, política y arte en el corazón de Corea. ¡Espero tus comentarios!

The Ghost in Our Blood: Han, Intergenerational Trauma, and the Korean Diaspora

I didn’t have a name for it when I was a child, but I felt it.It lived in the silences at home. In the way my father’s sadness could turn to rage without warning. In the whispered stories my aunt told when she thought we weren’t listening.Later, I learned there was a word. A word so complex, Koreans say it can’t be translated — only felt.That word is Han.A mix of sorrow, rage, helplessness, longing, and a desperate hunger for justice. A feeling passed from body to body like breath.Han was born f...

Faith in Exile: How Christianity Helped My Korean Ancestors Resist an Empire

Published originally in thekoreandiaspora.comBy Grace HahnI grew up in a house that echoed with voices from the past.We lived “Korean style” in Mexico City — multiple generations under one roof, with grandmothers, great-aunts, and cousins all sharing the same narrow hallways and warm, bustling kitchen. There was always a quiet rhythm to our lives — slippers on tile, rice steaming, quiet conversations in a language I barely understood.Now and then, someone would mention a book from the Korean Emb...
Photo by 성두 홍 on Pexels

Threads of Defiance: Hanbok and Korea's Independence Movement

The word hanbok (한복) combines “han” (한), meaning “Korean,” and “bok” (복), meaning “clothing.” Although the term itself emerged in the 19th century, the tradition of distinctively Korean dress stretches back much further. Since the Buyeo Kingdom (4th century BC to 494 AD), Koreans have worn primarily white clothing—a color symbolizing sunlight and spiritual purity in an agrarian society where heaven was worshiped. White

Remembering Korean Shamanism:  A Personal Journey Through Faith, Silence, and Ancestral Memory

By Graciela Hahn VillagránGreat-granddaughter of Lee Geon-se and granddaughter of Han Jong-weon, honored heroes of Korea’s Independence Movement.Originally published at thekoreandiaspora.com​When I was a child, I didn’t understand why we didn’t go to church. I didn’t yet know about Korean spiritual traditions — about how faith can live quietly in the body, not in a building.​She didn’t hesitate. “We carry God in our heart,” she said.​It sounded like an answer. But it felt like the beginning of a...