Exploring Korea:
Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided peninsula
Special Coverage
MILWAUKEE VOICES. KOREAN EXPERIENCES.
EXPLORING KOREA: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided peninsula. This extensive editorial series recorded personal stories from Milwaukee, South Korea, and at the DMZ into North Korea, from July to September of 2024. The purpose of the journalism project was to document the heritage and contemporary experiences from unheard voices and overlooked ties that have bound Milwaukee and the Korean Peninsula together for decades.
MILWAUKEE VOICES. KOREAN EXPERIENCES. This special series explores historical sites and cultural traditions from across the Korean Peninsula, building a bridge back to the search for identity in Milwaukee. From the occupation of Korea at the end of World War II, to Korean War veterans in Milwaukee, veterans from Milwaukee who served in later years at the DMZ, adopted South Korean children who grew up in Milwaukee, different waves of the South Korean diaspora who moved to Milwaukee to raise their families, and even a defector from North Korea, their stories share generations of Korean and American experiences.
Milwaukee Independent has an award-winning tradition of reporting about international stories with deep local connections. The result of this assignment to Korea is a comprehensive 72-part series with 117,000 words, featuring individual voices, historical perspectives, and more than 2,200 original images and historic photos. It offers a mix of culture and history with contemporary issues for perspective, exploring the meaning of Korean identity in Milwaukee. https://mkeind.com/koreanstories
Day 1: October 14
Day 2: October 15
Day 3: October 16
Day 4: October 17
Day 5: October 18
Day 6: October 19
Day 7: October 20
Day 8: October 21
Day 9: October 22
Day 10: October 23
Day 11: October 24
Day 12: October 25
EXPLORING KOREA: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided Peninsula. This special series explores historical sites and cultural traditions from across the Korean Peninsula, building a bridge back to the search for identity in Milwaukee. From the occupation of Korea at the end of World War II, to Korean War veterans in Milwaukee, veterans from Milwaukee who served in later years at the DMZ, adopted South Korean children who grew up in Milwaukee, different waves of the South Korean diaspora who moved to Milwaukee to raise their families, and even a defector from North Korea, their stories share generations of Korean and American experiences. https://mkeind.com/koreanstories
- Exploring Korea: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided peninsula
- A pawn of history: How the Great Power struggle to control Korea set the stage for its civil war
- Names for Korea: The evolution of English words used for its identity from Gojoseon to Daehan Minguk
- SeonJoo So Oh: Living her dream of creating a "folded paper" bridge between Milwaukee and Korean culture
- A Cultural Bridge: Why Milwaukee needs to invest in a Museum that celebrates Korean art and history
- Korean diplomat joins Milwaukee's Korean American community in celebration of 79th Liberation Day
- John T. Chisholm: Standing guard along the volatile Korean DMZ at the end of the Cold War
- Most Dangerous Game: The golf course where U.S. soldiers play surrounded by North Korean snipers
- Triumph and Tragedy: How the 1988 Seoul Olympics became a battleground for Cold War politics
- Dan Odya: The challenges of serving at the Korean Demilitarized Zone during the Vietnam War
- The Korean Demilitarized Zone: A border between peace and war that also cuts across hearts and history
- The Korean DMZ Conflict: A forgotten "Second Chapter" of America's "Forgotten War"
- Dick Cavalco: A life shaped by service but also silence for 65 years about the Korean War
- Overshadowed by conflict: Why the Korean War still struggles for recognition and remembrance
- Wisconsin's Korean War Memorial stands as a timeless tribute to a generation of "forgotten" veterans
- Glenn Dohrmann: The extraordinary journey from an orphaned farm boy to a highly decorated hero
- The fight for Hill 266: Glenn Dohrmann recalls one of the Korean War's most fierce battles
- Frozen in time: Rare photos from a side of the Korean War that most families in Milwaukee never saw
- Jessica Boling: The emotional journey from an American adoption to reclaiming her Korean identity
- A deportation story: When South Korea was forced to confront its adoption industry's history of abuse
- South Korea faces severe population decline amid growing burdens on marriage and parenthood
- Emma Daisy Gertel: Why finding comfort with the "in-between space" as a Korean adoptee is a superpower
- The Soul of Seoul: A photographic look at the dynamic streets and urban layers of a megacity
- The Creation of Hangul: A linguistic masterpiece designed by King Sejong to increase Korean literacy
- Rick Wood: Veteran Milwaukee photojournalist reflects on his rare trip to reclusive North Korea
- Dynastic Rule: Personality cult of Kim Jong Un expands as North Koreans wear his pins to show total loyalty
- South Korea formalizes nuclear deterrent strategy with U.S. as North Korea aims to boost atomic arsenal
- Tea with Jin: A rare conversation with a North Korean defector living a happier life in Seoul
- Journalism and Statecraft: Why it is complicated for foreign press to interview a North Korean defector
- Inside North Korea’s Isolation: A decade of images show rare views of life around Pyongyang
- Karyn Althoff Roelke: How Honor Flights remind Korean War veterans that they are not forgotten
- Letters from North Korea: How Milwaukee County Historical Society preserves stories from war veterans
- A Cold War Secret: Graves discovered of Russian pilots who flew MiG jets for North Korea during Korean War
- Heechang Kang: How a Korean American pastor balances tradition and integration at church
- Faith and Heritage: A Pew Research Center's perspective on Korean American Christians in Milwaukee
- Landmark legal verdict by South Korea's top court opens the door to some rights for same-sex couples
- Kenny Yoo: How the adversities of dyslexia and the war in Afghanistan fueled his success as a photojournalist
- Walking between two worlds: The complex dynamics of code-switching among Korean Americans
- A look back at Kamala Harris in South Korea as U.S. looks ahead to more provocations by North Korea
- Jason S. Yi: Feeling at peace with the duality of being both an American and a Korean in Milwaukee
- The Zainichi experience: Second season of “Pachinko” examines the hardships of ethnic Koreans in Japan
- Shadows of History: South Korea's lingering struggle for justice over "Comfort Women"
- Christopher Michael Doll: An unexpected life in South Korea and its cross-cultural intersections
- Korea in 1895: How UW-Milwaukee's AGSL protects the historic treasures of Kim Jeong-ho and George C. Foulk
- "Ink. Brush. Paper." Exhibit: Korean Sumukhwa art highlights women’s empowerment in Milwaukee
- Christopher Wing: The cultural bonds between Milwaukee and Changwon built by brewing beer
- Halloween Crowd Crush: A solemn remembrance of the Itaewon tragedy after two years of mourning
- Forgotten Victims: How panic and paranoia led to a massacre of refugees at the No Gun Ri Bridge
- Kyoung Ae Cho: How embracing Korean heritage and uniting cultures started with her own name
- Complexities of Identity: When being from North Korea does not mean being North Korean
- A fragile peace: Tensions simmer at DMZ as North Korean soldiers cross into the South multiple times
- Byung-Il Choi: A lifelong dedication to medicine began with the kindness of U.S. soldiers to a child of war
- Restoring Harmony: South Korea's long search to reclaim its identity from Japanese occupation
- Sado gold mine gains UNESCO status after Tokyo pledges to exhibit WWII trauma of Korean laborers
- The Heartbeat of K-Pop: How Tina Melk's passion for Korean music inspired a utopia for others to share
- K-pop Revolution: The Korean cultural phenomenon that captivated a growing audience in Milwaukee
- Artifacts from BTS and LE SSERAFIM featured at Grammy Museum exhibit put K-pop fashion in the spotlight
- Hyunjoo Han: The unconventional path from a Korean village to Milwaukee’s multicultural landscape
- The Battle of Restraint: How nuclear weapons almost redefined warfare on the Korean peninsula
- Rejection of peace: Why North Korea's increasing hostility to the South was inevitable
- WonWoo Chung: Navigating life, faith, and identity between cultures in Milwaukee and Seoul
- Korean Landmarks: A visual tour of heritage sites from the Silla and Joseon Dynasties
- South Korea’s Digital Nomad Visa offers a global gateway for Milwaukee’s young professionals
- Forgotten Gando: Why the autonomous Korean territory within China remains a footnote in history
- A game of maps: How China prepared to steal Korean history to prevent reunification
- From Taiwan to Korea: When Mao Zedong shifted China’s priority amid Soviet and American pressures
- Hoyoon Min: Putting his future on hold in Milwaukee to serve in his homeland's military
- A long journey home: Robert P. Raess laid to rest in Wisconsin after being MIA in Korean War for 70 years
- Existential threats: A cost of living in Seoul comes with being in range of North Korea's artillery
- Jinseon Kim: A Seoulite's creative adventure recording the city’s legacy and allure through art
- A subway journey: Exploring Euljiro in illustrations and by foot on Line 2 with artist Jinseon Kim
- Seoul Searching: Revisiting the first film to explore the experiences of Korean adoptees and diaspora
