John Francis Power — Journalism and observations from South Korea

[...] than six weeks, an obscure Christian sect widely described as a cult has dominated the news in South Korea. The reason: its alleged connection to a ferry sinking in April that killed more than 300 [...]

[...] signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty at the close of the Korean War in 1953, South Korea has transformed from a poor authoritarian state […] [...]

[...] appeared in The Diplomat. In the aftermath of one of its worst-ever maritime disasters, South Korea has found itself grappling with the question of how a modern ferry came to capsize in calm [...]

[...] has long characterized his country’s relations with the region’s major powers. On his visits to South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and the […] [...]

[...] The following op-ed was originally written for translation for Newsweek Korea. — John. On January 6, it was reported in the Cambodia press that a former native English [...]

[...] The following op-ed was originally written for translation for Newsweek Korea. — John. By John Power The Korean media has been desperate to get the inside scoop on the [...]

[...] The following op-ed was originally written for Newsweek Korea. In a country where homosexuality remains in the shadows, last weekend’s celebrations for the [...]

[...] The following op-ed was originally written for translation into Korean for Newsweek Korea. Foreigners living in Korea are prone to forget just how much of a bubble they live in. What [...]

[...] The following article was originally published in The Christian Science Monitor. — John  SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean police ended an unprecedented manhunt Tuesday [...]

[...] The following article was originally published in The Christian Science Monitor. — John.  SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — At South Korea’s most prominent cathedral, worshippers [...]

[...] This exclusive originally appeared in Groove Magazine. – John   A former native English teacher in Korea currently facing charges of paying a 14-year-old boy for sex in Cambodia was [...]

[...] Korea. — John. On January 6, it was reported in the Cambodia press that a former native English teacher in Korea had been arrested in the country on charges of paying a 14-year-old [...]

[...] This article originally appeared in Groove Magazine. — John When Robert Koehler reads the news from his home country these days, he is often left [...]

[...] This exclusive originally appeared in Groove Magazine. – John   A former native English teacher in Korea currently facing charges of paying a 14- [...]

[...] . – John   A former native English teacher in Korea currently facing charges of paying a 14-year-old boy for sex in Cambodia was previously arrested in Seoul on suspicion of fondling a boy and [...]

[...] native English teacher in Korea had been arrested in the country on charges of paying a 14-year-old boy for sex. Before long, rumors surfaced online about the Canadian’s conduct with […] [...]

[...]  written for translation for NewsweekKorea. — John. The announcement Sunday that political maverick Ahn Cheol-soo and Democratic Party chairman Kim Han-gil will merge forces to form a new liberal [...]

[...] where homosexuality remains in the shadows, last weekend’s celebrations for the annual Korea Queer Festival were notable for their scale and bombast. As many as 5,000 people attended a [...]

[...] ’s most prominent cathedral, worshippers must come early. Like they do every week, Catholics attending midday mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on Sunday waited in long lines outside in the hope [...]