Benjamin A. Engel
@benjaminaengel.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at Dankook University. Research interests: Korean modern history, US-Korea relations, democracy and human rights
Pinned
brill.com
My latest article is finally published: "Paving the Way for the Marlboro Man: Bilateral U.S.-South Korea Negotiations on Liberalizing the South Korean Cigarette Market, 1985–1988." 1/
brill.com/view/journal...
brill.com/view/journal...
They may be better but almost all universities probably offer “English” classes but they are often not really in English
November 22, 2025 at 2:40 AM
They may be better but almost all universities probably offer “English” classes but they are often not really in English
I highly doubt this is due to a lack of interest. Rather it’s a failure of most Korean universities to have instructors capable of offering courses in English. Often “English” STEM classes are an English textbook with Korean-language lectures
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
Foreign students numbers rise, but few of them studying STEM
The number of foreign students in Korea has grown over the past decade, but far fewer are studying natural sciences or engineering, according to new research.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:31 AM
I highly doubt this is due to a lack of interest. Rather it’s a failure of most Korean universities to have instructors capable of offering courses in English. Often “English” STEM classes are an English textbook with Korean-language lectures
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
Funny meme in South Korea about recent China-Japan spat.
“This is what China is hoping for, but…”
“We…”
“This is what China is hoping for, but…”
“We…”
November 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Funny meme in South Korea about recent China-Japan spat.
“This is what China is hoping for, but…”
“We…”
“This is what China is hoping for, but…”
“We…”
Academics: review articles! It’s a thankless (and compensation-less) job but young scholars’ careers hang in the balance. The job market is cruel enough, at least we can take care of one another in this way.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
November 20, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Academics: review articles! It’s a thankless (and compensation-less) job but young scholars’ careers hang in the balance. The job market is cruel enough, at least we can take care of one another in this way.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Footage from Yonhap shows people lined up at the stern seemingly ready to board a boat to get off the ferry via the ramp to load cars and cargo. Tugboats pushing the ship perhaps to ensure it doesn’t perhaps roll.
November 19, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Footage from Yonhap shows people lined up at the stern seemingly ready to board a boat to get off the ferry via the ramp to load cars and cargo. Tugboats pushing the ship perhaps to ensure it doesn’t perhaps roll.
Pictures on Yonhap news of the ferry. Reporting that the ferry cannot sink, which seems pretty evident from the fact that it ran into a fairly large island. Picture seems to show people fairly calmly waiting on deck
November 19, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Pictures on Yonhap news of the ferry. Reporting that the ferry cannot sink, which seems pretty evident from the fact that it ran into a fairly large island. Picture seems to show people fairly calmly waiting on deck
This report notes someone claiming to be on the ship is posting to social media. Says they are up on deck wearing life jackets waiting to be taken off. Coast guard is evacuating the elderly and children first. Must be scared to death.
www.joongang.co.kr/article/2538...
www.joongang.co.kr/article/2538...
[속보] 267명 탄 여객선, 신안 해상서 좌초…"섬과 충돌" 신고 | 중앙일보
전남 신안군 인근 해상에서 267명을 태운 여객선이 좌초해 해경이 구조 작업을 벌이고 있다. 19일 전남소방본부에 따르면 이날 오후 8시 16분쯤 신안군 장산면 족도 인근 해상에서 "배가 섬과 충돌했다"는 신고가 해경에 접수됐다. 해당 여객선 승객으로 보이는 이용자 A씨는 소셜미디어(SNS)를 통해 사고 현장 상황을 공유하기도 했다.
www.joongang.co.kr
November 19, 2025 at 12:41 PM
This report notes someone claiming to be on the ship is posting to social media. Says they are up on deck wearing life jackets waiting to be taken off. Coast guard is evacuating the elderly and children first. Must be scared to death.
www.joongang.co.kr/article/2538...
www.joongang.co.kr/article/2538...
Hopefully this is true and the situation is resolved quickly. However, when the Sewol Ferry sank the initial reports said everyone had been saved and that turned out to be very not true…
Coast guard say they expect no casualties and ship is not taking in water. Seems to have run aground.
Of course, things can be said about the reliability of the coast guard and naval accidents...
n.news.naver.com/mnews/articl...
Of course, things can be said about the reliability of the coast guard and naval accidents...
n.news.naver.com/mnews/articl...
[속보] 해경 "신안 좌초 여객선 인명 피해 없을 듯…침수 안돼"
n.news.naver.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Hopefully this is true and the situation is resolved quickly. However, when the Sewol Ferry sank the initial reports said everyone had been saved and that turned out to be very not true…
Yea exactly…no one trusts a word they say now until we see the people safely ashore
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Yea exactly…no one trusts a word they say now until we see the people safely ashore
Capsized may be the wrong translation. If the picture here is accurate the better description would be the ship has run aground. Hopefully that means more time for rescue.
www.chosun.com/national/inc...
www.chosun.com/national/inc...
November 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Capsized may be the wrong translation. If the picture here is accurate the better description would be the ship has run aground. Hopefully that means more time for rescue.
www.chosun.com/national/inc...
www.chosun.com/national/inc...
Capsized ship has a total of 267 crew and passengers on board. Ship said to have been traveling from Jeju to Mokpo when it hit a submerged rock. The Coast Guard is responding after first receiving a distress call at 8:17 pm
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
November 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Capsized ship has a total of 267 crew and passengers on board. Ship said to have been traveling from Jeju to Mokpo when it hit a submerged rock. The Coast Guard is responding after first receiving a distress call at 8:17 pm
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
A ship carrying about 260 passengers has reportedly capsized of the southwestern coast of Korea. After the Sewol Ferry accident of 2014 this just leaves a giant pit in my stomach. Hopefully everyone is ok
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
[1보] 신안 해상서 승객 260여명 태운 여객선 좌초 | 연합뉴스
(
www.yna.co.kr
November 19, 2025 at 12:04 PM
A ship carrying about 260 passengers has reportedly capsized of the southwestern coast of Korea. After the Sewol Ferry accident of 2014 this just leaves a giant pit in my stomach. Hopefully everyone is ok
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2025...
Chat GPT will revolutionize the world! Also Chat GPT:
November 11, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Chat GPT will revolutionize the world! Also Chat GPT:
2 Major League Baseball Pitchers Are Charged in Gambling Investigation
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Strong critique of Lee Jae Myung's pursuit of nuclear submarines from a progressive also interested in improving Korea's defense.
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...
Korean military expert calls pursuit of nuclear submarine ‘vanity of a nation drunk on delusion of becoming world power’
Military expert Kim Jong-dae strongly criticized the move, calling it a step backward into platforms of the past and only adding to Korea’s reliance on the US
english.hani.co.kr
November 5, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Strong critique of Lee Jae Myung's pursuit of nuclear submarines from a progressive also interested in improving Korea's defense.
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...
This is probably also a big part of the equation, I agree.
November 4, 2025 at 11:28 PM
This is probably also a big part of the equation, I agree.
In other words, he isn't scared of losing Korea because he sees Korea as a valuable ally. He's scared of losing leverage in negotiations and throwing away more money down the road. To an extent I think Korea recognizes this and its why return of operational control is so high on the priority list.
November 4, 2025 at 11:27 PM
In other words, he isn't scared of losing Korea because he sees Korea as a valuable ally. He's scared of losing leverage in negotiations and throwing away more money down the road. To an extent I think Korea recognizes this and its why return of operational control is so high on the priority list.
Sure, I do think he is playing nice at the moment to smooth things over. My concern is though that he is playing nice to suck in Korea (and others) only to again extort more later. If he's harsh always and cannot keep Korea linked to the US he has no leverage in his extortion.
November 4, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Sure, I do think he is playing nice at the moment to smooth things over. My concern is though that he is playing nice to suck in Korea (and others) only to again extort more later. If he's harsh always and cannot keep Korea linked to the US he has no leverage in his extortion.
Pretty clear Trump has no problem with that evil. Said as much himself the other day in that 60 minutes interview.
November 4, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Pretty clear Trump has no problem with that evil. Said as much himself the other day in that 60 minutes interview.
Yes and no. He's doing this for everybody when it comes to trade. South Korea was singled out pretty harshly, in Asia at least, when it came to security and taking advantage of the US. Maybe in Trumpiverse if he gets the money via trade extortion he doesn't need to threaten on the security end?
November 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Yes and no. He's doing this for everybody when it comes to trade. South Korea was singled out pretty harshly, in Asia at least, when it came to security and taking advantage of the US. Maybe in Trumpiverse if he gets the money via trade extortion he doesn't need to threaten on the security end?
Its fairly shocking how the rhetoric out of Trump 2.0 towards South Korea has been so different from Trump 1.0. I keep wondering if this isn't just some bait-and-switch operation. When does Trump come back and demand $5 billion for US troops in Korea?
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
Hegseth says Pentagon will support 'model ally' South Korea's drive for nuclear-powered submarines
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored Tuesday in Seoul that the Pentagon will work with relevant agencies to support U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to help South Korea build nuclear-po...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Its fairly shocking how the rhetoric out of Trump 2.0 towards South Korea has been so different from Trump 1.0. I keep wondering if this isn't just some bait-and-switch operation. When does Trump come back and demand $5 billion for US troops in Korea?
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
Proof that a certain kind of talent in or knowledge about one field doesn't make you knowledgeable about politics nor renders you unsusceptible to propaganda and misinformation.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
Self-declared 'world's smartest man' applies for U.S. asylum from 'pro-North Korean' government
A Korean man who claims to have the world’s highest IQ has applied for political asylum in the United States, saying he can no longer live under what he called a “a pro North Korea leftist government ...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Proof that a certain kind of talent in or knowledge about one field doesn't make you knowledgeable about politics nor renders you unsusceptible to propaganda and misinformation.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11...
New banner near campus. After the second Lee Jae Myung-Trump meeting I thought they might give up, but then again I suppose the Yoon Again folks have no other play.
November 3, 2025 at 12:38 AM
New banner near campus. After the second Lee Jae Myung-Trump meeting I thought they might give up, but then again I suppose the Yoon Again folks have no other play.
If you go to good sushi restaurants or grilled meat restaurants people will tip. Especially the sushi restaurants. And especially the regulars. That’s how you get the best service
October 31, 2025 at 11:13 AM
If you go to good sushi restaurants or grilled meat restaurants people will tip. Especially the sushi restaurants. And especially the regulars. That’s how you get the best service
If you think tipping isn’t a thing in Korea you’ve been to the wrong restaurants
October 31, 2025 at 10:32 AM
If you think tipping isn’t a thing in Korea you’ve been to the wrong restaurants