The History of Korea

Allen Lee takes on one of the most ambitious projects in the Korean podcast space: a chronological walkthrough of Korean history from prehistoric times all the way through the medieval period. The show currently spans 22 episodes, starting with the very earliest archaeological evidence of human settlement on the peninsula and working forward through the founding myths of Gojoseon, the rise and fall of the Samhan confederacies, and the complex politics of the Three Kingdoms era. Lee clearly does his homework. Each episode runs about 40 minutes and is packed with specific dates, place names, and political figures that most Western history podcasts would skip entirely. He covers things like the Han commanderies and their relationship to early Korean states, the cultural exchanges with China and Japan, and the ways Korean identity formed in the gaps between larger empires. The solo narrative format means you get a focused, lecture-style delivery without tangents or banter. The pace can feel deliberate at times -- Lee takes his time setting up context before getting to the main events, which some listeners love and others find a bit slow. But that thoroughness is exactly what makes this show stand out. You will not find another English-language podcast that covers Gojoseon or the Samhan period in this kind of detail. With a 4.6 rating on Apple Podcasts, it has built a small but devoted audience of Korean history enthusiasts. The show has been on hiatus since 2021, but the existing episodes remain an excellent resource for anyone wanting to understand Korea's ancient foundations.