The Korea File

Andre Goulet has been running The Korea File since 2014, making it one of the longest-running independent English-language podcasts focused on Korean society. With 112 episodes and a bimonthly release schedule, the show takes a patient, in-depth approach to topics that most Korea coverage skips over entirely. Goulet interviews academics, journalists, activists, musicians, and translators, and the conversations consistently go places you will not find in mainstream reporting. The range of subjects is genuinely broad. One episode might feature a conversation about the hidden history of Korean anarchism. The next could examine motherhood and revolution in North Korea, or contemporary Korean fiction and the challenges of literary translation. Recent episodes have tackled alternative education movements, ethical tourism in Korea, and the evolving role of women in Korean workplaces. Goulet clearly reads his guests’ work before recording, and his questions reflect that preparation -- guests open up in ways that suggest they feel respected, not just interviewed. Episodes typically run 30 to 60 minutes, and the production is clean without being flashy. Assistant producer Gennie Kim Pimentel helps keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. The show holds a 4.0-star rating from 26 reviews on Apple Podcasts, and it is supported through Patreon -- no ads interrupting the conversation. If you want a podcast that treats Korea as a complex, layered society rather than reducing it to K-pop headlines and geopolitical talking points, The Korea File has been doing exactly that for over a decade.