https://www.spreaker.com/show/red-star-over-asiaenPoliticsCopyright Red Star Over Asiahttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/f8300593860065b6f2371c66769e8c8e.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/red-star-over-asiaThu, 23 Mar 2023 04:31:11 +0000Red Star Over AsiaRed Star Over Asiafeeds@spreaker.comCovering politics and social movements across Asia from a socialist perspective. Based in South Korea,cleanepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/the-zainichi-experience-koreans-in-japan In Japan today, the descendants of these Koreas are known as Zainichi.
We are joined on this episode by our friend Haruki Eda, a third generation Zainichi. We talked about the complex and fascinating history of Koreans in Japan, the politics of the community, how this diaspora relates to both North and South Korea, and so much more.
Haruki Eda is an interdisplinary social scientist specializing in ethnicity and nationalism, international political economy, gender/sexuality, and cultural ecology. He recently completed his PhD in Sociology at Rutgers University and is preparing to publish his first book,  Queer Unification: Community and Healing in the Korean Diaspora.
He is also an activist with the U.S. based Korean organization Nodutdol, comrpised of diasproic Koreans and organizing for a world free of imperialism, and for Korea’s re/unification and national liberation.
You can follow him on Twitter @zainichipoetics and check out his website here: https://www.harukieda.com/
And follow Notdutdol on twitter @https://nodutdol.org/ and their website: https://nodutdol.org/ ​]]>3378f94a-625f-4eef-a300-0a0be8181750Thu, 23 Mar 2023 03:11:11 +0000Red Star Over AsiaBoth Koreas have a histroically frought relationship with Japan, due to the history of colinization. Beginning in the late 19th century, there were waves of Korean immigration to Japan. This accelerated dramatically with Japan's formal annexation of... In Japan today, the descendants of these Koreas are known as Zainichi.
We are joined on this episode by our friend Haruki Eda, a third generation Zainichi. We talked about the complex and fascinating history of Koreans in Japan, the politics of the community, how this diaspora relates to both North and South Korea, and so much more.
Haruki Eda is an interdisplinary social scientist specializing in ethnicity and nationalism, international political economy, gender/sexuality, and cultural ecology. He recently completed his PhD in Sociology at Rutgers University and is preparing to publish his first book,  Queer Unification: Community and Healing in the Korean Diaspora.
He is also an activist with the U.S. based Korean organization Nodutdol, comrpised of diasproic Koreans and organizing for a world free of imperialism, and for Korea’s re/unification and national liberation.
You can follow him on Twitter @zainichipoetics and check out his website here: https://www.harukieda.com/
And follow Notdutdol on twitter @https://nodutdol.org/ and their website: https://nodutdol.org/ ​]]>6017clean31fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/korean-confederation-of-trade-unions-kct9c678e73-66ba-4f62-aa4d-becf9c4b7113Fri, 03 Feb 2023 07:55:28 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThe South Korean intelligence services and police raided the headquarters of a major umbrella labor union in central Seoul in late January 2023, on dubious suspicion that some members had violated national security laws. This is the audio version of a...5438cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/south-korea-truckers-strike
In November, South Korean cargo truckers representated by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) launched a nationwide strike around the extension of a minumum wage guarantee and related work safety issues.   The Yoon administration has responded aggressively, issuing an executive order for truckers to return to work or face steep fines, possible jail time and other penalities.   In response, KCTU held a one day all-union national strike on Tuesday, December 6th.  Joining for this special livestream to help us understand the strike and what's at stake are:   Yeonwoo Choi, a student activist and organizer in Seoul   Sanggu Gang, a member of KCTU's young wing in Busan   Bori, a co-host of Red Star Over Asia, but also currently a staff organizer for KCTU in Seoul, so he will also be sharing his analysis.  ]]>92305cea-f671-454e-90aa-a26ca24d7ff8Sat, 10 Dec 2022 23:34:37 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThis is audio from a live stream on the South Korea truckers strike. In November, South Korean cargo truckers representated by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) launched a nationwide strike around the extension of a minumum wage...
In November, South Korean cargo truckers representated by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) launched a nationwide strike around the extension of a minumum wage guarantee and related work safety issues.   The Yoon administration has responded aggressively, issuing an executive order for truckers to return to work or face steep fines, possible jail time and other penalities.   In response, KCTU held a one day all-union national strike on Tuesday, December 6th.  Joining for this special livestream to help us understand the strike and what's at stake are:   Yeonwoo Choi, a student activist and organizer in Seoul   Sanggu Gang, a member of KCTU's young wing in Busan   Bori, a co-host of Red Star Over Asia, but also currently a staff organizer for KCTU in Seoul, so he will also be sharing his analysis.  ]]>5291cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/labor-militancy-in-vietnam-ft-joe-buckle Capital-labour antagonisms and self-organised struggles'

Vietnam has been undergoing significant changes, with a new Labour code that became law in 2021 allowing workers to join ‘worker representative organisations. Together with the increasing penetration of global capital into Vietnam, the situation in the country rasies a lot of interesting questions. And it's quite difficult to get solid, Marxist analysis of Vietnamese labor and social movements in English, so we were thrilled to have this conversation with Joe and we think you will find it insightful as well.
Slight disclaimer, we did have some tech equipment and connections issues on both ends so it's not the clearest audio, but we did clean up the majority of the background noise in post-production. It's certainly very listenable and you, like us, will learn a lot from Joe's analysis!

Joe Buckley received his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK and recently published a book: Vietnamese Labour Militancy Capital-labour antagonisms and self-organised struggles. He is a labour consultant focusing on Southeast Asia and has written and taught widely on labour issues in the region, especially Vietnam.
You can find him on Twitter here: @JoeJBBuckley
And check out his book: https://www.routledge.com/Vietnamese-Labour-Militancy-Capital-labour-antagonisms-and-self-organised/Buckley/p/book/9781032003139
And a recent article from him on Vietnam's labor reforms: https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/the-limits-of-vietnams-labor-reforms/]]>ec2be896-38f1-403a-9fa2-7387b71b8107Fri, 13 May 2022 15:16:23 +0000Red Star Over AsiaWe're thrilled to present this new epsiode with Joe Buckley, author of a fascinating new book, 'Vietnamese Labour Militancy: Capital-labour antagonisms and self-organised struggles' Vietnam has been undergoing significant changes, with a new Labour... Capital-labour antagonisms and self-organised struggles'

Vietnam has been undergoing significant changes, with a new Labour code that became law in 2021 allowing workers to join ‘worker representative organisations. Together with the increasing penetration of global capital into Vietnam, the situation in the country rasies a lot of interesting questions. And it's quite difficult to get solid, Marxist analysis of Vietnamese labor and social movements in English, so we were thrilled to have this conversation with Joe and we think you will find it insightful as well.
Slight disclaimer, we did have some tech equipment and connections issues on both ends so it's not the clearest audio, but we did clean up the majority of the background noise in post-production. It's certainly very listenable and you, like us, will learn a lot from Joe's analysis!

Joe Buckley received his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK and recently published a book: Vietnamese Labour Militancy Capital-labour antagonisms and self-organised struggles. He is a labour consultant focusing on Southeast Asia and has written and taught widely on labour issues in the region, especially Vietnam.
You can find him on Twitter here: @JoeJBBuckley
And check out his book: https://www.routledge.com/Vietnamese-Labour-Militancy-Capital-labour-antagonisms-and-self-organised/Buckley/p/book/9781032003139
And a recent article from him on Vietnam's labor reforms: https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/the-limits-of-vietnams-labor-reforms/]]>6145clean29fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/2022-south-korea-presidential-election-l
However, much of the commentary and analysis here is still very relevant and worth listening to. We discussed how the campaign played out, major themes of it, and most importantly, what the terrain of struggle will look like over the next five years for the South Korean left and social movements + much more!

We'd like to thank special guest Dae-han Song of the International Strategy Center for joining us on the stream.

To find out more about International Strategy Center, check out their website here:
https://www.goisc.org/home]]>476c3280-feb4-4efd-b4e4-bf7f0d70598dThu, 10 Mar 2022 02:16:01 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThis is the raw audio/podcast version of a YouTube livestream recorded the evening of 3/8/22 (election night), before the results were announced. We are posting this the morning of 3/9/22 and we now know that Yoon Suk-yeol, the main conservative...
However, much of the commentary and analysis here is still very relevant and worth listening to. We discussed how the campaign played out, major themes of it, and most importantly, what the terrain of struggle will look like over the next five years for the South Korean left and social movements + much more!

We'd like to thank special guest Dae-han Song of the International Strategy Center for joining us on the stream.

To find out more about International Strategy Center, check out their website here:
https://www.goisc.org/home]]>7830cleanbonushttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/koreas-socialist-century-w-vladimir-tikh
He has written numerous articles and books on Korean politics, particularly on the history and legacy of Korean socialist and Communist movements.

His lastest book (currently only available in Korean) is available here: https://tinyurl.com/2p95684y

In this episode, building upon our previous discussions with Owen Miller (see our episodes 'Early Korean Communism Pts I and II), we talk about the general arch, legacies and lessons of Korean Marxism and socialism of the 20th century.

Pak Noja is also a member of the Labor Party (South Korea)/노동당 and you can find many of his articles in English here: https://uio.academia.edu/VladimirTikhonov

He's also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vladimir.tikhonov.5]]>db3ffb3d-f9ea-4671-a727-df387bdb1903Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:20:43 +0000Red Star Over AsiaVladimir Tikhonov, also known by his pen name Pak Noja/박노자, is a Russian-born scholar of Korean Studies and a Professor at the University of Oslo in Norway. He has written numerous articles and books on Korean politics, particularly on the history...
He has written numerous articles and books on Korean politics, particularly on the history and legacy of Korean socialist and Communist movements.

His lastest book (currently only available in Korean) is available here: https://tinyurl.com/2p95684y

In this episode, building upon our previous discussions with Owen Miller (see our episodes 'Early Korean Communism Pts I and II), we talk about the general arch, legacies and lessons of Korean Marxism and socialism of the 20th century.

Pak Noja is also a member of the Labor Party (South Korea)/노동당 and you can find many of his articles in English here: https://uio.academia.edu/VladimirTikhonov

He's also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vladimir.tikhonov.5]]>4229clean28fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/early-korean-communism-pt-2-w-owen-mille
Part one covered the origins of the Korean Communist movement and how they survived multiple splits and waves of repression by the Japanese Empire.

Now, with part two, we jump forward to 1945. World War II has just ended, taking the Japanese Empire with it. Korean communists have to deal with occupying American and Soviet armies, which help create the conditions for the long-term division of the peninsula. We also cover figures such as Pak Hon-yong (a prominent leader of the South Korean Workers Party) and the purges that plagued the movement in 1955.

The history of Korean Communism has long been obscured by the myth making of anticommunist regimes in the South, but also in the North, where Korean leftists outside of the partisan tradition have been erased. 
Owen Miler is a professor at SOAS University of London. His current research interests include: the social and economic history of 19th and 20th century Korea; urban history; Korean nationalist and Marxist historiographies; the economic history of North Korea; and state formation in Northeast Asia.

You can find him on twitter @SOASModernKorea or at his faculty page here: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff31439.php]]>a25fe118-d632-4895-a4ea-4c53b6960544Tue, 08 Feb 2022 10:03:38 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThis is part two of a two-part episode. Part one covered the origins of the Korean Communist movement and how they survived multiple splits and waves of repression by the Japanese Empire. Now, with part two, we jump forward to 1945. World War II...
Part one covered the origins of the Korean Communist movement and how they survived multiple splits and waves of repression by the Japanese Empire.

Now, with part two, we jump forward to 1945. World War II has just ended, taking the Japanese Empire with it. Korean communists have to deal with occupying American and Soviet armies, which help create the conditions for the long-term division of the peninsula. We also cover figures such as Pak Hon-yong (a prominent leader of the South Korean Workers Party) and the purges that plagued the movement in 1955.

The history of Korean Communism has long been obscured by the myth making of anticommunist regimes in the South, but also in the North, where Korean leftists outside of the partisan tradition have been erased. 
Owen Miler is a professor at SOAS University of London. His current research interests include: the social and economic history of 19th and 20th century Korea; urban history; Korean nationalist and Marxist historiographies; the economic history of North Korea; and state formation in Northeast Asia.

You can find him on twitter @SOASModernKorea or at his faculty page here: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff31439.php]]>2453clean27fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/early-korean-communism-w-owen-miller-pt-
Owen Miler is a professor at SOAS University of London. His current research interests include: the social and economic history of 19th and 20th century Korea; urban history; Korean nationalist and Marxist historiographies; the economic history of North Korea; and state formation in Northeast Asia.

You can find him on twitter @SOASModernKorea or at his faculty page here: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff31439.php]]>058d1d41-705f-4bc3-bfd9-2fb0086f8c57Tue, 21 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThe history of Korean Communism has long been obscured by the myth making of anticommunist regimes in the South, but also in the North, where Korean leftists outside of the partisan tradition have been erased. In the first part of this interview with...
Owen Miler is a professor at SOAS University of London. His current research interests include: the social and economic history of 19th and 20th century Korea; urban history; Korean nationalist and Marxist historiographies; the economic history of North Korea; and state formation in Northeast Asia.

You can find him on twitter @SOASModernKorea or at his faculty page here: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff31439.php]]>3751clean26fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/imperialism-in-the-21st-century-east-asihttps://viewpointmag.com/2018/02/01/the-specificity-of-imperialism/ http://platformc.kr/2021/07/towards-an-east-asian-solidarity-from-below/]]>redstaroverasia.podbean.com/9e51e79b-b2df-3521-a246-9d5c384425b6Tue, 02 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000Red Star Over AsiaFor this episode, the crew discuss two recent articles. The first, 'The Specificity of Imperialism' by Salar Mohandesi, engages with some recent debates around whether 'imperialism' is still a relevant concept for understanding contemporary...https://viewpointmag.com/2018/02/01/the-specificity-of-imperialism/ http://platformc.kr/2021/07/towards-an-east-asian-solidarity-from-below/]]>4162cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/reimagining-soviet-georgia-w-sopo-japard
Georgia is in some ways ‘a land between’. Red Star tends to focus on East Asian topics, but we had the opportunity to have on a good friend of the show, Sopo Japardize. She's a labor organizer based in Tblisi, Georiga, a fascinating country located at the nexus of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Most listeners will probably know Georgia as the former USSR republic. Sopo and her comrades host a great podcast focused on this legacy called ‘Reimagining Soviet Georgia’, links to which are below.

In this two part episode, we talk about the legacy of Soviet Georgia, the country’s experience having been the laboratory for the darkest fantasies of US libertarian think tanks following the socialist bloc collapse in the early 90s, and contemporary social movements in the country. In part 2, we get more into how the new left is attempting to forge and independent path between NATO expansionism from the West and the cynical transgressions of Russia’s oligarchy from the East.

Sopo Japardize is on at Twitter @sopjap

Her podcast Reimagining Soviet Gerogia is available here: https://anchor.fm/sovietgeorgia/

You can also check out her written work at Open Democracy and Jacobin:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/author/sopiko-japaridze/

https://jacobinmag.com/author/sopiko-japaridze

 ]]>redstaroverasia.podbean.com/fc464381-973e-39bb-a733-3d5d32f54a0cTue, 21 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThis is part two of a two-part episode with Sofia Japardize, a labor activist based in Tblisi, Georgia. Before preceding, we highly recommend hitting the pause button and starting with part 1! Georgia is in some ways ‘a land between’. Red Star tends...
Georgia is in some ways ‘a land between’. Red Star tends to focus on East Asian topics, but we had the opportunity to have on a good friend of the show, Sopo Japardize. She's a labor organizer based in Tblisi, Georiga, a fascinating country located at the nexus of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Most listeners will probably know Georgia as the former USSR republic. Sopo and her comrades host a great podcast focused on this legacy called ‘Reimagining Soviet Georgia’, links to which are below.

In this two part episode, we talk about the legacy of Soviet Georgia, the country’s experience having been the laboratory for the darkest fantasies of US libertarian think tanks following the socialist bloc collapse in the early 90s, and contemporary social movements in the country. In part 2, we get more into how the new left is attempting to forge and independent path between NATO expansionism from the West and the cynical transgressions of Russia’s oligarchy from the East.

Sopo Japardize is on at Twitter @sopjap

Her podcast Reimagining Soviet Gerogia is available here: https://anchor.fm/sovietgeorgia/

You can also check out her written work at Open Democracy and Jacobin:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/author/sopiko-japaridze/

https://jacobinmag.com/author/sopiko-japaridze

 ]]>3595cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/radio-free-havana-the-cuban-revolution-w
Part 1 of our discussion focused on the history and legacy of the Cuban Revolution, as well as the structure and dynamics of Cuba's political and electoral system.

Here in part 2, we cover the recent July 2021 protest wave in Cuba and unpack some of the false media narratives around it. We also talk about how the Chinese and Vietnamese models are influencing debates within the Cuban Communist Party, and dig in to some of the internal contradictions facing Cuba as it adapts socialism for the 21st century


Rodrigo Huamachi is a community activist, member of the Cuban Communist Party, independent researcher, and translator based in Havana. ]]>redstaroverasia.podbean.com/927ffc57-eec3-3b5f-8864-7ffdb7172304Wed, 01 Sep 2021 02:17:17 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThis is part 2 of a two-part episode on Cuba with Rodrigo Huamachi. We recommend listening to part 1 first! Part 1 of our discussion focused on the history and legacy of the Cuban Revolution, as well as the structure and dynamics of Cuba's political...
Part 1 of our discussion focused on the history and legacy of the Cuban Revolution, as well as the structure and dynamics of Cuba's political and electoral system.

Here in part 2, we cover the recent July 2021 protest wave in Cuba and unpack some of the false media narratives around it. We also talk about how the Chinese and Vietnamese models are influencing debates within the Cuban Communist Party, and dig in to some of the internal contradictions facing Cuba as it adapts socialism for the 21st century


Rodrigo Huamachi is a community activist, member of the Cuban Communist Party, independent researcher, and translator based in Havana. ]]>4779cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/a-new-yellow-peril-anti-asian-racism-in-
*Disclaimer*: this was recorded in the immediate aftermath of those tragic events, when details were unclear. Please excuse any factual inaccuracies in our description of the shooting. That aside, we think you will find the general discussion interesting and useful. 

During the show, we mentioned ways to concretely assist anti-racist organizing. Donating to the South Korean Migrant Workers Union is one of those. Please contribute to one of the organizations here, if you're able: https://twitter.com/chaiwalla5/status/1376859990464425994?s=20]]>redstaroverasia.podbean.com/4b32d05d-c9b5-3738-8077-1d4c43be3952Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:35:22 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThe panel (minus Jay - he was out sick for this episode) discusses the nature of anti-Asian racism in the U.S., in the aftermath of the March 16th Atlanta shootings. *Disclaimer*: this was recorded in the immediate aftermath of those tragic events,...
*Disclaimer*: this was recorded in the immediate aftermath of those tragic events, when details were unclear. Please excuse any factual inaccuracies in our description of the shooting. That aside, we think you will find the general discussion interesting and useful. 

During the show, we mentioned ways to concretely assist anti-racist organizing. Donating to the South Korean Migrant Workers Union is one of those. Please contribute to one of the organizations here, if you're able: https://twitter.com/chaiwalla5/status/1376859990464425994?s=20]]>3077cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/the-farmers-movement-in-india-w-ashok-ku

Since last year, an energized mass movement of farmers has erupted across India in response to the Modi government's attempt at a neoliberal restructuring of agriculture.

The panel goes deep on this episode to answer the question: "is India's ruling class indeed the dumbest bourgeoisie in the world?". Listen to find out!

Ashok Kumar is an Indian-American organizer and academic based in London. He is currently Lecturer of Political Economy at Birkbeck, University of London.

You can check out his book at https://monopsonycapitalism.com/ and follow him on Twitter @broseph_stalin]]>redstaroverasia.podbean.com/0e1b1566-c6d2-3384-bef7-eb189b939f97Tue, 16 Mar 2021 11:52:04 +0000Red Star Over AsiaAshok Kumar joins this week to discuss the farmers' movement in India, the Indian left generally, and his new book Monopsony Capitalism: Power and Production in the Twilight of the Sweatshop Age. Since last year, an energized mass movement of...

Since last year, an energized mass movement of farmers has erupted across India in response to the Modi government's attempt at a neoliberal restructuring of agriculture.

The panel goes deep on this episode to answer the question: "is India's ruling class indeed the dumbest bourgeoisie in the world?". Listen to find out!

Ashok Kumar is an Indian-American organizer and academic based in London. He is currently Lecturer of Political Economy at Birkbeck, University of London.

You can check out his book at https://monopsonycapitalism.com/ and follow him on Twitter @broseph_stalin]]>6511cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/pandemic-covid-response-in-asia-and-the-redstaroverasia.podbean.com/2898e642-9c1c-3b91-b719-708efda2396aSun, 21 Feb 2021 15:59:03 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThe panel discusses how and why various Asian governments and the U.S. state have handled pandemic response the way they have.3602cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/13908065/international-solidarity-w-nokduredstaroverasia.podbean.com/1305d562-a9c7-336d-817c-ee5652aa2697Fri, 29 Jan 2021 18:12:04 +0000Red Star Over AsiaThe Red Star crew discusses the challenges of doing meaningful 'international solidarity' - with Korean-American organizer and special guest 'Nokdu'.4238cleanfull