MILWAUKEE VOICES. KOREAN EXPERIENCES.

EXPLORING KOREA: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided peninsula. This extensive editorial series recorded personal stories from Milwaukee, South Korea, and at the DMZ into North Korea, from July to September of 2024. The purpose of the journalism project was to document the heritage and contemporary experiences from unheard voices and overlooked ties that have bound Milwaukee and the Korean Peninsula together for decades.

MILWAUKEE VOICES. KOREAN EXPERIENCES. This special series explores historical sites and cultural traditions from across the Korean Peninsula, building a bridge back to the search for identity in Milwaukee. From the occupation of Korea at the end of World War II, to Korean War veterans in Milwaukee, veterans from Milwaukee who served in later years at the DMZ, adopted South Korean children who grew up in Milwaukee, different waves of the South Korean diaspora who moved to Milwaukee to raise their families, and even a defector from North Korea, their stories share generations of Korean and American experiences.

Milwaukee Independent has an award-winning tradition of reporting about international stories with deep local connections. The result of this assignment to Korea is a comprehensive 72-part series with 117,000 words, featuring individual voices, historical perspectives, and more than 2,200 original images and historic photos. It offers a mix of culture and history with contemporary issues for perspective, exploring the meaning of Korean identity in Milwaukee. https://mkeind.com/koreanstories

Day 1: October 14

Day 2: October 15

Day 3: October 16

Day 4: October 17

Exploring Korea: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided peninsula

John T. Chisholm: Standing guard along the volatile Korean DMZ at the end of the Cold War

Dick Cavalco: A life shaped by service but also silence for 65 years about the Korean War

Jessica Boling: The emotional journey from an American adoption to reclaiming her Korean identity

A pawn of history: How the Great Power struggle to control Korea set the stage for its civil war

Most Dangerous Game: The golf course where U.S. soldiers play surrounded by North Korean snipers

Overshadowed by conflict: Why the Korean War still struggles for recognition and remembrance

A deportation story: When South Korea was forced to confront its adoption industry’s history of abuse

Names for Korea: The evolution of English words used for its identity from Gojoseon to Daehan Minguk

Triumph and Tragedy: How the 1988 Seoul Olympics became a battleground for Cold War politics

Wisconsin’s Korean War Memorial stands as a timeless tribute to a generation of “forgotten” veterans

South Korea faces severe population decline amid growing burdens on marriage and parenthood

SeonJoo So Oh: Living her dream of creating a “folded paper” bridge between Milwaukee and Korean culture

Dan Odya: The challenges of serving at the Korean Demilitarized Zone during the Vietnam War

Glenn Dohrmann: The extraordinary journey from an orphaned farm boy to a highly decorated hero

Emma Daisy Gertel: Why finding comfort with the “in-between space” as a Korean adoptee is a superpower

A Cultural Bridge: Why Milwaukee needs to invest in a Museum that celebrates Korean art and history

The Korean Demilitarized Zone: A border between peace and war that also cuts across hearts and history

The fight for Hill 266: Glenn Dohrmann recalls one of the Korean War’s most fierce battles

The Soul of Seoul: A photographic look at the dynamic streets and urban layers of a megacity

Korean diplomat joins Milwaukee’s Korean American community in celebration of 79th Liberation Day

The Korean DMZ Conflict: A forgotten “Second Chapter” of America’s “Forgotten War”

Frozen in time: Rare photos from a side of the Korean War that most families in Milwaukee never saw

The Creation of Hangul: A linguistic masterpiece designed by King Sejong to increase Korean literacy

Day 5: October 18

Day 6: October 19

Day 7: October 20

Day 8: October 21

Rick Wood: Veteran Milwaukee photojournalist reflects on his rare trip to reclusive North Korea

Karyn Althoff Roelke: How Honor Flights remind Korean War veterans that they are not forgotten

Kenny Yoo: How the adversities of dyslexia and the war in Afghanistan fueled his success as a photojournalist

Christopher Michael Doll: An unexpected life in South Korea and its cross-cultural intersections

Dynastic Rule: Personality cult of Kim Jong Un expands as North Koreans wear his pins to show total loyalty

Letters from North Korea: How Milwaukee County Historical Society preserves stories from war veterans

Walking between two worlds: The complex dynamics of code-switching among Korean Americans

Korea in 1895: How UW-Milwaukee’s AGSL protects the historic treasures of Kim Jeong-ho and George C. Foulk

South Korea formalizes nuclear deterrent strategy with U.S. as North Korea aims to boost atomic arsenal

A Cold War Secret: Graves discovered of Russian pilots who flew MiG jets for North Korea during Korean War

A look back at Kamala Harris in South Korea as U.S. looks ahead to more provocations by North Korea

“Ink. Brush. Paper.” Exhibit: Korean Sumukhwa art highlights women’s empowerment in Milwaukee

Tea with Jin: A rare conversation with a North Korean defector living a happier life in Seoul

Heechang Kang: How a Korean American pastor balances tradition and integration at church

Jason S. Yi: Feeling at peace with the duality of being both an American and a Korean in Milwaukee

Christopher Wing: The cultural bonds between Milwaukee and Changwon built by brewing beer

Journalism and Statecraft: Why it is complicated for foreign press to interview a North Korean defector

Faith and Heritage: A Pew Research Center’s perspective on Korean American Christians in Milwaukee

The Zainichi experience: Second season of “Pachinko” examines the hardships of ethnic Koreans in Japan

Halloween Crowd Crush: A solemn remembrance of the Itaewon tragedy after two years of mourning

Inside North Korea’s Isolation: A decade of images show rare views of life around Pyongyang

Landmark legal verdict by South Korea’s top court opens the door to some rights for same-sex couples

Shadows of History: South Korea’s lingering struggle for justice over “Comfort Women”

Forgotten Victims: How panic and paranoia led to a massacre of refugees at the No Gun Ri Bridge

Day 9: October 22

Day 10: October 23

Day 11: October 24

Day 12: October 25

Kyoung Ae Cho: How embracing Korean heritage and uniting cultures started with her own name

The heartbeat of K-pop: How Tina Melk’s passion for Korean music inspired a utopia for others to share

WonWoo Chung: Navigating life, faith, and identity between cultures in Milwaukee and Seoul

Hoyoon Min: Putting his future on hold in Milwaukee to serve in his homeland’s military

Complexities of Identity: When being from North Korea does not mean being North Korean

K-pop Revolution: The Korean cultural phenomenon that captivated a growing audience in Milwaukee

Korean Landmarks: A visual tour of heritage sites from the Silla and Joseon Dynasties

A long journey home: Robert P. Raess laid to rest in Wisconsin after being MIA in Korean War for 70 years

A fragile peace: Tensions simmer at DMZ as North Korean soldiers cross into the South multiple times

Artifacts from BTS and LE SSERAFIM featured at Grammy Museum exhibit put K-pop fashion in the spotlight

South Korea’s Digital Nomad Visa offers a global gateway for Milwaukee’s young professionals

Existential threats: A cost of living in Seoul comes with being in range of North Korea’s artillery

Byung-Il Choi: A lifelong dedication to medicine began with the kindness of U.S. soldiers to a child of war

Hyunjoo Han: The unconventional path from a Korean village to Milwaukee’s multicultural landscape

Forgotten Gando: Why the autonomous Korean territory within China remains a footnote in history

Jinseon Kim: A Seoulite’s creative adventure recording the city’s legacy and allure through art

Restoring Harmony: South Korea’s long search to reclaim its identity from Japanese occupation

The Battle of Restraint: How nuclear weapons almost redefined warfare on the Korean peninsula

A game of maps: How China prepared to steal Korean history to prevent reunification

A subway journey: Exploring Euljiro in illustrations and by foot on Line 2 with artist Jinseon Kim

Sado gold mine gains UNESCO status after Tokyo pledges to exhibit WWII trauma of Korean laborers

Rejection of peace: Why North Korea’s increasing hostility to the South was inevitable

From Taiwan to Korea: When Mao Zedong shifted China’s priority amid Soviet and American pressures

Seoul Searching: Revisiting the first film to explore the experiences of Korean adoptees and diaspora

Locations in Korea where Milwaukee Independent reported from include – Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do (부천, 경기도), Busan, Haeundae-gu (부산 해운대구), Chuncheon, Bangsong-gil (춘천 방송길), Chuncheon, Gangwon-do (춘천, 강원도), Chuncheon, Seo-myeon, Deokduwon-ri (춘천 서면 덕두원리), Gangneung, Okgye-myeon (강릉 옥계면), Gimhae, Jinyeong-eup (김해 진영읍), Gongju, Iin-myeon, Chobong-ri (공주 이인면 초봉리), Goseong-gun, Hyeonnae-myeon (고성군 현내면), Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경주, 경상북도), Gyeongju, Gyo-dong (경주 교동), Gyeongju, Yul-dong (경주 율동), Hamyang, Jigok-myeon (함양 지곡면), Hwacheon, Hwacheon-eup (화천 화천읍), Iksan, Yeosan-myeon (익산 여산면), Incheon (인천), Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do (전주, 전라북도), Jeonju, Sanjeong-dong (전주 산정동), Jinan, Jeollabuk-do (진안, 전라북도), Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do (진주, 경상남도), Paju, Dorasan-ri (파주 도라산리), Paju, Gyeonggi-do (파주, 경기도), Paju, Jeomwon-ri (파주 점원리), Paju, Majeong-ri (파주 마정리), Paju, Seongdong-ri (파주 성동리), Samcheok, Dogye-eup (삼척 도계읍), Sejong City (세종특별자치시), Seoul, Dongdaemun-gu (서울 동대문구), Seoul, Gangnam-gu (서울 강남구), Seoul, Jongno-gu (서울 종로구), Seoul, Jung-gu (서울 중구), Seoul, Mugu-dong (서울 무교동), Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Bukgajwa-dong (서울 서대문구 북가좌동), Seoul, Songpa-gu (서울 송파구), Seoul, Yongsan-gu (서울 용산구), Seoul, Yongsan-gu (서울 용산구), Sokcho, Gangwon-do (속초, 강원도), Suwon, Paldal-gu (수원시 팔달구), Suwon, Paldal-gu, Ingyedong (수원시 팔달구 인계동), Suwon, Paldal-gu, Ji-dong (수원시 팔달구 지동), Suwon, Paldal-gu, Namchang-dong (수원시 팔달구 남창동), Suwon, Paldal-gu, Namsu-dong (수원시 팔달구 남수동), Ulsan, Eonyang-eup (울산 언양읍), Yanggu, Haean-myeon (양구 해안면)