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

Special Coverage

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

October 14 – 25. Publishing twice daily @ 5:00 am & 3:00 pm.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a landing page for the EXPLORING KOREA series, where all 72 features can be found after they are published. Because of the number of features and the frequency of their release, this page will not be updated daily. Instead, it will be updated every 4 days in batches of 24 (4 days x 6 features per day).

Please visit the homepage https://milwaukeeindependent.com at 5:00 am and 3:00 pm each day from October 14 to 25 to access the latest updates as they are released. After October 25, all 72 features will be displayed here for easier access.