At the age of sixteen, Anton discovered Taekwondo in his native Germany. From there, he began exploring Buddhism only to be told by a visiting monk that if he wanted to truly understand it, he would have to visit Korea. Anton then embarked on a journey of practice and discovery in Korea in 1994, initially intending to stay for just a year. This conversation took place in 2024, thirty years later.
Anton has regularly appeared on television during his time here. He has also worked as a producer for the German public broadcaster ARD, offered his expertise as a business consultant, taught at a university, and sought to capture the essence of Korean society as a documentary filmmaker. He has also just written a book in Korean, 한국인들의 이상한 행복, which sheds a critical light on many of the country's social problems. This book was what prompted our discussion today.
Anton's Book: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000001297085
Discussion Outline
0:00 Foundations 1: Taekwondo
11:02 Foundations 2: Buddhism
54:10 The Strange Unhappiness of Korean People
59:17 Education
1:31:27 The Home
1:41:08 Seoul
1:52:22 Korean History
2:23:00 Anton Speaking Korean
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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