Is it really ALL about marketing?
In this episode, Dr. Jinwon Kim discusses her new book, Koreatown NYC: The Consumption of a Transnational Brand, NYU Press.
Jinwon discusses how in the past decade, Korean entertainment has gained global recognition, with movies and TV shows winning Oscars and Emmys, and K-Pop groups becoming wildly popular. In Manhattan, Koreatown has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists, drawing them in with its bars, restaurants, and day spas - learn more about the neighbourhood, and its important place in NYC and globally.
How does Manhattan's Koreatown function as a new kind of ethnic enclave?
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Alison Stratten (00:03)
Today on Academic Book Club, it is my pleasure to welcome the author of Koreatown NYC: The Consumption of a Transnational Brand, Dr. Jinwon Kim, Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at Smith College.
Her research and teaching focus on urban sociology, Asian American studies, race and ethnicity, transnational and global sociology, immigration and consumption.
In the past decade, Korean entertainment has gained global recognition, with movies and TV shows winning Oscars and Emmys, and K-pop groups becoming wildly popular. In Manhattan, Koreatown has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists,
In her first monograph published by NYU Press, Jinwon argues that Koreatown is a new type of ethnic enclave that she names a transclave.
She proposes that for many consumers, especially those who are not of Korean descent, the space has become a commercialized space where transnational culture meets the diverse racial and ethnic mosaic of the city. Koreatown NYC is a fascinating exploration of the intersection of authenticity, ethnicity, and identity in the heart of New York's Midtown.
Alison Stratten (01:18)
Thank you so much for sharing your time to be with us today at Academic Book Club. If I can ask you please to introduce yourself and share just a little bit about your book to get us started, that would be fantastic.
Jinwon (01:33)
yeah. So my name is Jinwon Kim I'm assistant professor of sociology here at Smith College in Western Massachusetts in the United States. I also went to graduate school in Korea and came to New York City as a young adult, and naturally Ktown
became sort of a daily life for me. And you know, I was able to develop Koreatown as my course project in my advisor's urban sociology seminar back in 2008. And that became my dissertation and also my first monograph, you know, which was published this year. So it has been like, you know, I guess like 18 years of journey, which is a very
So I was moving around and you know doing a lot of stuff in academia. Then finally I'm so happy that I can introduce my book to the audience out there.
Alison Stratten (02:28)
congratulations first of all, because eighteen years of work and having your book come out this year is such a huge accomplishment. So congratulations
Jinwon (02:36)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (02:37)
first. Um, would you share a little bit, just a brief sort of description about some of the things you speak about in the book?
Jinwon (02:44)
yeah, so my book is about Ktown in Manhattan on 32nd street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway.
Officially it is officially designated as Korean Way by New York City. And this is really home for taste of Korea So, you know, if you are craving Korean barbecue, this is a place to be. If you are looking for something to eat and drink.
And socialize with your friends for you 24/7 hours. You know, Koreatown is where you know you can spend your time and also you know never sleep in New York City. So that's really unique consumption space in New York City. And you know, I developed a concept transclave, which is transnational space for leisure, entertainment and consumption, and also transnational means in.
this context, it really travels between the US and Korea, you know, especially when it comes to culture money and cultural policy.
Alison Stratten (03:48)
Thank you so much. Can you can you maybe speak to some of the authors or other books that
Jinwon (03:54)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (03:55)
that inspired you or that you drew upon when you were beginning to write your book or when you got to the parts of your book when you were getting ready to actually send it into the publisher?
Jinwon (04:05)
Yeah, I mean like
I think there are a lot of authors and books that inspire me when I was writing. But can I share one aha moment from my field work that I think that's gonna be really interesting? Because when I began writing my book, especially working on my project as a graduate student, I was much more focusing on transnational consumption and transnational tie among young Korean Americans and Korean nationalists, particularly.
International students, how they maintain transnational time to their home country through daily consumption in Ktown But then I remember around like 2014, I was finishing, I was having an interview with a Korean American man in Ktown And he it was really fun interview, but then by the end of the interview, he said one simple sentence: it's all about marketing. For some
Reason uh that really simple sentence got stuck in my mind for a few weeks. Then I began navigating new literature and started rethinking about my theoretical framework in my work. I need to explore something new. And you know, then I met and finally found out.
nation branding then I thought that that's just something that I need to explore further. So that really one sentence that my one of my interviewees talked to me really shaped my research questions in different ways with a new research framework, the theoretical framework at the time.
Alison Stratten (05:47)
That's really, really interesting. Did you find as the the casework progressed that that became stronger, a s more strong principle guiding your work?
Jinwon (05:58)
So for that specific framework, I, you know, began exploring and that exploring, navigating that concept at the very last stage of my, you know, field work. But
Alison Stratten (06:13)
Yeah.
Jinwon (06:14)
looking back, I think that was they really fit into what are my questions. There were unsort unreserved questions that I was keep asking at the time because around 2010.
Korean government and corporation pouring so much money into K Town to make it a platform for, you know, to promote global images of Korea town and ultimately bring money to Korea and their businesses. And it didn't make a transnational, you know, transnationalism generally speaking, fit into their project, but it wasn't quite explaining what my question, you know, what I was curious about at the time
time. But then once I brought that specific tongue, you know,
Alison Stratten (07:02)
Yeah.
Jinwon (07:03)
I was like, my god, it really explained things that I didn't really, it wasn't really clear in my mind at the time.
Alison Stratten (07:10)
That's incredible. That's amazing how the questions you asked sort of gave you a viewpoint for how to formulate your framework for looking at your research. When you now that the book is out and and you're looking back in a way on the work, not only the 18 years leading up to
Jinwon (07:28)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (07:28)
it, but the but the actual project of the book, can you reflecting on the chapters and the sections, can you maybe share a few different parts or concepts?
that are particularly something that you want to share with people who might be interested in picking up the book and reading it.
Jinwon (07:45)
Yeah, so definitely chapter six six.
Alison Stratten (07:48)
Yeah.
Jinwon (07:49)
chapter six is about Korean food, and I ask a lot of questions about you know growing commercialization of ethnic food in America. Especially I do emphasize authenticity and the rise of neoliberal society while discussing the global popularity of a KPop as a drive one of the driving forces to Koreatown especially for non-Korean consumers. I mean for international Korean international students and Korean Americans.
That's kind of natural practice for us to go to KTown to do to eat Korean food and also do grocery shopping. You know, there are a lot of things going on for us. But, you know, the global popularity of a Korean popular culture and also like in the popularity of ethnic cuisine in America became like a really important moment for Korea town to become really, really big. Back in the days when I began studying and also preparing for my dissertation, people are not.
really interested in it because who cared about I mean like I'm kind of a cynical about this and I also make a joke with my friends I'm like who cared about KTown? I do care. I didn't care. My advisor cared. Some of my friends cared. My Korean American friends cared. But then you know it wasn't really a thing at the time. You know, Korean food was not really popular. K-pop was not a thing. But then I had a lot of questions about Korean food as a Korean in an international student at the time.
Alison Stratten (09:18)
Yeah.
Jinwon (09:19)
And
But then also I didn't have a lot of questions around like race and ethnicity, how I'm gonna incorporate that those topics into Korean food and the in the rise of Korean food in the US you know foodscape So I remember one conversation I had with Korean American interviewees back in 2012, because I was having a lot of questions about you know authenticity and also you know
racialized or other news of Korean foods in NAGO white America. Then I remember specific conversation with that specific Korean American woman in 2012 because she the interview itself was really fantastic, was really amazing, but she became so much emotional as we
Alison Stratten (10:12)
Mary.
Jinwon (10:13)
talked about her experience growing up as a racial minority in predominantly white neighborhoods.
In the Northeast. And I remember she was talking about foods back in the days when she was a leader in the 1990s. And she told me that she had, you know, she was very, you know, so called a modern minority who is feeding into like stereotypical images of Asian Americans, were really high achieving students. She graduated from, you know, a prestigious university in New York City.
she looked really really you know unlike you know proper she's really good but you know when she grew up in like a small town predominantly white neighborhood in small town in America food was something that her family was always hid and wasn't
Alison Stratten (11:06)
Yeah.
Jinwon (11:06)
something to celebrate at the time.
And she remembered her, you know, peers to tease her eating like weird food at the time. And rather than her, you know, her mom's reaction was really interesting. Rather than, you know, explain her spine, it is just, you know, you can celebrate your ethnic, you know, you know, ethnic culture, they are really she was really busy to keep in private. So that became kind of like a traumatic experience for her, growing
Alison Stratten (11:37)
Yeah.
Jinwon (11:37)
always a racial minority.
But last year, you know, K-pop was really something, you know, you know, thinking about like a global popularity of a K-pop, and that became cultural phenomena with the success of, you know, K-pop demon hunters in 2025. And Korean food is now no longer viewed as something weird and strange. And I was thinking about these women where I I was, you know, I always tell my students and my friends, you know.
I feel like it's kind of interesting to say to you guys, but you know, I watched KPop Demon Hunters more than three times. Because, you know, it was something that I am writing about. There's something like I was a kind of emotional attachment for some reason, as like a part of Korean diaspora. I was thinking about these women and our conversation. And I'm really wondering how she felt about those changes after a decade, you know, a decade after we have a conversation.
And I remember she cried it twice when we had you know had a conversation back in you know twelve you know tw you know twenty twelve. And I wish she's really happy to see that her culture is finally sort of accepted, even though in the marketplace.
Alison Stratten (12:57)
Yeah.
how did you find like what what was your experience going into the community and doing the interviews for the book? Did you have like a really positive experience in terms of the women you spoke to? Were they how did they feel about being part of the research on Koreatown, New York City? And and what did they think about the research part of of your work?
Jinwon (13:19)
I mean make a My
research was strict strictly voluntary because I went to CUNY graduate Center, you know, which is part of a CUNY, you know, city university with system, New York system. And we did not have a lot of funding and resources as like, you know, big public university system. And, you know, but I did a lot of things before I started like doing interview with work. And I taught Korean classes in in nonprofit organizations and also in
college, that means I had plenty of time to have access to the community. And also I was part of a nonprofit, you know, grassroots organization in New York City. So, you know, I think I was a little bit unique as an international student. I was like navigating the society and also community, you know, from very bottom up. So I was able to make friends with Korean Americans who literally, you know, sat me.
Down and talk about and teach me about ethnic studies when I
Alison Stratten (14:25)
Yeah.
Jinwon (14:25)
was an absolutely newbie in this country, in this city. So I think my position as a researcher was pretty unique, even though I was from somewhere else. I oftentimes you know hear that, you understand racial politics in America, because that was a part of my daily life. Because in people I came to the US, you know, I was
studying like more cost issues and urban poverty as a graduate student But you know, once I got in New York City, I was perceived as a minority women. Whether
Alison Stratten (15:02)
Yeah.
Jinwon (15:03)
I decided or not, my identity was framed as Asian women. So I think that was the moment that I just began exploring, you know, navigating my racial identity and also, you know, identity as a scholar who writes
about the city issues so I think that was pretty much a natural process for me and
Alison Stratten (15:26)
Yeah.
Jinwon (15:27)
you know so you know back in the days as a graduate student you know I think like building a community was much more important for me as a community you know community engaged scholar than I think you know that's why it took me so long to finish my graduate school it took me eight and a half years almost nine years to finish my graduate school and
And also I was moving around the teaching like in some arts, you know, so that was pretty much a natural process for me. But you know, I think I had a pretty good rapport with my interviewees.
Alison Stratten (16:03)
Thank you. Yeah. It speaks to the trust of of being part and connected with the community and doing
Jinwon (16:06)
Yeah. Yeah.
Alison Stratten (16:09)
the work too of getting to know people. I is there any other sections of the book aside from food? Any of the other chapters or sections that you want to focus on? I I cut your question short with my question.
Jinwon (16:22)
But I think it should I think like a chapter six. I always talk about chapter six. And also if you're interested in K-pop, I also have a dedicated chapter, chapter
Alison Stratten (16:31)
Yeah.
Jinwon (16:32)
five, and how non-Korean consumers navigate Korea town, especially influenced by the global popularity of Korean, you know, popular culture. So there are a lot of stories out there too.
Alison Stratten (16:46)
Yeah, thank you. Um, so you've mentioned that it was part it was it was part of your dissertation, but also, you know, part of your work over a long period of time and part of who you are. Um,
Jinwon (16:57)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (16:58)
can you speak a little bit just about the process of putting the book together? So in terms of the writing, did you have any sort of practice or stories about actually doing the writing that you might
Jinwon (17:10)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (17:10)
want to share?
Jinwon (17:12)
So when I so it was based on my dissertation, but it was dissertation is a dissertation. It wasn't so I remember my you know dissertation committee was talking about it is a pretty good dissertation, but when you turn your dissertation into a book monograph, you really need to make a lot of a revision. So I just felt like I rewrote a book, seriously, because you know my chapter I mean
a part two which was talking about more you know bottom up participation of a nation branding you know I'm
Alison Stratten (17:48)
Yeah.
Jinwon (17:48)
trying to share narrative and stories of Korean nationals Korean Americans and non-Koreans but I frame it as you know by group rather than theme.
I didn't like it, but I was like, let's get it done. And when I was
Alison Stratten (18:05)
Yeah.
Jinwon (18:05)
running my dissertation into my book, I did a lot of like, you know, follow-up research. I went to, you know, you know, I went back to Korea to speak with the people who work in nation branding, you know, project in South Korea. And also I was speaking with some more business people in Korea town, you know, be a few years before my book was out.
And also I was speaking with several you know players who were actors in Koreaton, including consumers. So then I really wanted to or reorganize my book by theme. So it was a bit of a work, but
Alison Stratten (18:45)
Yeah.
Jinwon (18:46)
I was able to complete like a major writing during pandemic because I was living in New York City and things were really, really bad at the time. And you know, sitting in my Queen's apartment was really
really, really depressing. So I was like,
Alison Stratten (19:00)
Yeah.
Jinwon (19:01)
let's just focus on writing. So, but then like and I was net was able to navigate new concepts out there and also adding more interviews, data into and incorporate those stories into my book to update what was going on at the time because my major framework happened occurred between 2012 and 2015 ish, I can see 2016. So
Alison Stratten (19:28)
Yeah.
Jinwon (19:28)
It was already I guess I don't know, I just kind I have kind of an obsession that I really need to deliver a little bit more newer stories. So you know I was trying to bring like, you know, a newer analysis because the KTown was becoming so much more popular during the pandemic. So I think it was really good timing for me.
So interestingly enough, during the pandemic, KTown becoming so much popular. They didn't lose traffic at the time. You know, it was really interesting time because, you know, K-pop in 2020, BTS became really big in America, in North America.
And also, you know, Parasite won, you know, several awards. And, you know, Squid Game became so much popular during pandemic in 2021. So there was something going on during the pandemic, so I couldn't really ignore what was going on at the time. And K Town really I was speaking with one of the owners, like business owners in K Town, and he said, you know, they didn't lose a lot of money at the time, which is really unusual in New City.
Alison Stratten (20:36)
Yeah.
Jinwon (20:37)
Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Alison Stratten (20:38)
It speaks to the cultural growth happening at the same time as the pandemic. W was
there anything in your research that really surprised you? Like where you
were where cause you 'cause being so immersed and being part of the community, was there anything there doesn't have to be, but was there anything where you're like I wasn't I wasn't expecting that. That surprised me.
Jinwon (21:00)
I mean like literally what happened during the pandemic. I didn't expect that. I knew that BTS was so nice because, you know, I was teaching Korean I mean, I taught Korean classes in you know, community college and also nonprofit organization around 2010, where I was able to meet with all the K-pop fans
Which was
Alison Stratten (21:19)
Yeah.
Jinwon (21:20)
I feel like I was really fortunate to meet those people because at the time when you listen to K-pop, people tease you as weirdo. That's what my, you know, interviewers were telling me. You know, if you are Asian, that was part of their culture, but if you're non-Asian, you're a weirdo But then, you know, seriously that was not a thing. I didn't
Alison Stratten (21:40)
Yeah.
Jinwon (21:41)
expect that K-pop becoming that much big and Korean popular culture becoming you know, k you know, Korea Town becoming so much popular
And also now I don't really see a lot of Koreans in K-town anymore because that really attracted more non-Korean clients to the space. So that wasn't something that I wasn't expecting when I began this project as like a really small class project back in 2008 as a graduate student.
Alison Stratten (22:09)
Well, that's that's it really interesting. That's fantastic. I I really appreciate you sharing that. I think sometimes we think things happen in the world and it can throw off our project. So it's very interesting to find something that's so rich, right? In scholar, so interesting at a time
Jinwon (22:23)
Yeah. I mean
Alison Stratten (22:26)
when people thought they couldn't find something or it would be disruptive?
Jinwon (22:29)
Yeah, I mean like I remember speaking with some graduate students the other day and you know some people say that oh I need to pick up a topic that really is popular or you know give me a job. But then I was like, you know, when I begin my project, no one not no one, but like not many people are interested in it. But so
Alison Stratten (22:49)
Yeah.
Jinwon (22:50)
many things change over time. Who knows what's gonna happen, right? So I just feel like you really need to work on something really
you really want to do and speak to your heart because it's gonna be a really long journey to write a book, right?
Alison Stratten (23:07)
Yeah, that's per that's fantastic advice. Really, really great advice. I um I'm wondering if you might say, where do you hope the book will travel? Who do you hope will find your book? What spaces, what spheres, what kind of organizations, even of around the world, where do you hope, who are the vi the readers you kind of envision picking up your book?
Jinwon (23:30)
Yeah, so when I was writing a book, this book particularly, I was affiliated with, you know, with CUNY as a graduate student and also an adjunct and also I I was an assistant professor for five years until twenty twenty four, before moving to Smith College. During the time I really wanted to write a book that my students understand and engage with.
And as an academic, so I really wanted to write something that my students understand, and also my interviewees, you know, can engage with. So that's what you know.
know that's what my you know hope that you know hope that you know those general public can have in you know can have access and can understand and also can have a conversation about.
Alison Stratten (24:23)
Thank you. That's a great answer. I hope they'll all enjoy it too. I hope they're already reading it as soon as
Jinwon (24:27)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (24:28)
it comes out. Um, I have one last question, and you've spoken to this a little bit in that you the way you describe beginning your process of writing this book is that authors r often write the books they wish they could read. They write the books they wish they could pull off a shelf and find in the world. Do you have any? Are you imagining? I know this sounds like a bad question to ask after 18 years to your book, but
Is there anything you're imagining now or places that you want to that you wish you could read, a book that you wish could read, or topics you wish you could read about right now?
Jinwon (25:01)
Yeah, I think as a scholar I always I mean always interested to understand why people hate each other in a social potential. I like
Alison Stratten (25:09)
Yeah, good good topic.
Jinwon (25:12)
I'm a sociologist. We are known for being really cynical.
And sometimes yeah, and also, you know, I always wanted to see the why tension and you know conflict arise. But more importantly, is there any way for us to sit together and talk about for
you know, solidarity. So that's a question that I always ask in my book. And I did mention and touch on that topic in my book, but I didn't really fully immerse myself into that topic. So I'm kind of like trying to navigate the question for the
Alison Stratten (25:51)
Yeah.
Jinwon (25:52)
next project. So probably, you know, I'm gonna I really want to read a book that
you know, talk about, you know, more positive possibility for, you know, solidarity among, you know, the different, you know, racial minority groups and communities.
Alison Stratten (26:11)
I would also like to read that book. I
Jinwon (26:13)
Yeah.
Alison Stratten (26:14)
hope that you will write a book just like that. I would definitely think that's an important topic. Thank you so much, Jinwon, for being here to share your time with us. It was such a pleasure to speak with you. Um, on the website, when the podcast episode launches, you'll be able to find all the information to pick up Jinwan's book and learn more about her fantastic work in New York City and now at Smith, right? At Smith College. Um
Thank you so much for listening. Thank you, Jinwon, for being here and sharing your time with us.
Jinwon (26:45)
Thank you so much for having me. It was really great to share my work with you all.
Alison Stratten (26:50)
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Academic Book Club. Like, subscribe, and all that good stuff and visit academicbookclub.com to learn more about new and upcoming titles. Have feedback or suggestions from this episode, ideas about who we have to speak to next? Reach out anytime and say hi on Instagram or by email to info at academicbookclub.com. Keep reading, take care, and talk soon.