Understanding Korea, One Story at a Time Podcast · Behind-the-scenes stories and research on growing up in Korean society.

🎧 Podcast: Governance by Fear (and stay healthy out there!)

November 11, 2025·13 min·1 clip

Half of those punished under South Korea's security laws were ordinary shopkeepers, office workers, and farmers.

This episode explores how South Korea transformed into a 'garrison state' in the late 1960s and 1970s, using real security threats from North Korea to justify sweeping controls over daily life. It examines three engines of control: vague security laws that criminalized thoughts, intelligence agencies that enforced terror, and anti-communist ideology that equated obedience with patriotism.

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