👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
@textvulture.bsky.social
- Associate Prof. of Global Affairs. GMU
- Director. Korean Studies Center. GMU
- 🌐: https://textvulture.github.io/
- Political Economy. Politics in Asia.
#Parenting #Yonsei #Mizzou #ROKAF #GSW #AKPS #KPSC
- Director. Korean Studies Center. GMU
- 🌐: https://textvulture.github.io/
- Political Economy. Politics in Asia.
#Parenting #Yonsei #Mizzou #ROKAF #GSW #AKPS #KPSC
Cooked almost all lunches and dinners in the past 6 days. Exhausted the repertoire now.
January 29, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Cooked almost all lunches and dinners in the past 6 days. Exhausted the repertoire now.
In many (not sure if most) cases of democratization, the major opposition party joins the resistance very late in the process. Just an empirical statement.
January 24, 2026 at 5:43 PM
In many (not sure if most) cases of democratization, the major opposition party joins the resistance very late in the process. Just an empirical statement.
When it seems like something happened and yet the post has been deleted:
a cartoon of a robot saying " now what did i miss ? "
ALT: a cartoon of a robot saying " now what did i miss ? "
media.tenor.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:38 PM
When it seems like something happened and yet the post has been deleted:
In sentencing former Prime Minister Han to 23 years, a South Korean court clearly defined Yoon’s actions as an *insurrection*. There is now no need to refer to it euphemistically as ‘the martial law case,’ if you ever wondered.
Korean court rules 2024 martial law crisis an ‘insurrection,’ sentences ex-PM to 23 years
Han Duck-soo, who was the prime minister at the time of Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, was convicted on the majority of counts of performing duties essential to an insurre...
english.hani.co.kr
January 21, 2026 at 4:03 PM
In sentencing former Prime Minister Han to 23 years, a South Korean court clearly defined Yoon’s actions as an *insurrection*. There is now no need to refer to it euphemistically as ‘the martial law case,’ if you ever wondered.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
What to know as a national security trial for former organizers of Hong Kong's Tiananmen Square vigil opens Thursday.
What to know about the trial in Hong Kong against Tiananmen vigil organizers
A national security trial for former organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Square vigil opens Thursday.
bit.ly
January 21, 2026 at 3:00 PM
What to know as a national security trial for former organizers of Hong Kong's Tiananmen Square vigil opens Thursday.
We are so not okay.
January 21, 2026 at 2:42 PM
We are so not okay.
The first of these has been rolled out. For obstructing arrest, Yoon is sentenced to five years, which is half of what the SP asked for. Word on the ground is that it is too lenient given that he has shown no repentance at all. First of many, anyway.
I probably need to keep track of this. #SKorea
I probably need to keep track of this. #SKorea
January 16, 2026 at 3:44 PM
The first of these has been rolled out. For obstructing arrest, Yoon is sentenced to five years, which is half of what the SP asked for. Word on the ground is that it is too lenient given that he has shown no repentance at all. First of many, anyway.
I probably need to keep track of this. #SKorea
I probably need to keep track of this. #SKorea
Special prosecutors demand a death sentence for Yoon on insurrection charges. Under Korean law, insurrection entails either the death penalty or life imprisonment. It seems that his consistent refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing led to the former.
특검, 윤석열에 사형 구형…“반성 없어, 중형 선고돼야”
내란 우두머리 혐의로 법정에 선 윤석열 전 대통령에게 사형이 구형됐다. 2024년 12월3일 비상계엄 선포 이후 406일 만이다. 서울중앙지법 형사25부(재판장 지귀연) 심리로 13일 열린 윤 전 대통령 등 8명에 대한 내란 사건 결심 공판에서 조은석 특별검사팀은 윤
www.hani.co.kr
January 13, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Special prosecutors demand a death sentence for Yoon on insurrection charges. Under Korean law, insurrection entails either the death penalty or life imprisonment. It seems that his consistent refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing led to the former.
Comment sections of news posts in FB are bad. So bad that your confidence in humanity is challenged.
January 8, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Comment sections of news posts in FB are bad. So bad that your confidence in humanity is challenged.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
I guess StackOverflow is done.
January 4, 2026 at 6:01 AM
I guess StackOverflow is done.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
Things I remain shocked by:
-People in industries like journalism and education that are going to be turned upside down by AI who barely use or understand it
-People in those industries (often the same ones) who still feel comfortable making sweeping claims about AI's capabilities and limitations
-People in industries like journalism and education that are going to be turned upside down by AI who barely use or understand it
-People in those industries (often the same ones) who still feel comfortable making sweeping claims about AI's capabilities and limitations
December 28, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Things I remain shocked by:
-People in industries like journalism and education that are going to be turned upside down by AI who barely use or understand it
-People in those industries (often the same ones) who still feel comfortable making sweeping claims about AI's capabilities and limitations
-People in industries like journalism and education that are going to be turned upside down by AI who barely use or understand it
-People in those industries (often the same ones) who still feel comfortable making sweeping claims about AI's capabilities and limitations
Anybody interested in S. Korean politics or policy might have already been watching this -- the Korean government is currently hosting the National Policy Report Conference. Almost all government branches, government-sponsored projects, institutes, and public firms are subject to it. 1/3
December 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Anybody interested in S. Korean politics or policy might have already been watching this -- the Korean government is currently hosting the National Policy Report Conference. Almost all government branches, government-sponsored projects, institutes, and public firms are subject to it. 1/3
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
Seems bad www.cnbc.com/2025/12/17/m...
Mortgage rates move higher after the Fed rate cut, causing loan demand to drop
Mortgage rates moved higher after the Fed cut interest rates last week. That caused demand to drop for both home buying and refinancing.
www.cnbc.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Seems bad www.cnbc.com/2025/12/17/m...
What a week it has been. No, really.
December 15, 2025 at 7:36 PM
What a week it has been. No, really.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
14. Far too much literature is unnecessarily abstract, difficult, and defensive.
There is, of course, a massive alternative literature, "critical" and "interpretive", which can be a good antidote. But it often also has a lot of jargon or is too fundamentalist in its anti-positivist position.
There is, of course, a massive alternative literature, "critical" and "interpretive", which can be a good antidote. But it often also has a lot of jargon or is too fundamentalist in its anti-positivist position.
December 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
14. Far too much literature is unnecessarily abstract, difficult, and defensive.
There is, of course, a massive alternative literature, "critical" and "interpretive", which can be a good antidote. But it often also has a lot of jargon or is too fundamentalist in its anti-positivist position.
There is, of course, a massive alternative literature, "critical" and "interpretive", which can be a good antidote. But it often also has a lot of jargon or is too fundamentalist in its anti-positivist position.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
My latest on the AI bubble in finance: 6 charts that tell the story in ways that are hard to put into words.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
November 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
My latest on the AI bubble in finance: 6 charts that tell the story in ways that are hard to put into words.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
so inflation really does matter.
November 5, 2025 at 1:00 PM
so inflation really does matter.
What is the opposite of doom-scrolling? As in, 'scrolling with hope.' Joy-scrolling?
November 5, 2025 at 5:07 AM
What is the opposite of doom-scrolling? As in, 'scrolling with hope.' Joy-scrolling?
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
Politicians should probably get on Bluesky to get better in touch with the American electorate.
November 5, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Politicians should probably get on Bluesky to get better in touch with the American electorate.
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
Look at the distribution of z-values from medical research!
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Look at the distribution of z-values from medical research!
Reposted by 👓 Byunghwan 'Ben' Son
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
Absolutely nowhere near my primary research area, but I somehow stumbled upon the project (w/ Dae Young Kim). It was a tough learning experience, but I am glad to see it's out in a reputable place now.
K-pop Fan Perceptions and Negotiation of Alternative Forms of Masculinities - Dae Young Kim, Byunghwan Son, 2025
The unexpected surge of K-pop and Korean pop culture, particularly in the United States, has sparked growing interest in fandom studies, which increasingly docu...
journals.sagepub.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Absolutely nowhere near my primary research area, but I somehow stumbled upon the project (w/ Dae Young Kim). It was a tough learning experience, but I am glad to see it's out in a reputable place now.
This has proven to be a hard message to deliver in classroom. Starting with the data of Nordic countries didn't really help either.
No, his point is not that we shouldn't tax the rich into oblivion. We obviously should. It is that we can't only tax the rich into oblivion. We will also have to raise taxes more generally to produce a strong safety net. Taxing the rich is necessary but not sufficient.
October 29, 2025 at 4:59 PM
This has proven to be a hard message to deliver in classroom. Starting with the data of Nordic countries didn't really help either.
I am pleasantly surprised to learn that a lot of people still care about baseball.
October 28, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I am pleasantly surprised to learn that a lot of people still care about baseball.
‘I know, right?’ to all the remarks here.
Every time my graduate(!) students talk about old research from the early 2000s, my bones dissolve into dust.
My student just talked about a prom photo from olden times. My curiosity was piqued. What year, praytell, is from the olden times? Friends, the year was 2005.
October 27, 2025 at 9:22 PM
‘I know, right?’ to all the remarks here.