Frequently Asked Questions

(or questions you might ask if you cared)

What is the SeoulPodcast?

The SeoulPodcast is a continuation of the Seoul Survivors podcast, hosted by Karl Mamer. Karl has since left Korea and has discontinued Seoul Survivors. The new SeoulPodcast changed from the Seoul Survivors format by moving it out of undisclosed Starbucks locations and into our own homes using Skype, so it was easier for us to podcast during the week and not take up our valuable Sundays trekking to coffee shops. It also allows us to have guest panelists from around the world.   We also have an announcer, King Sejong, who not only announces but gives sage advice. We plan to add more features as our time allows.

The shows are too long.  Can I just listen to highlights?

We used have separate feeds, called “banchan,” which were the shows broken into separate segments.  They weren’t that popular and cluttered the server.  Recently, we have added a Highlights page.  On that page, you can download smaller segments.  Since it’s new, we don’t have many shows up there.

Nonetheless, the show isn’t meant to be listened to in one sitting.  It’s something to throw on in your MP3 player when you’re in a dull situation.  Many popular podcasts are pretty long, if not longer and way more popular than the SeoulPodcast.

Who is King Sejong?

He’s the most famous and revered king in Korea.

How can I get you on iTunes?

We have a subscription page right here.

Who are Joe, Jennifer and Stafford?

Joe McPherson arrived in Korea in early 2004 after the bottom fell out of the dot-com market. He also was co-producer for The Thom Hartmann Program before it became really big on the Air America network. Other than working in radio, Joe has also worked in TV news as a production director. In Korea, he teaches English, writes columns for The Korea Herald and SEOUL Magazine. He is also founder of the ZenKimchi web sites, including the popular ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal.

Jennifer’s and Staffords bios are coming when they get around to writing them.

I hate Joe’s laugh.

Joe hates it too.

Where do you get your music for the background?

We try to maintain a policy of using only podcast-safe creative commons licensed music.  We generally use what we find on Podsafe Audio.

Where did you get the ideas for this type of show?

The panelist format is inspired by one of the granddaddies  of podcasts, This Week in Tech (TWiT), which usually uses Skype to connect the panelists.  The “Drink of the Week” comes straight out of Diggnation’s beers of the week.  King Sejong’s voice is a tribute to the old Howard Stern gimmick of using God to give weather forecasts.  The longwinded meandering comes from some of our favorite shows, including the aforementioned TWiT, No Agenda and Galactica Watercooler.

What are the deli.cio.us bookmarks?

One of the ways we do the notes for the show is collect stories from the Internet. We save them in the SeoulPodcast account on deli.cio.us.

Are you on Twitter?

You can follow us here.  It’s a great way to get the latest news and blog highlights regarding Korea.

Your podcast sucks, and I want to tell you!

Write us at sejong_at_seoulpodcast.com.

Your podcast is the greatest thing since oysters and kimchi!

Write us at sejong_at_seoulpodcast.com, and tell your friends.

Can I or someone I know be on the show?

If you have a decent headset and Skype and something to say about living in Korea… sure, why not?

When do you record?

We usually record the show on Sundays.

When are shows published?

It depends on the length of the show and how much time Joe has to edit and put it together. Expect full shows to be released between Mondays and Wednesdays.

How do you make the show?

For the podcast geeks out there, I’ve made a page detailing the software and protocols in producing, recording, editing and uploading the show.  Click here.

I appreciate your show.  I want to put something in the tip jar.

Thanks!!  We do have the Buy Us a Beer program, where you can give donations in increments of $1 through PayPal.  If you are in Korea and don’t want to use PayPal we also accept direct deposits.

Do you accept advertising?

Yes, we are open for sponsorship, whether you want to sponsor the entire show or a segment, such as “Expat Community.” Podcasting is a good method to get your message out because, unlike web sites and newspapers, you have an attentive audience.  We have been sponsored by great companies like The Korea Herald, ESL Planet Recruiting and Citrix (makers of GoToMyPC).  Here is some more info.