Korean Podcasts

KBS: Radio Reading Room (KBS 라디오 독서실)
A program where short stories are dramatized for the radio. Afterwards, there is a discussion with the author or literature professors. Each episode typically begins with a poem or essay to set the theme for the day’s show. The show ran from May 16, 2004 to April 4, 2016.

While no new episodes are in production, the scripts for past shows have been published online along with the audio. This is especially useful for intermediate learners of Korean since it allows them to check their comprehension and get the spelling for words that were difficult to make out in the audio.

KBS: Radio Theater (KBS 무대)
The show first aired in 2004 and, as the name suggests, it is essentially a radio drama or theatre production. The dramas cover a variety of topics, styles, and historical periods. Like many other KBS programs, scripts from the show are available online along with the audio. 

South Korean Guy, North Korean Girl (남남북녀)
A daily radio drama that ran from 2008-2012 about the relationship of a North Korean refugee named Jin Dal-Lae (voiced by actual North Korean refugee (Lim Yoo-Kyung) and a South Korean man named Nam Han-Kang (Jang Min-Hyeok).

Munjang Webzine (웹진문장): The Sound of Literature (문장위 소리)
A program where literary figures are invited to come and read their own work and discuss literature in general. The podcast and Munjang Webzine are part of Cyber Literary Space (사이버문학광장), which is itself a service of the Arts Council of Korea (한국문화예술위원회).

Choi Hye-Rim – Let’s Have Fun With Books (최혜림의 책하고 놀자)
A daily show offering a discussion of up and coming authors, recently published books (novels, non-fiction, poetry, essays, short stories), and book reviews. Excerpts of pieces are sometimes read on air, but the emphasis is on talking about literature rather than showing it.

  • Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
  • Subscribe to the podcast via RSS feed.

KBS: An Evening of Reading (KBS 책 읽는 밤 )
A program which recommends a new book to read each month, discusses best sellers, and airs several pieces of poetry and excerpts from essays. The focus is on discussion and analysis of literature. New episodes are no longer released.

  • Listen to or download episodes on Podbang.

MBC: Radio Book Club (MBC 라디오 북블럽)
More so than any of the other programs, this one is focused on in-depth discussions of topics covered in the books named. It is ambitious and explores everything from psychology and comic books to medicine and history.