Anthony Kuhn
Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.
Kuhn previously served two five-year stints in Beijing, China, for NPR, during which he covered major stories such as the Beijing Olympics, geopolitical jousting in the South China Sea, and the lives of Tibetans, Uighurs, and other minorities in China's borderlands.
He took a particular interest in China's rich traditional culture and its impact on the current day. He has recorded the sonic calling cards of itinerant merchants in Beijing's back alleys, and the descendants of court musicians of the Tang Dynasty. He has profiled petitioners and rights lawyers struggling for justice, and educational reformers striving to change the way Chinese think.
From 2010-2013, Kuhn was NPR's Southeast Asia correspondent, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Among other stories, he explored Borneo and Sumatra, and witnessed the fight to preserve the biodiversity of the world's oldest forests. He also followed Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, as she rose from political prisoner to head of state.
Kuhn served as NPR's correspondent in London from 2004-2005, covering stories including the London subway bombings and the marriage of the Prince of Wales to the Duchess of Cornwall.
Besides his major postings, Kuhn's journalistic horizons have been expanded by various short-term assignments. These produced stories including wartime black humor in Iraq, musical diplomacy by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang, North Korea, a kerfuffle over the plumbing in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Pakistani artists' struggle with religious extremism in Lahore, and the Syrian civil war's spillover into neighboring Lebanon.
Prior to joining NPR, Kuhn wrote for the Far Eastern Economic Review and freelanced for various news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. He majored in French literature as an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis, and later did graduate work at the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American studies in Nanjing.
-
As travel restrictions ease in Japan, the country's ancient former capital, Kyoto, is anticipating a return of tourists. But it may not be enough to save the city from its financial difficulties.
-
Japan held a rare state funeral for ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July. It could impact on the country's administration, as it grapples with political and economic challenges.
-
A costly state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July, prompted protests in Japan.
-
Japan has taken in hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing Russia. Japan's embrace of the Ukrainians contrasts with the less than 1% of refugees from other nations that Tokyo has recently accepted.
-
More than 70 years ago a rebellion broke out in South Korea, which at the time was under American military rule. Tens of thousands were killed in the subsequent crackdown, now survivors seek answers.
-
A controversial new Japanese government campaign is urging young people to drink more alcohol to boost the economy. It comes as young Japanese people are turning away from drinking.
-
South Korea's capital, Seoul, had pledged to shut down unregulated basement apartments, where a number of people died in floods following the worst rains in 80 years.
-
Korean cold noodles, or naengmyeon, are a treat enjoyed in both Koreas. One North Korean restaurant owner is reaping the rewards of this fact with the launch of a restaurant in Seoul. -
Torrential rains have left many people dead or missing in and around South Korea's capital. President Yoon Suk-yeol says they must prepare for more extreme weather resulting from climate change.
-
Japan's Westernost Island could become a target in a conflict between China and Taiwan. So Yonaguni Island has drawn up plans to evacuate residents, in case of an emergency.
