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.
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Japan is facing a leadership change -- and there’s no clear successor in sight. Japan's prime minister announced he would not seek reelection as the head of the ruling party.
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Yoon Seong-ho is a 47-year-old Buddhist, comedian, DJ and rising celebrity. -
Allegations of U.S. military servicemen's sexual assaults against women in Okinawa have been an irritant to the U.S.-Japan alliance. Several cases, which were kept from the public, have come to light.
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As South Korea's population shrinks, foreign migrant workers are joining the country's workforce. But a recent deadly fire exposed the risks some of them are facing.
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Churches, temples and monasteries are closing as people in many countries turn away from organized religions. The problem is especially serious in rapidly aging societies such as South Korea.
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Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a treaty upgrading their relationship and pledging military assistance if either one is attacked, drawing criticism from NATO, South Korea and other countries. -
As a part of NPR's year-long series on global elections, we look at how U.S. allies and partners view the two presidential candidates ahead of next week's debate.
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Putin is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid growing international concern over the two country's military cooperation.
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South Korea’s military said it detected some 260 balloons which were floated over the border from North Korea, loaded with trash. It represents an escalation in a battle of balloons between the two.
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Leaders of East Asia's top powers, China, Japan and South Korea, are holding their first summit in 4 years. All have different motivations for keeping tensions among them in check.
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The South Korean government has banned a music video praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un [kim jawng Un]. The video has been a surprising global hit, going viral on TikTok and other platforms.
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The South Korean government has banned a music video praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The video has been a surprising global hit, going viral on TikTok and other platforms.
