podcast

The Composer Korea Tried to Execute

29.04.2026
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Isang Yun was one of Korea’s most important composers, blending traditional Korean sounds with modern European music.

But in 1967, he was kidnapped off the streets of West Berlin by South Korean agents, tortured, and sentenced to death.

In this episode, we explore Yun’s life, his music, and the political forces that turned a composer into a target. From his early years under Japanese rule to his exile in Germany, this is the story of an artist caught between ideology, identity, and power.

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Credits

Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey

Music by Soraksan

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