National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells Host Carolyn Beeler about walking the modern Silk Roads through Asia and into South Korea, where village markets, souks and caravanserais are reincarnated as convenience stores that perfectly serve the needs of a traveler on foot.
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his experience with South Korea’s so-called “love motels,” short-term rental hotels primarily used by couples for intimate encounters. In a country with a severe housing shortage, these motels provide privacy for young people who live by necessity with their parents. As Salopek discovered on his walk across the country, these budget rooms are also convenient for travelers.
The Al-Hadba minaret was part of the centuries-old Great Mosque of al-Nuri when it was destroyed in 2017 by ISIS. Now, a multi-year rebuilding effort involving the United Arab Emirates, UNESCO and local Iraqi craftsmen is complete. The World’s Host Marco Werman speaks with Iraqi photojournalist Ali Al-Baroodi about the significance of the restoration and the ongoing efforts to restore Mosul’s old city.
Classes have resumed at Columbia University amid new restrictions following last year’s protests and encampments against the war in Gaza. Yasmeen Altaji, a May graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and now a freelance journalist, dedicated her final semester to documenting those protests. Altaji brings the story of one student who is resolved to continue her fight against the war despite new rules limiting protest.
An affluent neighborhood of Seoul is the latest stretch of National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek’s worldwide walking journey. He tells Host Carolyn Beeler about the Gangnam entertainment district, its important links to K-pop, and the hyper-competitive career paths young people have pursued to stardom.