China Wasn’t the Problem. I Was: Understanding China, Understanding Myself

A Korean expatriate spent twenty-five years watching China transform—and saw what both Western observers and Chinese insiders missed. From public restrooms to meetings with China’s top leaders, from restaurants to hospital wards, from North Korean restaurants you’d never experience elsewhere to churches where Mao outranks God, to the everyday moments that shape a life. Whether you're doing business in China, learning Chinese, or drawn to lived experience that goes beneath the surface—this book takes you there. This memoir captures the human moments that reveal a China beyond headlines—funny, unsettling, and disarming in their honesty. Everyday encounters expose deeper truths about culture, business, and what it means to be an outsider looking in. For anyone curious about life behind the news or searching for insight grounded in lived experience, these essays offer clarity earned from the ground up. Why did my arrogance surface only in China? That simple question begins a candid, often humorous, and unexpectedly philosophical journey through a country many find intimidating or misunderstood. China’s rapid rise can feel overwhelming today, but to understand it, you may need to return to the years when the transformation was unfolding in real time—when the reform era was reshaping daily life in ways both chaotic and thrilling. Here, you’ll see what life actually looked like during China’s dramatic transition years: —how brief encounters with taxi drivers and a caregiver shifted his understanding; —how accident and illness led him to a doctor and a prosthetic-eye maker whose skill and dedication changed more than his vision; —how meetings with government officials revealed truths far beyond strategy; —why spicy food is more than a flavor but a social hierarchy; —why learning the language became a test not only of ability but of cultural comprehension. Even the small things—cilantro, stinky tofu, unfamiliar customs—became lessons in cultural acceptance, reminders that “different” isn’t wrong. And what seemed like outdated political slogans, such as “the Party’s grace,” turned out to hold genuine emotional weight for many Chinese, reflecting lived memories rather than propaganda alone. If you’ve ever wondered how China’s transformation actually felt from the inside… If you’ve ever sensed uneasiness about China but couldn’t explain why… If you’ve wanted a clear, humane, and quietly humorous look at the country behind the noise… Then this book is for you. China Wasn’t the Problem. I Was isn’t a history book or an academic study. It is something rarer: an honest, witty, and emotionally resonant account of how encountering another culture can upend assumptions—not only about “them,” but about ourselves. About the author The author is one of the rare civilian experts on modern China. He began his journey in Chinese language and culture after majoring in Chinese in Korea and studying mass communication in Taiwan. His career began as a Korean-language announcer and producer for the Overseas Division of the Broadcasting Corporation of China in Taiwan. He later worked as a regional representative for LG and the LS Group, two major Korean conglomerates across Korea, China, and the U.S.. His work occasionally brought him into rooms with China's top leadership, but it was the insights gained in airports, taxis, restaurants, streets, and even restrooms—in unexpected conversations with coworkers, strangers, and friends—that stayed with him the longest and taught him the most enduring lessons. View Less