From associate Asia editor Isabel Ong: Reporting on a country you don’t live in is hard. There are cultural flashpoints and the ebbs and flows of a city’s mood that you can only receive secondhand. As I covered South Korea’s recent presidential election, I heard from sources about events, such as the Jeju uprising, that I had little to no prior knowledge of. I lived in the country for a short time many years ago and found myself wishing I was back again.

A few days ago, I asked my editor, Morgan Lee, “What are some ways you have learned to understand a country better?” Speak to people, ask them the same questions, put forth ideas or assumptions, and gauge their responses, she replied.

I ask so many questions that I wonder if they might feel overwhelming to sources. But they’re questions that are worth asking. I think of it like connective tissue: These details might not all make it into the final report, but they help build a clearer picture of the issue or struggle at hand. 

Questions can lead to surprisingly hilarious finds too—like this TikTok of a Korean broadcasting station’s entertaining way of displaying real-time vote counts.