Ron McMillan

Last updated

Ron McMillan
Born(1958-04-29)29 April 1958
Paisley, Scotland
OccupationNovelist, travel author, photojournalist, writer for film and television
NationalityBritish

Ron McMillan (born 29 April 1958) is a Scottish freelance photojournalist and author best known for his rare photo coverage of North Korea and for authoring one of the few [1] crime/suspense novels taking place in modern-day South Korea.

Contents

Photojournalist

McMillan began his freelance journalist career in Seoul, Korea during the run up to the 1988 Olympic Games. For two years he reported on the street riots and political uncertainty that preceded the Seoul Games, which he photographed from Opening to Closing Ceremonies for the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee.

McMillan spent the next ten years based in Hong Kong, travelling on assignments everywhere from Afghanistan to Japan for publications in Asia, North America and Europe. His photographs and articles from an unprecedented five visits to isolated North Korea ran worldwide, including on the covers of TIME, Newsweek, the New York Times and L’Express, [2] and in the Encyclopædia Britannica. [3] He visited Mainland China on assignment almost fifty times, [4] and in May 1989 was possibly the only journalist to photograph Chinese Army tanks parked up in a western suburb of Beijing. A week later, the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square. [5]

Author

Upon returning to Scotland in 1998, McMillan concentrated on writing and illustrating travel and business features for broadsheet newspapers such as The Herald and Independent on Sunday. His first travel book about the Shetland Islands, Between Weathers, was published in June 2008 by Sandstone Press. Between Weathers was nominated for the prestigious Saltire Society First Book Award. [6] It is also the inspiration for the movie of the same name - the first to be shot entirely in Shetland in the past 74 years, for which McMillan is an Associate Producer. [7]

McMillan's first foray into published fiction was released by Sandstone Press in June 2010. Yin Yang Tattoo is a crime thriller set in South Korea, and, according to the author, "represents the first in a new series of thrillers with the same central character, and set in various Asian capitals known well to me from my time freelancing around the region." [6]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

South Korea Country in East Asia

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. About 25 million people, around half of the country's population of 51 million, live in the Seoul Capital Area.

Cho Tae-yong South Korean diplomat

Cho Tae-yong is a South Korean career diplomat with over three decades of experience who has served as South Korea's Deputy National Security Advisor since October 2015.

<i>Taegeuk</i> Traditional Korean symbol

Taegeuk is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term Taiji, meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity/duality". The symbol was chosen for the design of the Korean national flag in the 1880s, swapping out the black and white color scheme often seen in most taijitu illustrations and substituting blue and red, respectively, along with a horizontal separator, as opposed to vertical.

Northern Limit Line Maritime demarcation line between North and South Korea

The Northern Limit Line or North Limit Line (NLL) – 북방한계선 – is a disputed maritime demarcation line in the Yellow (West) Sea between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the north, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on the south. This line of military control acts as the de facto maritime boundary between North and South Korea.

China–South Korea relations Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Korea were formally established in the 1980s. Before then, the PRC recognized only the Democratic People's Republic of Korea while South Korea in turn recognized only the Republic of China (Taiwan). South Korea was the last Asian country to establish relations with the People's Republic of China. In recent years, China and South Korea have endeavored to boost their strategic and cooperative partnership in numerous sectors, as well as promoting a high level relationship. Trade, tourism and multiculturalism, specifically, have been the most important factors of strengthening two neighbouring countries cooperative partnership. Despite this, historical, political and cultural disputes have still played several roles on the relations between South Korea and China.

South Korea–Taiwan relations Bilateral relations

The Republic of China government recognized the formation of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on April 13, 1919, as one of the participants of the Cairo Conference, which resulted in the Cairo Declaration. One of the main purposes of the Cairo Declaration was to create an independent Korea, free from Japanese colonial rule. Bilateral diplomatic relations between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Republic of China began in 1948, just after the foundation of the First Republic, hence making China, the first country to recognize the Republic of Korea as the sole legitimate government of Korea. After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the Republic of Korea maintained relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), which the island of Taiwan was also formerly under Japanese rule.

Fiji–South Korea relations Bilateral relations

Fiji–South Korea relations refers to bilateral relations between Fiji and South Korea. The two countries established official diplomatic relations in January 1971, Korea having recognised Fiji's accession to independence the previous year. There is a South Korean embassy in Suva and a Fijian embassy in Seoul. Fiji opened its embassy in Seoul in July 2012 to "foster trade and investment" and to "promote people-to-people exchanges".

China–Japan–South Korea trilateral summit

The China–Japan–South Korea trilateral summit is an annual summit meeting held between China, Japan and South Korea, three major countries in East Asia. The first summit was held during December 2008 in Fukuoka, Japan. The talks are focused on maintaining strong trilateral relations, the regional economy and disaster relief.

Yoon Byung-in, also known in English reference as Byung-in Yoon, was a Korean Grandmaster of martial arts. He is believed to be the first Korean national to study Chuan Fa in China and to return to teach it in Korea. He was an influential instructor to many current and past Masters and Grandmasters, and himself a master of many styles and studies of Martial Arts.

Canada–North Korea relations Bilateral relations

Canada–North Korea relations refer to the relations between Canada and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The relations between the two nations are very limited, as Canada suspended full diplomatic relations in 2010 over North Korea's destabilizing nuclear activity. Travel and commerce with North Korea are discouraged by the Canadian government and there is very little trade or diplomatic contact due to Canada's perspective that North Korea plays a destabilizing role in the Asia Pacific region.

Battle of Unsan Series of engagements of the Korean War that took place from 25 October to 4 November 1950 near Unsan, North Pyongan province in present-day North Korea.

The Battle of Unsan, also known as the Battle of Yunshan, was a series of engagements of the Korean War that took place from 25 October to 4 November 1950 near Unsan, North Pyongan province in present-day North Korea. As part of the People's Republic of China's First Phase Campaign, the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) made repeated attacks against the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) 1st Infantry Division near Unsan beginning on 25 October, in an attempt to take advancing United Nations Command (UNC) forces by surprise. In an encounter with the United States military, the PVA 39th Corps attacked the unprepared U.S. 8th Cavalry Regiment in Unsan on 1 November, resulting in one of the most devastating U.S. losses of the war.

Battle of Onjong Battle between Chinese and United Nations forces

The Battle of Onjong, also known as the Battle of Wenjing, was one of the first engagements between Chinese and South Korean forces during the Korean War. It took place around Onjong in present-day North Korea from 25 to 29 October 1950. As the main focus of the Chinese First Phase Offensive, the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) 40th Corps conducted a series of ambushes against the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) II Corps, effectively destroying the right flank of the United States Eighth Army while stopping the UN advance north toward the Yalu River.

2010 G20 Seoul summit Fifth meeting of the G-20 heads of government

The 2010 G20 Seoul Summit was the fifth meeting of the G20 heads of government/heads of state, to discuss the global financial system and the world economy, which took place in Seoul, South Korea, on November 11–12, 2010. South Korea was the first non-G8 nation to host a G20 leaders' summit.

Third Battle of Seoul Battle in the Korean War

The Third Battle of Seoul, also known as the Chinese New Year's Offensive, the January–Fourth Retreat or the Third Phase Campaign Western Sector, was a battle of the Korean War, which took place from December 31, 1950, to January 7, 1951, around the South Korean capital of Seoul. In the aftermath of the major Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) victory at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, the United Nations Command (UN) started to contemplate the possibility of evacuation from the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong ordered the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to cross the 38th Parallel in an effort to pressure the UN forces to withdraw from South Korea.

First and Second Battles of Wonju Part of the Korean War

The First and Second Battles of Wonju, also known as the Wonju Campaign or the Third Phase Campaign Eastern Sector, was a series of engagements between North Korean and United Nations (UN) forces during the Korean War. The battle took place from December 31, 1950 to January 20, 1951 around the South Korean town of Wonju. In coordination with the Chinese capture of Seoul on the western front, the North Korean Korean People's Army (KPA) attempted to capture Wonju in an effort to destabilize the UN defenses along the central and the eastern fronts.

Kim Sae-ron South Korean actress

Kim Sae-ron, better known mononymously as Saeron is a South Korean actress. She began her career when she was nine years old and became a popular child star through the films A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man From Nowhere (2010). As Kim reached her teenage years, she was cast in more leading roles, notably in the film A Girl at My Door (2014). She has also starred in television drama series, including Listen to My Heart (2011), The Queen's Classroom (2013) and Hi! School-Love On (2014). Her first adult lead role was in the television drama Secret Healer (2016).

Yang Sung-chul is a South Korean political scientist, politician, and diplomat.

United Front Department of the Workers Party of Korea

The United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea is a department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) tasked with relations with South Korea. It conducts propaganda operations and espionage and manages front organizations, including the powerful Chongryon.

Keum Sae-rok South Korean actress

Keum Sae-rok is a South Korean actress. She is known for her prominent roles in The Fiery Priest (2019) and Youth of May (2021).

Myanmar–South Korea relations Bilateral relations

Myanmar–South Korea relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Republic of Korea. The two countries established their diplomatic relations on 16 May 1975.

References

  1. ↑ "ROK Drop Book Review: Yin Yang Tattoo By Ron McMillan". ROK Drop: Korea From South to North. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "Paisley-born author covers Asia". The Korea Times. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  3. ↑ "The skyline of P'yŏngyang, North Korea". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Interview with Ron McMillan". Expat.com. August 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "Between Weathers Associate Producer Ron McMillan". BETWEEN WEATHERS - Changing lives, building futures. 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Biography". RonMcMillan.com. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "First film to be made in isles for 73 years wins approval in planned location of Fetlar". Shetland Times. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.