Before coming to Penn, John spent ten years in the U.S. Army as a Korean linguist and analyst. He studied the Korean language at the Defense Language Institute and served two tours of duty in Korea, totaling five years, as well as one tour in the Middle East. It was his military experience that sparked his interest in Korea and started him on a career path focused on East Asia. After leaving the Army, John began working as a writer and analyst for NK News, a website focused on North Korea. John chose to major in East Asian Area Studies at Penn, with a concentration on Korea, because he wanted to pursue his interest and further the East Asia-focused career he started in the military. John chose Penn because it offered a better Korean studies program and more opportunities than most other schools. He plans to continue researching East Asian history, politics, and culture, especially that of Korea, and hopes to work in think tanks, universities, and other places where he can do research and writing on the subject.