By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nuran Sami from Egypt

Back in March 2017, Robert Kelly, widely-known as the “BBC dad” among anyone online, made worldwide headlines and became a beloved online celebrity for an unexpected reason. Despite being a regular guest as a political commentator on various news outlets, such as ITN, the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), the Korean English-language TV channel Arirang, CNN and the BBC since 2012, his recognition blew up the digital social world after his two young children punched through his professional on-camera interview with the BBC while discussing the South-Korean political status quo at the time, generating a massively delightful reception and acclaim.

The humorous incident started when Kelly's daughter and her younger brother entered the room while dad was speaking on camera in the spontaneously bubbly manner we see in everyday familial interactions. Dad professionally continued to talk to the camera, and the kids stuck around until Kelly's wife rushed in to the room to save the on-air interview by taking the children away. The clip reaped over 26 million views on YouTube, and growing. Accordingly, the incident is still making the rounds on people's social media platforms and it's one of the few online memes that hasn't died down as time passed.



Luckily for us, his viral family blooper defined a chance for us to get exposed to his work.

The father whose BBC interview went viral is a U.S. political analyst and associate professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pusan National University.

Kelly's research focuses on international relations, security in Northeast Asia, U.S. foreign policy, international financial institutions and political theory. He taught at Ohio State University before traveling to Korea in 2008. He was nominated for awards like the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching in Ohio in 2007.

Kelly has traveled to around 40 countries and studied six languages: German, French, Russian, Korean, Latin and Classical Greek. This has enabled him to read the original version of Socrates' "Apology", that which he considers to be one of his greatest achievements.

His sensational family blooper might have brought you here, but as with many people, you're more likely to carry on following Kelly for his exceptional political insight and opinions. You can catch up with his viewpoints on Twitter and at his blog.

I recently had a small talk with the professor about a range of different topics.



- When and how did you discover your passion for academic approaches and politics?

My father is an academic, too, so I was raised in a home that valued ideas and reading.

- Your research is concentrated on Northeast Asia and the Middle East. Why did you choose the aforementioned regions?

Both of these regions have gotten much more important since the end of the Cold War. The West needs more area experts on these regions.

- Alongside your native language, there are six languages in which you have achieved a high level of proficiency. How was that accomplishable?

I have studied six languages, but I do not speak them all well. I wish I had more time for language training. Korean is tough. I came to it late.

- Korea is widely known to have had a hike in its economy. How can such economic prosperity be maintained in a long-term active pace?

Korean growth faces two big challenges in the next several decades: a low birthrate and an insistence on manufacturing at the expense of the transition to a service economy. The first will be hard to fix because it requires immigration, which is usually a tough issue. The second will require breaking the hold of the chaebol over the Korean economy.

- Do you think a newly-found passion toward a field such as yours could be discovered in the later stages of life? Or does it need to have a fundamental background from an early age?

You can always switch life goals, but it gets harder as you age. I can’t imagine, for example, trying to get my Ph.D. now. As we get older, we accumulate life responsibilities, like children, which make major change hard. Also, our thinking patterns tend to ossify. I always tell my undergraduates to try to start graduate school before they turn 30-years-old.

- Can you share an achievement or a work of which you're proud?

Sure. I wrote a piece in the European Journal of International Relations about international relations in Northeast Asia. This is probably the best thing I ever wrote. You can read it here.

- Someone left a comment on your blog that said, "Your child and family humanized news in a matter of seconds, reminding us of the most important parts of life. YES- global concerns… but also the life we make right under our noses. We can be intelligent- and exceptional… yet we are all human with real lives." What is your own sense about the reason why the incident was received with such cheerfulness and respect?

I think the "BBC dad" incident resonated because so many parents saw themselves in it. Children behave this way. They don’t care about their parents’ careers or workspaces. They just know that they like being around them. So there was a humorous contrast between my professional appearance, and my kids acting out. It was funny.

- Throughout your years of study, what keeps your dedication and commitment going?

I enjoy a life of the mind. If you don’t like ideas and discussing them, academia is the wrong profession. The pay is poor. The reward is intellectual.

- Do you have an advice for students who intend to enroll in a graduate program, especially a Ph.D. program?

Enroll early. It gets harder as life catches up with you. Read. A lot. Constantly.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.