Elise Hu
Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Previously, she explored the future with her video series, Future You with Elise Hu, and served as the founding bureau chief and International Correspondent for NPR's Seoul office. She was based in Seoul for nearly four years, responsible for the network's coverage of both Koreas and Japan, and filed from a dozen countries across Asia.
Before joining NPR, she was one of the founding reporters at The Texas Tribune, a non-profit digital news startup devoted to politics and public policy. While at the Tribune, Hu oversaw television partnerships and multimedia projects, contributed to The New York Times' expanded Texas coverage, and pushed for editorial innovation across platforms.
An honors graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Journalism, she previously worked as the state political reporter for KVUE-TV in Austin, WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC, and reported from Asia for the Taipei Times.
Her work at NPR has earned a DuPont-Columbia award and a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media for her video series, Elise Tries. Her previous work has earned a Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism, a National Edward R. Murrow award for best online video, and beat reporting awards from the Texas Associated Press. The Austin Chronicle once dubiously named her the "Best TV Reporter Who Can Write."
Outside of work, Hu has taught digital journalism at Northwestern University and Georgetown University's journalism schools and served as a guest co-host for TWIT.tv's program, Tech News Today. She's on the board of Grist Magazine and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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North Korea may face tougher sanctions in response to its most recent nuclear test, the most powerful blast yet. But Pyongyang keeps finding workarounds to the punitive measures. -
After the device launched in early August, dozens of users reported that their waterproof smartphones caught fire or exploded. Samsung traced the problem to its battery and promises replacements. -
Emperor Akihito said his age and poor health could make the performance of his duties impossible. But Japanese law doesn't allow for the emperor to step down. -
They are the two largest economies in the world, and increasingly interdependent. But as leaders gather for high-level talks in Beijing, tensions have flared on several fronts.
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At North Korea's first Workers' Party Congress in 36 years, Kim declares "unprecedented results" in recent nuclear and missile tests. He's shown greater willingness to speak publicly than his father. -
In the weeks between North Korea's nuclear test and rocket launch, 4,000 new American troops have arrived in South Korea. They're still adjusting to challenges, both big and small. -
Rescue operations are underway in the city of Tainan, on the southern end of Taiwan, after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the area.
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North Korean defectors star on talk shows, dating shows and compete in campy challenges. They're giving South Koreans an unprecedented glimpse of the North's experience. But it's not the full picture. -
State media reported that the isolated nation has detained a student from the University of Virginia for "committing anti-republic activities." -
"Every issue that we are facing violates the core principles of democracy," says a South Korean labor leader. The government says it's cracking down to protect national security.
