At Korea Pro’s April Seoul Circuit dinner, essayist Colin Marshall (No Summarizing Korea) led a wide-ranging discussion on the complexities of South Korean political identity. Drawing from years of observation, Marshall explored how the country’s ideological divisions often defy Western left-right frameworks.

In this episode, we share the moderated portion of the event. The Q&A session has been omitted, as it took place under Chatham House Rule.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner), diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring ROK politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology. Uploaded every Friday.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson