In this week's episode, the Korea Pro team delves into the political dynamics behind Lee Jun-seok’s pledge to mandate female military conscription for those seeking public civil service careers. This proposal, highly unfeasible and politically motivated, aims primarily at eroding Lee Jun-seok’s former party’s support base by wooing young male voters.

The discussion then turns to President Yoon Suk-yeol's decision to veto a bill passed by the opposition party for a “special investigation” into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush disaster. Described by the administration as potentially “unconstitutional,” the bill sought to create a committee with extensive powers. The president’s critics pointed to the lack of accountability among high-level officials for the disaster.

The episode also addresses U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s comments on U.S. relations with South Korea and Japan, which he described as a “vision for the world,” which the Korea Pro team describes as fragile.

This week’s episode features the following members of the Korea Pro team:

Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim)

Editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner)

About the podcast: The KOREA PRO Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Jeongmin Kim and John Lee, diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring South Korean politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology.

Stay informed, stay ahead, and never miss a beat on Korean affairs that matter. Uploaded every Friday.

This episode was recorded on Feb. 1, 2024.

Audio edited by Joe Smith