In this week’s episode, Jeongmin and Joon Ha begin by unpacking South Korea’s final presidential debate, highlighting Lee Jae-myung’s correction of Kim Moon-soo’s misunderstanding of nuclear latency and Kwon Young-gook’s effort to steer the discussion back to policy.

As attacks escalated between the frontrunners, the candidates also clashed over economic and security issues with just days left before the June 3 vote.

John then explains the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling against President Donald Trump’s tariffs and how the White House’s swift appeal has temporarily kept the duties in place. 

The team also previews next week’s Seoul Circuit event, taking place the day after the election under Chatham House rules, where they’ll lead an open, off-the-record conversation on the new president’s likely impact on South Korea’s domestic and foreign policy.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, 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 Friday, May 30, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson