In this week’s episode, the Korea Pro team breaks down Beijing’s formal invitation for President Lee Jae-myung to attend China’s Sept. 3 Victory Day military parade — a move that echoes Park Geun-hye’s 2015 attendance but lands in a far more polarized geopolitical climate. The team discusses how Lee is likely to approach the decision and what’s at stake for Seoul’s positioning between Washington and Beijing.

The team also reflects on Lee’s first presidential press conference — from its tone and theatrical “lucky draw” format to the substance of his responses on foreign policy, corporate reform and the anti-discrimination law.

The episode then shifts to South Korea’s record-breaking arms deal with Poland. The July 2 agreement will send 180 K2 Black Panther tanks abroad in a deal reportedly worth over $6 billion — nearly double the 2022 package. Unlike the first shipment, this deal includes extensive tech transfer and local assembly, cementing South Korea’s role in Poland’s rearmament push.

Looking ahead, the trio preview next week’s trilateral defense chiefs’ meeting in Seoul, ongoing trade talks in Washington and deepening special probes targeting former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inner circle, including a travel ban on the former first lady.

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 Wednesday, July 3, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this week’s episode, the Korea Pro team explores President Lee Jae-myung’s decision to skip the NATO summit in the Hague, citing domestic concerns and the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. His absence prompted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to also bow out, signaling an unusual moment of deference from Tokyo and a potential opportunity to formalize improving bilateral ties.

The team also reviews Lee’s growing Cabinet, with key appointments to the foreign affairs, unification and defense portfolios now in place — though eight major ministries, including finance and justice, remain without confirmed leadership.

Finally, the team examines the KOSPI’s rise above 3,100 and explains why it doesn’t reflect the broader state of South Korea’s economy.

Looking ahead, the team discusses mounting legal trouble for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, as a special counsel seeks to bar him from travel and pursue a detention warrant over his aborted martial law plan.

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 Wednesday, June 25, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this special episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin and John speak with Darcie Draudt-Vejares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about President Lee Jae-myung’s shift to the center and what it means for alliance management under the Trump administration.

The discussion covers growing resentment in Seoul over U.S. trade demands, the perception that Washington prioritizes deals over diplomacy and the likelihood that South Korea will face pressure to cut Chinese components from its supply chains. Draudt-Vejares also reflects on how Washington may interpret Seoul’s efforts to diversify its strategic partnerships.

Guest: Darcie Draudt-Vejares is a Fellow for Korea Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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, June 20, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuso

In this week’s episode, the Korea Pro team reviews President Lee Jae-myung’s appearance at the G7 summit, including his meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Notably absent was a sit-down with U.S. President Donald Trump, who left early amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

The war’s impact on global energy prices is already being felt in South Korea, raising concerns about inflation just as Lee faces mounting pressure to revive a slowing economy. The team also examines the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate freeze and what it means for the Bank of Korea’s already limited policy space.

The trio also discusses the parliamentary hearing for National Intelligence Service nominee Lee Jong-seok, where his past comments on North Korea drew scrutiny.

Looking ahead, the team previews next week’s NATO summit in The Hague, the parliamentary hearing for Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok and South Korea’s upcoming commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Korean War.

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 Thursday, June 19, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this week’s episode, the Korea Pro team reviews President Lee Jae-myung’s initial week of diplomacy, including his delayed release of the Trump call readout and subsequent phone calls with leaders from Japan, China, the Czech Republic and Vietnam. The team also unpacks Lee’s nominations for vice minister-level roles across foreign affairs, trade, industry and finance — key technocrats expected to represent South Korea at the upcoming G7 summit.

On the domestic front, Jeongmin and John examine the Seoul High Court’s decision to suspend Lee’s ongoing trials, public debate over the citizen recommendation system and Lee’s pledge to crack down on unfair stock market practices.

The episode wraps with a preview of the G7 summit, where attention will focus on a possible U.S.-ROK presidential meeting.

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 Thursday, June 12, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this week’s episode, Jeongmin and Joon Ha share what they saw at rival campaign camps on election night, while the team discusses newly-elected President Lee Jae-myung’s first appointments and Kim Min-seok’s focus on economic revival as prime minister-designate.

They also examine how the main opposition People Power Party is handling defeat, including floor leader Kweon Seong-dong’s resignation and former candidate Kim Moon-soo’s finger-pointing over internal party sabotage.

The team closes with a look ahead to the ruling Democratic Party’s upcoming leadership transition and the judiciary committee’s role in Lee’s pending election law case. With presidential immunity facing legal ambiguity, Korea watchers will need to track how the courts and legislature navigate this next chapter.

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 Thursday, June 5, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

At Korea Pro’s May Seoul Circuit dinner, Keon Jun Lee, founder and CEO of Brandazine, led a candid conversation about the challenges of building a startup in South Korea’s competitive brand-tech landscape. Drawing from personal experience, Lee discussed the hurdles of early-stage growth, the evolution of the creator economy and the realities behind design-driven storytelling.

In this episode, we share the moderated portion of the event.

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 Tuesday, May 20, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

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

In this week’s episode, Jeongmin and Joon Ha analyze the first presidential TV debate that was supposed to focus on economic pledges but quickly veered into attacks over foreign policy positions and scandals. They also examine differences in economic pledges, including dueling 100-trillion-won AI investment plans and contrasting approaches to the proposed 4.5-day work week.

The duo then explores the competing constitutional reform proposals released by the leading candidates. Lee Jae-myung advocates for consecutive four-year presidential terms with guardrails, including parliamentary nomination of the prime minister and strengthening the Board of Audit and Inspection, while Kim Moon-soo supports non-consecutive four-year terms to prevent a “Putin-style power entrenchment.” 

The team also unpacks revelations about SK Telecom’s three-year-old cybersecurity breach, with reports suggesting the attacks may have been state-backed, although the ROK government is neither confirming nor denying such a possibility. They look ahead to the rest of the planned televised debates next week as the campaign builds toward the June 3 snap election.

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 Thursday, May 22, 2025. 

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this week’s episode, Jeongmin and Joon Ha analyze the chaotic weekend that led to Kim Moon-soo becoming the People Power Party’s presidential candidate after a dramatic series of reversals. Jeongmin breaks down an overnight decision by the PPP leadership to retract Kim’s candidacy, followed by a party poll that ultimately reinstated him after Han Duck-soo’s withdrawal.

The duo then explores the newly released ten-point policy visions of the three main presidential candidates, with Lee Jae-myung emphasizing post-crisis recovery and state-led technological sector innovation, Kim Moon-soo focusing on pro-business deregulation and stronger national defense, and minor candidate Lee Jun-seok positioning himself as a reformer for younger generations.

The team also unpacks the recent temporary agreement between the U.S. and China to dramatically reduce tariffs for a 90-day window and the South Korean officials’ cautious response amid ongoing global trade uncertainties. They look ahead to the upcoming presidential debates and other election-related schedules throughout the rest of May, building up until the June 3 snap election.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner) and correspondent Joon Ha Park (@joonhawrites), 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 Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson