KOREA PRO Podcast

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha break down how South Korea is tightening monetary and strategic discipline ahead of next week’s high-stakes APEC meetings.

They begin with the Bank of Korea’s decision to keep interest rates at 2.5% — a move to anchor the won and curb housing risks while signaling fiscal restraint before President Donald Trump’s visit and final trade talks with Washington.

Next, they turn to Seoul’s expanding defense diplomacy at ADEX 2025, including Estonia’s move toward the K239 Chunmoo and Poland’s submarine project, and the launch of the KSS-III Batch-II submarine that underscores Seoul’s maturing deterrence posture.

The team then examines Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s push to revise the U.S.-ROK 123 Agreement, granting Seoul more flexibility in nuclear-fuel processing and deepening its quest for energy sovereignty.

Finally, they preview the APEC week in Gyeongju — from Trump’s one-night stop and Xi Jinping’s industrial diplomacy to the APEC CEO Summit where Nvidia’s Jensen Huang joins Korea’s chaebol leaders — as Seoul braces for a defining moment in global diplomacy.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 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, Oct. 23, 2025.

Audio edited by Lina Park

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha examine how South Korea is being pulled deeper into the U.S.-China confrontation just as it prepares to host both Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the Gyeongju APEC summit.

They begin with Beijing’s unprecedented sanctions on five U.S.-linked Hanwha Ocean affiliates — a signal that China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law is now targeting South Korean firms for cooperating with Washington.

Next, they turn to Seoul’s crisis diplomacy in Cambodia and Samsung Electronics’ record-breaking third-quarter profit, discussing how the company’s AI-driven recovery exposes the limits of South Korea’s industrial autonomy under U.S. export rules and Chinese controls.

Finally, the team looks ahead to next week’s key events — the Seoul ADEX defense expo, parliamentary audits of the military, judiciary and environmental agencies, and the anticipated state visits by Trump and Xi that could redefine Seoul’s room for maneuver in a divided world.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 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, Oct. 16, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha examine how global policy shifts are closing South Korea’s room for neutrality.

They begin with China’s Orders 61 and 62, sweeping export-control measures that extend Beijing’s authority to overseas manufacturers and leave South Korean firms trapped between competing U.S. and Chinese trade laws.

Next, they turn to Japan, where Sanae Takaichi’s victory in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race sets the stage for her likely confirmation as prime minister on Oct. 15, testing the stability of Seoul-Tokyo relations just as cooperation had solidified.

Finally, the team analyzes Europe’s proposed steel quota cuts and 50% tariffs, which mirror Washington’s protectionism and squeeze Korean mills out of major Western markets amid China’s export glut.

They close by previewing next week’s developments — Japan’s prime ministerial election and the resumption of South Korea’s parliamentary audits following the Chuseok holidays.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 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, Oct. 9, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha dissect a week dominated by U.S. volatility and South Korea’s response. They start with Washington’s first government shutdown since 2019, examining its implications for trade negotiations, U.S. Forces Korea operations and the Bank of Korea’s policy outlook.

The team then unpacks the Trump administration’s proposed semiconductor-content tariffs, a measure that could upend Seoul’s $350 billion investment-for-tariff deal and strike at the heart of South Korea’s export economy. They also discuss the U.S. decision to clear Seoul of currency manipulation, and why it offers only fleeting relief.

Turning to domestic policy, the hosts analyze President Lee Jae-myung’s new “self-reliant defense” doctrine and the ruling party’s abolition of the breach of trust crime, a landmark shift in corporate law. They close with the government data hub fire that has paralyzed ministries weeks before the APEC summit, exposing vulnerabilities in South Korea’s digital infrastructure.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 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, Oct. 2, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha break down a consequential week for South Korea’s diplomacy and markets. They start with President Lee Jae-myung’s high-profile trip to the United Nations, where he unveiled his END (Exchange, Normalization, Denuclearization) peace plan, presided over a Security Council debate on AI and held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The team then examines Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s trilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, and Lee’s own sharp remarks about “submissive attitudes” toward the U.S. alliance.

Finally, they turn to the domestic economy: the IMF’s downbeat growth forecast and the government’s proposed crackdown on opaque share buybacks, which signal a broader effort to tighten corporate governance and reassure foreign investors.

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, Sept. 25, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha unpack a fast-moving week for South Korea’s economy and diplomacy.

They begin with the U.S. Federal Reserve’s quarter-point rate cut — the first since Dec. 2024 — and analyze how the move could influence the Bank of Korea’s next steps, capital flows and the won.

The team then dissects the Trump administration’s warning that South Korea will face higher tariffs unless it accepts the same trade terms as Japan, noting Seoul officials’ unusually blunt remarks that the U.S. is no longer the free-trade partner it once was. They also explore Mexico’s plan to impose 50% tariffs on vehicles from countries without a free-trade agreement, a policy that could squeeze South Korean automakers and limit Seoul’s trade flexibility.

Next, Jeongmin and Joon Ha turn to President Lee Jae-myung’s newly announced 123 key policy tasks, outlining the administration’s broad domestic and economic agenda. In particular, they look at Seoul’s security and foreign policy agenda, including the administration’s ambition to complete OPCON transfer and reorganize the Marine Corps into a fourth quasi branch of the ROK Armed Forces.They discuss how these priorities are likely to shape both near-term governance and South Korea’s longer-term growth strategy.

Finally, the hosts look ahead to upcoming developments on Lee’s expected keynote address at the United Nations on Sept. 23and other key events shaping the weeks ahead.

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, Sept. 18, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha examine a turbulent stretch for U.S.-ROK relations and President Lee Jae-myung 100-day-old administration. They start with the dramatic ICE raid on Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s battery-plant project in Georgia, where more than 300 South Korean engineers were detained before a chartered flight carried them home. The team traces the raid’s origins, the swift diplomatic response from Seoul and the broader questions it raises about U.S. visa policy and the investment climate for Korean firms.

Next, they break down Lee Jae-myung’s 100-day press conference, highlighting his criticism of the U.S. raid, his call for national unity and his policy priorities on economic recovery and renewable energy. The hosts assess how Lee’s direct style and focus on communication are shaping perceptions at home and abroad.

Finally, they look ahead to Freedom Edge trilateral military drills between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, and to the intensifying race within Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

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, Sept. 11, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, John and Lina examine a turbulent week for South Korea’s trade, defense and domestic agenda. They discuss how a U.S. appeals court ruling against Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs threatens to upend Washington’s negotiations with trade partners, including Seoul.

They also weigh South Korea’s official decision to join the CPTPP, considering the domestic backlash it faces from farmers and the politically sensitive issue of lifting Japanese seafood restrictions.

The hosts then turn to defense and foreign policy, noting President Lee Jae-myung’s absence from China’s military parade while National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik shook hands with Kim Jong Un, and previewing Lee’s upcoming UNGA speech that will highlight AI and global security rather than North Korea.

Finally, they look ahead to Lee’s first 100-day press conference under the banner of “recovery and growth for the future.”

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, Sept. 4, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha break down the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. They analyze how a last-minute social media post from Trump nearly derailed the talks, why Lee relied on flattery to keep the meeting cordial and how the U.S. president’s land-ownership remark highlighted the volatility now embedded in the alliance.

The hosts also examine South Korea’s record $150 billion in new investment pledges, including landmark deals in aviation, energy, shipbuilding and critical minerals. They discuss how these commitments secure tariff relief but deepen Seoul’s exposure to Trump’s transactional trade framework.

Finally, they consider how partisan disinformation networks in both countries are shaping alliance management, and what the summit reveals about the risks of diplomacy under an unpredictable U.S. president.

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, Aug. 27, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, John and Joon Ha dissect revelations about the hidden clause in Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) settlement with Westinghouse Electric, which critics argue binds South Korea’s nuclear exports under U.S. control for the next half-century. They examine the political fallout in Seoul and why President Lee Jae-myung is unlikely to raise the matter in his upcoming talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The hosts also preview Lee’s Aug. 23 summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, noting the rare symmetry between their recent Aug. 15 speeches, which balanced historical acknowledgment with forward-looking cooperation.

Finally, they turn to Lee’s Aug. 25 summit with Trump, weighing the risks of an unpredictable U.S. president revisiting tariffs and trade concessions, and recap the week ahead, including the People Power Party leadership race and the Seoul Circuit event on ROK-Japan relations.

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, Aug. 21, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson