KOREA PRO Podcast

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

In this week’s episode, Jeongmin and Joon Ha dive into the fissure within the ruling People Power Party as presidential nominee Kim Moon-soo files a court injunction to block party efforts to replace him, accusing leaders of coercion to merge his candidacy with former Acting President Han Duck-soo. Kim has threatened to form a surprise “big tent” alliance with unexpected political figures, reportedly including former Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jeung, if dropped.

The duo also unpacks the Seoul High Court’s decision to delay Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung’s retrial, giving him a clear pathway to the presidency. They break down the Czech court’s injunction against Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power’s $18 billion nuclear deal, and the duo look ahead to the Taeguk military exercise, campaign rallies and possible TV debates.

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 8, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

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

This week’s episode opens with Jeongmin walking us through a rollercoaster week in South Korean politics. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung secured the party’s presidential nomination over former Gyeonggi governor Kim Dong-yeon last week, while the People Power Party (PPP) narrowed its primary field to former party leader Han Dong-hoon and former labor minister Kim Moon-soo.

The team then breaks down the dramatic sequence that followed: a surprise Supreme Court ruling in Lee’s election law case, and — just one hour later — Acting President Han Duck-soo’s resignation and public address, setting the stage for his own presidential run.

They then discuss key implications from the week’s political chaos, including the National Assembly’s surprise bipartisan agreement on a supplementary budget and the potential for the eventual PPP nominee to form an alliance with Han.

John discusses the cyber attack that has struck SK Telecom, affecting 23 to 25 million users whose identities may have been compromised.

Finally, the trio looks ahead to a critical deadline on May 3, when the PPP will decide which of its final two contenders will be its nominee for the presidential election, and previews the fast-approaching May 11 candidate registration deadline.

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 Thursday, May 1, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson