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