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