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