In this week’s episode, John breaks down the global economic and political turbulence sparked by Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policies. As Washington wavers between imposing, pausing, withdrawing and threatening new tariffs, several countries — including South Korea — have begun bilateral talks to seek exemptions. John explains how the resulting uncertainty is paralyzing corporate investment and destabilizing markets.

Then, Jeongmin and Joon Ha walk listeners through the latest developments in South Korea’s snap presidential election. The ruling People Power Party has narrowed its candidate pool from 11 to eight, while the Democratic Party faces an uphill battle to present a viable challenge to Lee Jae-myung’s overwhelming lead.

The team also discusses the U.S. Department of Energy’s inclusion of South Korea on its list of sensitive countries, and what the South Korean government might be able to do about it going forward.

About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Editorial 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, April 17, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson