This week, the Korea Pro team delves into the disintegration of the New Reform Party, a previously promising political merger between key figures from the left and right, collapsing over leadership strife in just 11 days.

The episode then explores the repercussions of a nationwide doctors’ strike against government plans to increase medical student admissions, as well as a controversial incident at a recent graduation ceremony at KAIST, the “South Korean version of MIT,” where a progressive-party-affiliated student’s dissenting voice was forcibly silenced by presidential security staffers who gagged and dragged him out.

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.

Stay informed, stay ahead and never miss a beat on Korean affairs that matter. Uploaded every Friday.

This episode was recorded on Feb. 21, 2024. 

Audio edited by Joe Smith