In this week’s episode, Jeongmin opens with her analysis of South Korea’s shifting voter blocs, where former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung’s “centrist” repositioning has expanded his lead ahead of the snap presidential election.

Jeongmin and Joon Ha then break down the legal and political aftershocks of former President Moon Jae-in’s indictment for alleged bribery, and assess the People Power Party’s decision to narrow its primary field to four contenders.

Jeongmin and John follow with a wide-ranging discussion on the region’s changing security landscape — from Japan’s “one theater” concept to China’s new fixed platform in the Yellow Sea, to Washington quietly shifting U.S. Forces Korea’s mission.

Finally, Jeongmin looks ahead to next week’s key developments in the race, including the two main parties’ selection of their respective nominees for the upcoming presidential election.

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 24, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson