In this special joint episode for Korea Pro and NK News, Korea Pro’s editorial director Jeongmin Kim is joined by editor John Lee and junior news reporter Joon Ha Park to dissect South Korea’s unprecedented political turmoil.

The team breaks down last night’s dramatic events, including President Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration, the military’s storming of the National Assembly and the swift revocation of martial law by lawmakers.

Jeongmin shares insights from the ground, while Joon Ha outlines the night’s events and the reactions from political parties and analyzes the speech that triggered the crisis. The episode explores Yoon’s rationale, his references to North Korea and “anti-state factions” and how Pyongyang might seek to exploit the situation.

Finally, the team discusses the immediate fallout, including impeachment proceedings, Cabinet resignations and the broader implications for South Korea’s democracy and stability.

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 Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson