In this episode, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha break down the latest developments shaping South Korea’s economy, defense, and diplomacy.

First, they discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest trade salvo, where he falsely claimed that South Korea imposes tariffs on U.S. goods four times higher than vice versa. With Seoul issuing a strongly worded response, John discusses the ROK’s trade concerns with the U.S.

Next, Joon Ha analyzes the botched military exercise in Pocheon, where a South Korean KF-16 mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a designated training zone, injuring 15 civilians and damaging multiple buildings.

Finally, the team examines South Korea’s latest inflation figures, which show the Consumer Price Index slowing to 2.0% in February, yet the Life Cost Index rising to 2.6% — suggesting that everyday expenses still feel high for consumers.

In the week ahead, Jeongmin mentions that the Constitutional Court may issue its ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment.

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, March 6, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson