In this week’s episode, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha dive into another turbulent week for South Korea’s politics and economy.

They start with U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest trade policy: a 10% “baseline” tariff on all countries, combined with “reciprocal” tariffs on many trade partners. South Korea was hit particularly hard with a 26% rate, leading to a dip in local markets.

Next, they unpack the results of South Korea’s recent by-elections, where progressive parties came out on top. Despite fierce competition between the main opposition Democratic Party and the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, the ruling People Power Party suffered major losses — a setback partly attributed to Yoon’s impeachment hearing and the government’s response to recent wildfires.

They also discuss the Constitutional Court’s announcement that it will issue its ruling on Yoon’s impeachment on Friday, April 4. The decision comes after a prolonged deliberation period, raising questions about possible divisions among the justices.

Looking ahead, as South Korea braces for social unrest regardless of the ruling, Korea Pro will hold a public webinar just hours after the Constitutional Court’s Friday ruling to break down the verdict and its implications for the country. Listeners can RSVP at events.koreapro.org.

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 3, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson