In this episode, Jeongmin and John analyze the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol, just 43 days after he declared martial law. They discuss the reported refusal of Presidential Security Service agents to follow orders to protect Yoon from arrest, the arrest of the PSS Acting Chief and Acting President Choi Sang-mok’s role in signaling a potential stand-down.

The discussion then turns to the Bank of Korea’s decision to maintain its key interest rate at 3%, halting recent cuts amid concerns over currency volatility and the South Korean won’s approach to the 1,500 won-per-dollar threshold.

Jeongmin and John also dissect Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing as Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense. Hegseth’s written statement referring to North Korea as a nuclear state raises troubling implications for South Korea, suggesting the incoming Trump administration might sideline Seoul in renewed direct negotiations with Kim Jong Un.

Finally, the team previews the week ahead, including Trump’s Monday inauguration. They theorize Trump’s silence on Yoon’s impeachment and arrest reflects either a strategic focus on other priorities — Ukraine, Israel and Greenland — or advice to avoid parallels between Yoon’s actions and Trump’s own charges with attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. 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, Jan. 16, 2025.

Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson