In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John discuss recent developments in South Korea-Japan relations, focusing on the tech leak that compromised hundreds of thousands of Japanese personal data. They also discuss Japan’s push to force out Naver, a South Korean tech portal company, from its partnership with Japan’s SoftBank in the wake of the incident. The duo also explores the challenges South Korea faces in potentially joining AUKUS Pillar 2, which focuses...

In the latest episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, Lina and Joon Ha discuss the much-anticipated first formal meeting between opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and President Yoon Suk-yeol since Yoon's inauguration. The episode highlights how Lee’s surprise speech to the press allowed the opposition to dominate the optics. However, the outcome remained ambiguous, with both sides presenting differing narratives of the discussion and leaving several high-profile issues unresolved. The...

In this week's episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John delve into the upcoming meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. They discuss Lee’s proposal to provide $180 to every South Korean citizen, which would cost around $9 billion, and analyze the potential impact and motivations behind this plan. The duo also examines South Korea’s recent arms exports to Romania. They also explore the potential for expanded nuclear energy...

In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin is on vacation, so John is joined by news trainees Joon Ha Park and Lina Park. The trio discusses the aftermath of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s senior staff resignations following the ruling People Power Party’s defeat in the previous week’s general elections. The team examines potential candidates for the prime minister and chief of staff positions. They also delve into Yoon’s meeting with Daegu City Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and the...

In this slightly extended episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin and John delve into the aftermath of South Korea’s general elections, which saw the ruling People Power Party (PPP) suffer another landslide defeat while the Democratic Party (DP) and the Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) emerged victorious. The hosts discuss the string of resignations that followed the election, including PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the president's chief of staff. They...

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin and John cover three key topics surrounding the upcoming South Korean general elections. First, they delve into the record number of overseas South Koreans who participated in early voting. John shares his experiences with this demographic from his younger days and discusses how the group may have changed over the years. Next, the hosts address the People Power Party’s challenges, as its interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, pleads with voters...

In this special extended episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin and John are joined by special guest Jumin Lee, a Los Angeles-based attorney and Korea Pro contributor. The trio delves into three critical topics surrounding the upcoming South Korean general elections. First, they examine the decrease in the number of female candidates running for office, a stark contrast to the increased female representation in the 2020 general election. They also discuss the ambiguous definition of a...

On this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, we start by discussing the Seoul city bus drivers’ strike, which began just hours before our recording and ended just hours after we finished recording. The drivers demanded higher wages, and the strike marked the first in 12 years. Next, we explore People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon’s pledge to relocate the National Assembly from Seoul to Sejong City, the latest development in the government’s long-running “move-out-of-Seoul”...

This week on The Korea Pro Podcast, we begin by examining the evolving relationship between President Yoon Suk-yeol and People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon. Their alternating displays of political partnership and discord, particularly over the controversial nomination of former defense minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia and a presidential aide’s inappropriate sense of humor, have created an atmosphere of uncertainty and tension in their alliance. On the...

This week on Korea Pro Podcast, we start by examining the case of a South Korean missionary charged with espionage in Russia and the potential fate that awaits him. Next, we delve into the controversial nomination of a scandal-ridden former South Korean defense minister, Lee Jong-sup, currently under investigation for abuse of power, to serve as the country’s ambassador to Australia. We then discuss South Korea’s role in hosting the upcoming Summit for Democracy and the potential reason...

This week on Korea Pro, we kick off the discussion with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s controversial youth policy and its implications amid accusations of populism ahead of the parliamentary elections. The conversation then shifts to the strategic implications of the U.S. and South Korea hastening their defense cost-sharing negotiations, a move influenced by the looming possibility of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. We also unpack the recent decision allowing nurses to perform...

This week, the Korea Pro team tackles a range of pressing issues. We start by examining the ongoing doctors’ strike and New Futures Party leader Lee Nak-yon’s strategic move toward the political center. The episode also sheds light on what appears to be behind-the-scenes efforts for a compromise between the South Korean government and the Korean Medical Association. We delve into Lee Nak-yon’s efforts to position himself as a political centrist, spanning both domestic and international...

This week, the Korea Pro team delves into the disintegration of the New Reform Party, a previously promising political merger between key figures from the left and right, collapsing over leadership strife in just 11 days. The episode then explores the repercussions of a nationwide doctors’ strike against government plans to increase medical student admissions, as well as a controversial incident at a recent graduation ceremony at KAIST, the “South Korean version of MIT,” where a...

In this week's episode, the Korea Pro team examines a significant political merger led by former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok and former prime minister and Democratic Party member Lee Nak-yon, aimed at reshaping South Korea's political landscape by targeting centrists and swing voters, as well as those tired of divisive politics. The conversation then shifts to South Koreans' views on marriage, childbirth and egg freezing amid the country's record-low birthrate. Joined by Korea...

In this week’s episode on the Korea Pro Podcast, the Korea Pro team discusses the implications of South Korea’s sale of medium-altitude surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM) to Saudi Arabia, such as the deepening relations between the two countries and the potential use of the interceptors in the region's conflicts. South Korean authorities also discovered that Indonesian engineers involved in the KF-21 joint fighter jet program attempted to steal classified information, exposing South Korea's...

In this week's episode, the Korea Pro team delves into the political dynamics behind Lee Jun-seok’s pledge to mandate female military conscription for those seeking public civil service careers. This proposal, highly unfeasible and politically motivated, aims primarily at eroding Lee Jun-seok’s former party’s support base by wooing young male voters. The discussion then turns to President Yoon Suk-yeol's decision to veto a bill passed by the opposition party for a “special investigation”...

This week, a scandal involving South Korea's first lady, Kim Kun-hee, who reportedly received a $2,200 Dior purse from a Korean-American pastor known for his views advocating engagement with North Korea, escalated into a major rift between President Yoon Suk-yeol and People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, one of Yoon’s closest confidants. Reports that this political bromance has apparently ended because of a Dior purse have captured international media attention, making headlines...

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it is considering its options in joining U.S.-led coalition strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and some South Korean media outlets have expressed interesting opinions about Taiwan’s recent elections. The Korea Pro team discusses why South Korea is thinking of joining the U.S.-led coalition strike against Houthi rebels and what South Korea’s participation might look like, Taiwan’s election results and why the Taiwanese ruling...

This week's conversation addresses the challenges faced by South Korea’s film industry, amid globally shifting entertainment preferences. The Korea Pro team discusses the impact of digital streaming services and changing consumer habits on South Korea's movie industry, and how the entertainment industry could adapt to such changes. The episode also discusses the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Lee Jae-myung, the opposition Democratic Party leader, especially focusing on the...

Marking a tumultuous start of the new year in South Korean politics, the Korea Pro team discusses the assassination attempt against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. A man surnamed Kim, who used an 8-inch blade and disguised himself as a supporter, admitted that he intended to kill Lee. President Yoon Suk-yeol issues a rare nonpartisan statement wishing Lee well and condemning acts of terrorism as the “enemy” of democracy. The Korea Pro team explores the broader context of political...

Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok formally left the party after months bickering with his former party members who sought to take him down. His departure comes months ahead of the country’s April 2024 parliamentary elections as former justice minister Han Dong-hoon ascends to party leadership. The Korea Pro team also discusses South Korea's recent decision to expand its export restrictions to Russia and Moscow’s warning of countermeasures such as economic retaliation amid its...

In a significant development, justice minister Han Dong-hoon — one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s closest aides — resigned to become the ruling People Power Party’s interim leader. The episode examines the challenges and potential repercussions of Han’s new role and the quickly shifting dynamics within the two major political parties. Additionally, the discussion touches upon the peculiarities of South Korean confirmation hearings, which offers a glimpse into the country's unique political...

The Korea Pro team delves into South Korea's complex immigration laws and their impact on Southeast Asian communities, including a recent controversy that resulted when South Korean immigration officials refused to grant permission to a Thai national to enter the country, which ignited debates and viral online protests. The discussion extends to leadership changes in South Korean political parties and the implications of President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the Netherlands,...

In a significant stride for national security and technological prowess, South Korea successfully launched its first indigenous military reconnaissance satellite on a SpaceX Falcon rocket, marking a new era of satellite-based intelligence and surveillance. The ROK government aims to launch many more in the coming year, but there are challenges ahead. Amid a spike in regional tensions and the space race with North Korea, the Korea Pro team discusses the potential military and civilian...