In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John are joined by Korea Pro’s news trainee, Lina, for an engaging discussion on various topics. First, the trio delves into President Yoon Suk-yeol’s recent visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where South Korea signed numerous critical minerals and energy agreements. They explore how these deals align with South Korea’s strategy to reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals and how the country...

In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John discuss a range of developments in South Korea and beyond. First, Jeongmin and John delve into President Yoon Suk-yeol’s surprise announcement regarding potentially vast oil and gas reserves off the country’s east coast. They analyze the government-commissioned study by U.S. firm Act-Geo, the many unknowns surrounding the reserves and the potential economic and market implications of the news. Next, the duo...

In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-host John is joined by news trainee Lina to discuss a range of pressing issues in South Korea. First, John and Lina dive into the latest scandal surrounding President Yoon Suk-yeol. They examine fresh allegations that suggest he may have meddled in the investigation into a marine’s death from last year, and how this will likely spur opposition parties to attempt to call for another special prosecution investigation just two days after...

In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John discuss Samsung Electronics’ appointment of Jun Young-hyun as the new head of its semiconductor division. They explore the challenges Jun will face in maintaining Samsung’s leadership position in the global semiconductor sector. The duo also examines the South Korean presidential office’s decision to maintain the country’s short-selling ban until a “reliable system” is in place and what this might mean for domestic...

In this week’s episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John discuss the unexpected election of five-term lawmaker Woo Won-shik as the National Assembly speaker and the strategies employed by Woo and his rival, Choo Mi-ae. The duo also examines the first lady’s recent public appearance amid the ongoing Dior bag scandal, with the latest investigations focusing on the pastor who deliberately gifted her the bag. They analyze President Yoon Suk-yeol’s pledge to support non-union...

In this special extended episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, co-hosts Jeongmin and John are joined by Dr. Victor Cha, the senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). Dr. Cha discusses the findings of his new report on South Korean elites’ fragile opposition to nuclearization and shares his insights on the current debate surrounding the issue. The conversation delves into the differences between South Korea’s public and...

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...