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Listen "A year after martial law, South Korea faces protests and division — Ep. 109"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, John and Joon Ha reflect on South Korea’s political and social landscape one year after the failed martial law declaration, tracking how public anger, institutional distrust and competing protest movements continue to shape the country’s trajectory.
The hosts recount Korea Pro’s on-the-ground reporting at both anti-Yoon and pro-Yoon demonstrations, exploring how diverging narratives around legitimacy, accountability and national security continue to harden.
They analyze President Lee Jae Myung’s latest National Assembly address and the People Power Party’s internal disarray, assessing what Lee’s agenda signals for governance, fiscal priorities and his relationship with a weakened conservative opposition.
The episode breaks down the passage of the 2026 budget — the first on-time budget since 2020 — highlighting the debut of the National Growth Fund, shifts in defense spending and the political calculus behind a deal struck under extreme polarization.
John and Joon Ha then examine Coupang’s spiraling data disaster, parsing what is known, what remains unclear and how the incident exposes systemic cyber vulnerabilities that now sit squarely within South Korea’s regulatory, political and corporate crosshairs.
The episode concludes with a look ahead to the Dec. 14 deadline for the the Special Counsel investigating the martial law incident
About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday.
This episode was recorded on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson
The hosts recount Korea Pro’s on-the-ground reporting at both anti-Yoon and pro-Yoon demonstrations, exploring how diverging narratives around legitimacy, accountability and national security continue to harden.
They analyze President Lee Jae Myung’s latest National Assembly address and the People Power Party’s internal disarray, assessing what Lee’s agenda signals for governance, fiscal priorities and his relationship with a weakened conservative opposition.
The episode breaks down the passage of the 2026 budget — the first on-time budget since 2020 — highlighting the debut of the National Growth Fund, shifts in defense spending and the political calculus behind a deal struck under extreme polarization.
John and Joon Ha then examine Coupang’s spiraling data disaster, parsing what is known, what remains unclear and how the incident exposes systemic cyber vulnerabilities that now sit squarely within South Korea’s regulatory, political and corporate crosshairs.
The episode concludes with a look ahead to the Dec. 14 deadline for the the Special Counsel investigating the martial law incident
About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday.
This episode was recorded on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson
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