KOREA PRO Podcast

KOREA PRO launched in 2024 as an offshoot of the Korea Risk Group, and it has quickly established itself as one of the sharpest English-language sources for South Korean current affairs analysis. Hosted by Jeongmin Kim (Executive Director of Korea Risk Group) and John Lee (Managing Editor), with correspondent Joon Ha Park rounding out the team, the show drops new episodes every Friday covering the most consequential developments in Korean politics, economics, and society. The chemistry between Kim and Lee is the show's secret weapon. As one listener put it, "the interaction between John Lee and Jeongmin Kim is priceless" — and when John gets on a roll, it's genuinely entertaining. Episodes run 16 to 35 minutes, which means they respect your time while still getting into substantive detail. Recent topics have included U.S.-ROK defense trade negotiations, South Korea's ongoing judicial reform battles, and the downstream effects of tariff policy on Korean industries. With only 13 episodes so far and a 4.4-star rating from early reviews, this is still a young show finding its footing. But the institutional knowledge behind it is substantial — Korea Risk Group has been analyzing peninsula issues for years, and that expertise shows in the quality of analysis. The show fills a specific gap: if you need to understand what's happening in South Korean domestic politics and business right now, explained clearly and without excessive jargon, KOREA PRO is becoming the go-to weekly briefing.