Domestic Politics
Lee Jae-myung’s approval hits record low after pardons and tax backlash
Backlash erodes support at home, but high-profile talks with Japan and the US could give Lee a foreign policy boost
August 19, 2025
South Korea readies petrochemical overhaul as sector faces deep crisis
Oversupply from China and Middle East leaves Korean firms exposed, raising risks for banks, jobs and policymakers
August 18, 2025
UFS postponed, Brunson stresses capabilities, Lee unveils 123-task plan — Ep. 93
The Korea Pro team unpacks the Ulchi Freedom Shield delay, OPCON transfer and Lee’s sweeping five-year agenda
August 15, 2025
Presidential ally tapped to head Korea’s financial watchdog, raising concerns
Lee Chan-jin, a civic lawyer with no direct finance background, fuels debate about regulatory independence
August 15, 2025
South Korea unveils aggressive new tools to penalize workplace deaths
Disclosure mandates, public bid bans and emergency work halts to replace courts as frontline tools against fatalities
August 14, 2025
Hardliner Jung Chung-rae elected Democratic Party leader, pledges swift overhaul
Ruling party’s new leader pushes prosecution, media and judicial reform while targeting opposition over martial law plot
August 13, 2025
High youth turnout fails to deliver real political power in South Korea
Structural obstacles, party hierarchies and economic precarity limit youth influence despite electoral participation
August 12, 2025
Lee Jae-myung pardons Cho Kuk, opening new political fault lines in South Korea
Liberation Day pardon restores Cho’s political rights, sparking debate over his role in ruling party’s strategy
August 12, 2025
South Korea extends review of Google’s mapping data export amid US trade tension
Tariff deal without written terms could make mapping dispute a bargaining chip for Trump and Lee as lobbying accelerates
August 11, 2025
South Korean public backs tariff deal, but support could be ephemeral
Lee administration highlight success, but deal’s ad hoc nature raises economic and diplomatic uncertainties
August 8, 2025
