1. New episode of the Korean Politics Debrief podcast out now! It's part 2 of the interview with Prof. Song Se-ryun. This week, I ask is the People Power Party and Conservative party politics facing an existential crisis? youtu.be/aHFVqKRPkDQ?...

A new podcast it out! In this first Korean Politics Debrief episode since the election, I talk to Law Prof. Song Se-ryun, who compares Lee Jae Myung to a broomstick! 😅🧹 We also discuss his first days in office, the pitfalls he needs to avoid, and more.

An unexpected, brief interview on Lee Jae-myung's election win and what to expect. Thank you ABC Australia and #TheWorld for having me on! www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Qy...

Election day is upon us. Check out the second half of the latest Korean Politics Debrief podcast for what to look out for as results are called this evening: youtu.be/Mmjff2MBf-M?...

My final pre-election thoughts for the Korean Politics Debrief podcast! I give a quick review of the recent TV debates, and then some things to look out for on election day: 1. Turnout - What does a high or low turnout tell us about the election? youtu.be/Mmjff2MBf-M?...

This is crazy. The Korean conservatives are literally airing their dirty laundry in public, trying to negotiate who will be their candidate in the presidential race, which they are currently on track to lose anyway.

Thanks for inviting me, @kwonjangho.bsky.social. Since we recorded this, Kim Moon-soo secured the PPP nomination. I remain skeptical about his appeal to moderate voters, & whether he can improve his standing against LJM. I also expect HDS’ late entry to further fragment the conservative vote.

Han has a serious hill to climb to win. But Lee Jae-myung's judicial liabilities are making that climb significantly less steep than it probably should be. Han's initial support in public opinion polls was weak, but we'll have to see what they look like after Lee's Supreme Court ruling. end

One of Han Duck-soo’s supposed strengths was that he is from Honam, the southwest region of Korea around Gwangju and the stronghold of the Democratic Party. It was hoped that Han would syphon off votes in the area that typically would go to Lee Jae-myung. 1/ www.joongang.co.kr/article/2533...

The latest Korean Politics Debrief podcast is out! Tried to sum up a crazy week/day in Korean politics as best I can before a fascinating interview with @jackwgreenberg.bsky.social on Yoon Suk Yeol, the PPP, Lee Jae-myung and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ntz...

Start your day off right with the Korean Politics Debrief podcast! Episode 7 is out now. I breakdown the latest development in the Presidential primaries, and then I interview writer and journalist Michael Breen about his 40+ years in Korea. youtu.be/ajkqhUHhhc8?...

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The Korean Politics Debrief podcast is back! For this latest episode I spoke to Jeongmin Kim of @koreapro.bsky.social about what it was like reporting on Yoon's impeachment, why there was little backlash from his supporters and what comes next. youtu.be/2Y6d7HlG2oo

"Kwon Suk-ha, Writer Well-Known for Expertise in UK, Dies" world.kbs.co.kr/service/news...

I'll be interviewing a legal expert tomorrow for the Korean Politics Debrief podcast. Any questions on either Lee Jae-myung's ruling, PM's Han Duck-soo's impeachment dismissal, or President Yoon Suk Yoel's impeachment trial? (Other than when will the impeachment ruling come lol)

The latest Korean Politics Debrief podcast is up! No interview this week, but I give my take on some developments, starting with a preview of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment verdict (which is coming up in just a few hours) open.spotify.com/episode/4dDf...

Loving these daily Yonhap stories every morning: "President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment ruling could be this week, observers say. If not this week, then ruling likely to be sometime in the future, though it could still be this week. It should have been last week, according to what we all thought"

Everyone keeps asking me as well, and I'm like 🤷🏻

Everyone I know in Korea be like: WHEN IS THE VERDICT DATE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED?

Joined @kwonjangho.bsky.social on Korean Politics Debrief to explore the ongoing political crisis in South Korea. We discussed the implications of President Yoon's impeachment and the broader social issues at play.

라디오 뉴스를 듣는데. 요즘 외국인 관관 상품으로 시위 투어가 유행이라고. 가이드가 단체 관광객을 데리고 광화문이나 여의도를 다니면서 모인 군중들의 정치적 배경이나 주된 쟁점 같은걸 설명해 준다 한다. 방에서 시위가 잘 보이는 시위뷰 호텔방도 인기라고…

Lawmakers from Yoon's ruling party have also appealed to religion in their protests. A group that gathered around the Constitutional Court last week prayed that God would move the hearts of the judges, while one told reporters that South Korea was fighting a "spiritual war against dark forces". ⛪

South Korea's firebrand churches are invoking God and anti-communism to double down on support for impeached President Yoon who is waiting for an impending ruling on his political fate over a martial law he declared in December. My latest 👇 www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

The latest episode of the Korean Politics Debrief has dropped, and it was a real pleasure to have @koryodynasty.bsky.social on the podcast. He told me about how his extensive reporting on the martial law crisis has been keeping him up at night. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrOd...

It seems I've also been placed on leave, just like the rest of my VOA colleagues. Truth is, I can't know for sure, because when I woke up this morning in Seoul, I'd already been locked out of all VOA-related systems and accounts.

No, you're not confused. Corporate boards in S. Korea do not have fiduciary duty to shareholders. They are beholden to the ownership family, and that means depressing share prices in certain situations. Imagine this is headed for veto by acting president. www.koreaherald.com/article/1044...

Three prosecutors and chief auditor who were impeached by the opposition Democratic Party were reinstated to their positions after the Constitutional Court did not find merit in the impeachment motions. Is this a sign about the ruling on Yoon? 1/ www.koreaherald.com/article/1044...

EP3 of the Korean Politics Debrief podcast is out, with Subin Kim, author of a great newsletter, Korea Kontext. We talked about the main presidential contenders, the crisis facing Korea's political parties and why he started the newsletter. Check it out! creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kor...

Day and night, Yoon supporters surround the Constitutional Court. Scenes right now:

Yesterday, I happened to walk past the Constitutional Court and saw the anti-impeachment protests. I caught a small glimpse of the unsettling anger, vitriol, and random hostility from some pro-Yoon supporters. 🧵1/11

Ha! It looks like X is down atm

If you're gonna write about Korean feminism, you might want to use a photo of someone who looks vaguely Korean. This looks like someone searched "Asian Woman" into a stock photo site and picked out the one they thought looked prettiest. 🙄 www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpos...

Yoon was released today. I will briefly discuss what this means in the following thread.

This is crazy. A K-Drama playing out on real life. It's a scene straight out of the Netflix series The Whirlwind

This whole mess is turning into a huge embarrassment for the CIO, which had already been struggling to maintain its credibility.

His criminal trial continues. He was detained because he wasn’t cooperating with investigators and prosecutors worried he’d destroy evidence. But since he’ll go back to presidential residence, it could set up a dramatic showdown for the day of impeachment verdict, especially if he refuses to leave.

Never a dull week in Korean politics.

South Korea’s impeached and suspended President Yoon is being released from jail. He is still facing a criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection when he declared martial law on Dec. 3. His team had argued he was illegally being detained because the arrest warrant had technically expired.

Yes, Episode 2 of of my new podcast Korean Politics Debrief with @benjaminaengel.bsky.social is now available! It was a really interesting conversation, trying to better understand Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law crisis in the wider context of modern Korean history.

Was a pleasure to speak with @kwonjangho.bsky.social for his new podcast Korean Politics Debrief. Jangho is also the host of the wonderful Korea 24 podcast from KBS. I think this will be a great way for those interested in Korean politics to take a deeper dive. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq0t...

🧳 On the 6th anniversary of the Hanoi summit, where Trump said Kim "was not ready" and sent him home packing (for a 60-hour train ride), leaving a hot lunch on the dining room table... Trump and his national security officials agree to send Zelensky home because he "was not ready" to capitulate.

1/ Update: A key issue that has the potential to be a big variable in the timing of Yoon's impeachment ruling is the appointment of Ma Eun-hyeok as the 9th Constitutional Court justice.

ANNOUNCEMENT! I've started a new independent podcast called Korean Politics Debrief, where I will be discussing Korean politics, as the name suggests. I hope you join me on this new journey! open.spotify.com/show/0ggJUSg...

How much of the South Korean public back the impeachment of President Yoon? Some recent polls: 64% support impeaching Yoon - Gallup Korea (Jan 10) 62% support impeaching Yoon - NBS (Jan 9) 69% support impeaching Yoon - KBS (Jan 1) 69% support impeaching Yoon - MBC (Jan 1)

New piece for KoreaPro. I've done a couple reviews of Korean conservative newspapers positions' on Yoon's martial law declaration and fallout noting how they've been critical. But I noticed something interesting: conservative readers were not happy with the coverage 1/ koreapro.org/2025/01/sout...

The amount of twists and turns in this political saga is seriously head spinning.

Great beginner's guide to the head-spinning fallout from Yoon's martial law decree, and how he seems to testing the limits of Korea's democracy.

It's pretty incredible what comes out of Korea. youtu.be/Bdmm1O9iVXc?...