A technocrat ends his career as a clown; ROK’s one-party future?
Han Duck-soo: veteran technocrat’s career ends in farce May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju is a shrine of democracy every politician with ambition should...
Posts by Year
2025
The shape of things to come: the Lee Jae-myung government
What Constitutional Court’s ruling means While the Constitutional Court gave out the unanimous decision to expel Mr Yoon from the office, the full text of it...
Yoon and Lee’s fates sealed: impeachment and the next election
Little is known about what’s happening inside the Constitutional Court. As speculation fills this information void, chaos ensues. Some claim the court is del...
Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?
Looks like there’s nothing on my bingo card. So don’t ask me about whether President Yoon walking out of custody before the court ruling was on it.
2024
Kim Ou-joon: poisoning democracy’s well
Korean leftists’ Tucker Carlson + Joe Rogan is the darkest symptom of Minjoo’s deterioration as a mass party
Yoon impeached: Minjoo now needs to protect the party from itself
Yoon’s gone. Much sooner than I predicted in my previous newsletter. I was more than happy to be proven wrong here, but it’s worth examining what led to this...
Impeaching Yoon: everyone’s taking wrong cues from history
Minjoo’s premature attempt to seal Yoon’s fate would prolong the chaos.
Why Yoon staged a coup that lasted less than 160 minutes
Lee Jae-myung is likely to be the next president, but there’s one uncertainty factor.
The Whirlwind: Korean Politics Through a New Lens
The Whirlwind, while not a K-drama masterpiece, explores South Korean politics uniquely, highlighting power dynamics and cultural narratives shaping public p...
Han Kang and the question of translation
Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win highlights the growth of Korean literature globally, opening doors for more voices while underscoring the importance of accurate t...
(im)peaches and koalas
I got my (im)peaches out in Yeouido
Will the salmon set Lee free?
Plus, ‘Democracy’ knocking on judiciary’s door; Min Hee-jin, or the archetype of Korean psyche.
observations after the election
Winners and losers; Talent crisis in politics; Partisan media’s novel development
2024 Election: 20-inch nails in Korean democracy’s coffin
In this year’s election, a total of 59 parties are asking for a vote.
Mystery of Lee’s Minjoo takeover
Until he was nominated as his party’s presidential candidate in 2022, Lee Jae-myung had been an outsider in the Minjoo Party. He was elected twice as a mayor...
Yoon vs doctors: scapegoating works every time
What should President Yoon do to improve his dismal approval rating?
Yoon handed his Brutus a dagger and he’s ready to wield it
President Yoon doesn’t cling to approval ratings. He has repeatedly said so, and even his administration seems indifferent (or incapable) in trying to improv...
2023
They all dream of those days
Journos are glass half-empty type of guys, but I recently realized, talking to my non-journo friends, that I am not alone in thinking that things are not wha...
Downward momentum of Lee’s Minjoo party
Lee has a much smaller pool of people for his designated hitter for the next election.
Yoon Seok-yeol: who he actually is and what awaits him in the April election
Past twelve months have revealed much more about who he actually is as a politician. And it’s not good.
The gangster who sent $8m in cash to North Korea
Lax regulations and the lack of scrutiny have made the South Korean financial market a hotbed for fraud and corruption.
Angelina Jolie allegedly loved jeonse, but would she still do now?
Jeonse is still considered one of the first rungs for working-class citizens to climb the ladder of South Korean asset-based welfare.
Moon’s guys regroup as Lee’s standing staggers by scandals
Moon, even after his failure to sustain Minjoo’s hold on power, is still the only pivotal figure around which Minjoo politicians can gather.
2022
Yoon reshuffles his office; new wave of technocrats
Why didn’t President Yoon meet Pelosi? Politicians can do little about South Korea’s posture toward China The new wave of technocrats emerges as Yoon ...
Why did Moon recommend China apologist book to public?
Minjoo’s traditional support base falling apart After election: schisms in losers and winners alike Why Moon recommended a China apologist book to the...
Park Ji-hyun: the flame burning down
What happened last week? Is this about jarring factions within the party? How big a help Park was to Minjoo? How will she fare after election?
Will Lee survive this election?
Assessing Yoon so far: is the move to Yongsan a success?
deep dive: Minjoo approval rate hits a new low as election closes in
Even greater fall on hot battlefield It’s not gonna be easy for Lee What’s behind Minjoo’s plunge? Extremists holding sway Ostracizing moderates
Yoon appoints Han despite Minjoo’s opposition
Why does Minjoo hate Han so much? What did Han say at his inauguration? Yoon’s reform: pension, labor, education June election: PPP still leads in p...
Another wave of sexual misconduct rocks Minjoo
Stans are everywhere (including politics) Homophobic presidential aide finally quits Taking candidate nomination to court
Pres Yoon’s inauguration speech, highlighted
International solidarity for freedom On North Korea Han Dong-hoon hearing Lee Jae-myung reaches for low-hanging fruit
How would history remember Moon administration?
With the new President to be sworn in next week, it would be a good time to reflect on the Moon administration’s legacy.
Moon signed prosecutor bill, but it won’t save him from President’s curse
No country for local election Will Lee Jae-myung run for lawmaker? Generation gap in housing
Why did Moon do this awkward interview?
Last time I felt this nervous while watching an interview was when Steve Rosenberg interviewed Alexander Lukashenko.
Yoon and PPP keep making bad calls over prosecutor reform
What’s the compromise bill? Why did PPP flip-flop? Is the referendum feasible?
deep dive: Minjoo’s prosecutor reform
What’s the point of the reform? Is this something new? Why now? What’s the latest situation? Any concerns about side effects? Will they succeed?
Moon’s strategic ambiguity on prosecutor reform
Yoon is having his own Cho Kuk moment PPP is in the lead for June election but how long will it last? Why BTS label’s first girl group has no Chinese ...
Is Yoon trapping Minjoo by appointing Han as Justice Minister?
Who is Han Dong-hoon? Yoon meets Park and Moon meets Sohn
Moon is the most popular prez ever, but what legacy will he leave?
Imagepolitik Generation gap Quasi-religious character What will be Moon’s legacy?
What Yoon transition team and WrestleMania have in common
Yoon nominates Han Duck-soo as the next Prime Minister Politicians regroup for the June local election Housing market will decide the winner of the el...
Moon meets Yoon while Park returns
Moon & Yoon: well, at least they met now Hiring: Prime Minister… but who really cares? Everything you know about class voting may be wrong Park ...
Behind the Moon-Yoon conflict: could Moon evade the curse of President?
What all this is about: to protect Moon’s legacy (or stay away from jail) Biggest trigger: BAI committee What would Moon fear? What can Yoon do abou...
Battle for Yongsan between Moon and Yoon
Moon clashes with Yoon again: this time on Presidential office relocation Is moving the office to Yongsan really a good idea, btw? A look at the Yoon’...