Korea Kontext Search

Archive

71 pieces since March 2022, by thread and by year.

Threads

Prosecution reform 9 readings, 2022 to 2026 Latest: Pres Lee’s Red Guards turn on the chairman
  1. Is Yoon trapping Minjoo by appointing Han as Justice Minister?
  2. Moon’s strategic ambiguity on prosecutor reform
  3. deep dive: Minjoo’s prosecutor reform
  4. Yoon and PPP keep making bad calls over prosecutor reform
  5. Moon signed prosecutor bill, but it won’t save him from President’s curse
  6. Yoon appoints Han despite Minjoo’s opposition
  7. Undoing Criminal Justice in the Name of Democracy: how a decades-long partisan vendetta is reshaping South Korea’s security apparatus
  8. The institutions Korea is spending down: Judiciary and Criminal Justice
  9. Pres Lee’s Red Guards turn on the chairman
Lee Jae-myung’s legal battles 6 readings, 2022 to 2026 Latest: President Lee is starting to sound like ex-Pres Yoon
  1. Will Lee survive this election?
  2. Moon’s guys regroup as Lee’s standing staggers by scandals
  3. The gangster who sent $8m in cash to North Korea
  4. Will the salmon set Lee free?
  5. Too much salmon will kill you: How Minjoo’s crusade to save Lee Jae-myung could backfire
  6. President Lee is starting to sound like ex-Pres Yoon
From Moon to Yoon 10 readings, 2022 Latest: Why did Moon recommend China apologist book to public?
  1. Battle for Yongsan between Moon and Yoon
  2. Behind the Moon-Yoon conflict: could Moon evade the curse of President?
  3. Moon meets Yoon while Park returns
  4. What Yoon transition team and WrestleMania have in common
  5. Moon is the most popular prez ever, but what legacy will he leave?
  6. Why did Moon do this awkward interview?
  7. Moon signed prosecutor bill, but it won’t save him from President’s curse
  8. How would history remember Moon administration?
  9. Pres Yoon’s inauguration speech, highlighted
  10. Why did Moon recommend China apologist book to public?
The Yoon presidency 11 readings, 2022 to 2025 Latest: Yoon and Lee’s fates sealed: impeachment and the next election
  1. Yoon reshuffles his office; new wave of technocrats
  2. Yoon Seok-yeol: who he actually is and what awaits him in the April election
  3. They all dream of those days
  4. Yoon handed his Brutus a dagger and he’s ready to wield it
  5. Yoon vs doctors: scapegoating works every time
  6. (im)peaches and koalas
  7. Why Yoon staged a coup that lasted less than 160 minutes
  8. Impeaching Yoon: everyone’s taking wrong cues from history
  9. Yoon impeached: Minjoo now needs to protect the party from itself
  10. Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?
  11. Yoon and Lee’s fates sealed: impeachment and the next election
The Lee presidency 11 readings, 2025 to 2026 Latest: Pres Lee’s Red Guards turn on the chairman
  1. The shape of things to come: the Lee Jae-myung government
  2. My neighbor’s become the new President of South Korea, but I’ve never seen him in person.
  3. Just 100 days in, President Lee’s grip is already loosening
  4. The Statesman Abroad, The Civil War at Home; Unions calling for delaying retirement
  5. Is Lee Jae-myung’s dignity phase over?
  6. Pork-Barrel Chips and an Inner-Party Civil War
  7. Does Pres Lee dream of Putin? - Weekly Kontext
  8. A Chuseok Carol
  9. President Lee is starting to sound like ex-Pres Yoon
  10. Pres Lee’s press conference: the floor gave way in a day; Han Dong-hoon’s harder job
  11. Pres Lee’s Red Guards turn on the chairman
Inside the Minjoo Party 9 readings, 2022 to 2026 Latest: Pork-Barrel Chips and an Inner-Party Civil War
  1. Another wave of sexual misconduct rocks Minjoo
  2. deep dive: Minjoo approval rate hits a new low as election closes in
  3. Park Ji-hyun: the flame burning down
  4. Moon’s guys regroup as Lee’s standing staggers by scandals
  5. Downward momentum of Lee’s Minjoo party
  6. Mystery of Lee’s Minjoo takeover
  7. Yoon impeached: Minjoo now needs to protect the party from itself
  8. The Statesman Abroad, The Civil War at Home; Unions calling for delaying retirement
  9. Pork-Barrel Chips and an Inner-Party Civil War
Elections 8 readings, 2022 to 2026 Latest: June 3 election: Minjoo’s Pyrrhic Victory
  1. deep dive: Minjoo approval rate hits a new low as election closes in
  2. Will Lee survive this election?
  3. 2024 Election: 20-inch nails in Korean democracy’s coffin
  4. observations after the election
  5. Yoon and Lee’s fates sealed: impeachment and the next election
  6. A technocrat ends his career as a clown; ROK’s one-party future?
  7. Whose fates will June 3rd seal?
  8. June 3 election: Minjoo’s Pyrrhic Victory
Foreign and security policy 8 readings, 2022 to 2026 Latest: Pres Lee switches off the foreign policy autopilot and steers north
  1. Why did Moon recommend China apologist book to public?
  2. South Korea’s strange foreign policy NIMBYism
  3. Nuclear-powered submarines; NewJeans and Corporate Korea’s crisis management
  4. A Xi-style purge, with a nuclear submarine on the side
  5. Why Seoul’s Unification Ministry is Going Rogue
  6. Korea is running through its security inheritance
  7. A serenade to Pyongyang, drowned out by a mine
  8. Pres Lee switches off the foreign policy autopilot and steers north
Economy and markets 5 readings, 2023 to 2026 Latest: KOSPI 5000, Again; President’s Private Mortgage
  1. Angelina Jolie allegedly loved jeonse, but would she still do now?
  2. Nuclear-powered submarines; NewJeans and Corporate Korea’s crisis management
  3. The Statesman Abroad, The Civil War at Home; Unions calling for delaying retirement
  4. Pork-Barrel Chips and an Inner-Party Civil War
  5. KOSPI 5000, Again; President’s Private Mortgage
Media, culture and the public mood 9 readings, 2023 to 2026 Latest: What to make of the Olympic Park protests
  1. They all dream of those days
  2. Han Kang and the question of translation
  3. The Whirlwind: Korean Politics Through a New Lens
  4. Kim Ou-joon: poisoning democracy’s well
  5. The Actor, Nuna-gate, and Bone Broth
  6. Lessons from Angry Staff History Month
  7. The Tyranny of the Overrepresented Few
  8. an opined primer on Korean media landscape
  9. What to make of the Olympic Park protests

2026

  1. Pres Lee’s Red Guards turn on the chairman
  2. Pres Lee switches off the foreign policy autopilot and steers north
  3. A serenade to Pyongyang, drowned out by a mine
  4. Pres Lee’s press conference: the floor gave way in a day; Han Dong-hoon’s harder job
  5. President Lee is starting to sound like ex-Pres Yoon
  6. A Chuseok Carol
  7. Korea is running through its security inheritance
  8. The institutions Korea is spending down: Judiciary and Criminal Justice
  9. Does Pres Lee dream of Putin? - Weekly Kontext
  10. KOSPI 5000, Again; President’s Private Mortgage
  11. What to make of the Olympic Park protests
  12. Pork-Barrel Chips and an Inner-Party Civil War
  13. June 3 election: Minjoo’s Pyrrhic Victory
  14. Whose fates will June 3rd seal?
  15. an opined primer on Korean media landscape
  16. The Tyranny of the Overrepresented Few
  17. Is Lee Jae-myung’s dignity phase over?
  18. Too much salmon will kill you: How Minjoo’s crusade to save Lee Jae-myung could backfire
  19. Undoing Criminal Justice in the Name of Democracy: how a decades-long partisan vendetta is reshaping South Korea’s security apparatus
  20. Lessons from Angry Staff History Month

2025

  1. Why Seoul’s Unification Ministry is Going Rogue
  2. The Actor, Nuna-gate, and Bone Broth
  3. A Xi-style purge, with a nuclear submarine on the side
  4. The Statesman Abroad, The Civil War at Home; Unions calling for delaying retirement
  5. Nuclear-powered submarines; NewJeans and Corporate Korea’s crisis management
  6. Just 100 days in, President Lee’s grip is already loosening
  7. South Korea’s strange foreign policy NIMBYism
  8. My neighbor’s become the new President of South Korea, but I’ve never seen him in person.
  9. A technocrat ends his career as a clown; ROK’s one-party future?
  10. The shape of things to come: the Lee Jae-myung government
  11. Yoon and Lee’s fates sealed: impeachment and the next election
  12. Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?

2024

  1. Kim Ou-joon: poisoning democracy’s well
  2. Yoon impeached: Minjoo now needs to protect the party from itself
  3. Impeaching Yoon: everyone’s taking wrong cues from history
  4. Why Yoon staged a coup that lasted less than 160 minutes
  5. The Whirlwind: Korean Politics Through a New Lens
  6. Han Kang and the question of translation
  7. (im)peaches and koalas
  8. Will the salmon set Lee free?
  9. observations after the election
  10. 2024 Election: 20-inch nails in Korean democracy’s coffin
  11. Mystery of Lee’s Minjoo takeover
  12. Yoon vs doctors: scapegoating works every time
  13. Yoon handed his Brutus a dagger and he’s ready to wield it

2023

  1. They all dream of those days
  2. Downward momentum of Lee’s Minjoo party
  3. Yoon Seok-yeol: who he actually is and what awaits him in the April election
  4. The gangster who sent $8m in cash to North Korea
  5. Angelina Jolie allegedly loved jeonse, but would she still do now?
  6. Moon’s guys regroup as Lee’s standing staggers by scandals

2022

  1. Yoon reshuffles his office; new wave of technocrats
  2. Why did Moon recommend China apologist book to public?
  3. Park Ji-hyun: the flame burning down
  4. Will Lee survive this election?
  5. deep dive: Minjoo approval rate hits a new low as election closes in
  6. Yoon appoints Han despite Minjoo’s opposition
  7. Another wave of sexual misconduct rocks Minjoo
  8. Pres Yoon’s inauguration speech, highlighted
  9. How would history remember Moon administration?
  10. Moon signed prosecutor bill, but it won’t save him from President’s curse
  11. Why did Moon do this awkward interview?
  12. Yoon and PPP keep making bad calls over prosecutor reform
  13. deep dive: Minjoo’s prosecutor reform
  14. Moon’s strategic ambiguity on prosecutor reform
  15. Is Yoon trapping Minjoo by appointing Han as Justice Minister?
  16. Moon is the most popular prez ever, but what legacy will he leave?
  17. What Yoon transition team and WrestleMania have in common
  18. Moon meets Yoon while Park returns
  19. Behind the Moon-Yoon conflict: could Moon evade the curse of President?
  20. Battle for Yongsan between Moon and Yoon