logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
20m 11s

Dark side of the Yoon: South Korea’s cha...

The Economist
About this episode

The country’s increasingly unpopular president, Yoon Suk Yeol, backed down six hours after his shocking move of imposing martial law. South Korea’s democracy has held firm—so far. Brazil’s gangsters have found a neat way to launder assets through the legal economy: by getting involved with politics (7:26). And the hefty computations going into the design of breeze-free badminton arenas (15:17).


Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Up next
Yesterday
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Jul 8
The French reconnection: Macron in Britain
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operati ... Show More
21m 10s
Jul 7
Trump card: can he broker a Gaza deal?
While Israel and Hamas officials discuss a ceasefire via mediators in Qatar, a key meeting will take place at the White House today, when Israel’s prime minister talks to the US president. Why the Chinese Communist Party is removing alcohol from official events. And remembering J ... Show More
21m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Arrest development: South Korea’s Yoon held
After dramatic scenes in South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained on insurrection charges, stemming from his attempt to impose martial law in December. But, says our correspondent, the political and economic fallout is not over. The craze for plastic surgery reaches ... Show More
22m 44s
Apr 4
Over the Yoon: South Korea ousts president
South Korea has been paralysed since its president declared martial law in December. Even after his impeachment, politicians face a divided polity and battered economy. Why governments should pay attention to the “Henry” – High Earner, Not Rich Yet (9:49). And what tiffs over tof ... Show More
20m 59s
Jan 2025
Three presidents and counting: South Korea
The country is on its third president in as many weeks—a deep political crisis only made worse by the most deadly air disaster in South Korean history. A change to how Brazil’s football teams are run has lured investment galore, making for a potential rival to England’s top leagu ... Show More
21m 54s
Jun 27
Going gang-buster: we meet Ecuador’s president
Yesterday’s arrest of a notorious gang leader is a win for Daniel Noboa. He assures our journalists he can beat back rampant transnational gangs without trampling democracy. The torrent of big geopolitical news has, perhaps surprisingly, not much moved the markets; we ask why. An ... Show More
25m 48s
Apr 17
Trump’s fickle, Xi’s pickle: the dynamic driving US-China tensions
President Xi Jinping’s style of negotiating is staid, distanced, a quiet projection of power. President Donald Trump’s is not. That dynamic is complicating their gargantuan standoff. Spain ends up with more and more remains of migrants who die on their journeys—and its morgues ca ... Show More
24m 57s
Dec 2024
South Korea turmoil, Biden’s Africa legacy and AI around the house
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces impeachment after declaring martial law only to climb down hours later. President Joe Biden pledges lasting U.S. engagement with Africa during his 11th-hour visit to Angola. And how Neo, the humanoid AI bot, might be able to help out aro ... Show More
12m 38s
Aug 2024
Enter staged right: misinformation feeds Britain’s riots
Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the violence, and how to end it swiftly. Japanese politics had until recently been anachronistically tame; not so now that the social ... Show More
22m 37s
Feb 2025
Leeward: we meet South Korea’s probable president
We meet the opposition leader who is likely to be the next president. Cleaning up the domestic mess after an alleged coup would seem easy compared with his tasks on the international stage. Our correspondent reports on renewed violence in Colombia; again, or still, it is about co ... Show More
25m 4s
Dec 2024
Evening Edition: Short Lived Martial Law Declaration In South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law overnight but hours later the parliament unanimously voted against the measure lifting the lockdown. President Yoon said the move was made to eradicate North Korean supporters and 'anti-state forces'. It does raise concern ... Show More
16m 6s
May 23
Get rich, quick: Vietnam’s next revolution
The country’s leader is in a mad rush to transform his country into an upper-middle-income powerhouse before geopolitical forces stall its rise. America’s army is being thinned out; we examine the risks of putting both weapons and generals on the chopping block (10:12). And remem ... Show More
24m 59s