Samsung strike deal, Starbucks backlash and Lee-Takaichi summit — Ep. 133

This week on the Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin Kim, John Lee and Joon Ha Park break down a packed week in South Korean politics, business and diplomacy — starting with Samsung Electronics’ last-minute labor deal that averted a planned strike.  The episode also examines the fallout from Starbucks Korea’s controversial “Tank Day” marketing campaign, which drew backlash for language and imagery linked to South Korea’s pro-democracy history.  The conversation then turns to President Lee Jae Myung’s summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Andong, following Lee’s earlier visit to Takaichi’s hometown of Nara in January.  Later, the team looks at the Strait of Hormuz crisis, after the South Korean tanker HMM Universal Winner became the first of dozens of stranded Korean vessels to leave the waterway.  About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Managing Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday. This episode was recorded on Thursday, May 21st, 2026. Audio edited by Alannah Hill