Start / The Foreign Desk / Explainer 446 the south korean coup that wasnt

Explainer 446: The South Korean coup that wasn’t

7 min • 4 december 2024

As South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol attempts to undo last night’s shock announcement of martial law, Andrew Mueller explains the real reasons behind the attempted coup.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senaste avsnitt

Is a liberal Israel recoverable and might that be the key to peace?

16 augusti | 30 min

Explainer 479: Who are the Balochistan Liberation Army and why have they suddenly attracted US attention?

13 augusti | 7 min

Cameroon’s forgotten crisis: Is reconciliation in the Anglo-Franco schism possible?

26 juli | 39 min

Explainer 477: What is behind the violence in Syria?

23 juli | 6 min

Explainer 476: Lesotho’s one-man fight for South African land

22 juli | 8 min

The future of warfare

19 juli | 34 min

Dynastic democracies

12 juli | 34 min

Explainer 475: Why has Russia recognised the Taliban?

9 juli | 7 min

How to topple a tyrant

5 juli | 36 min

Explainer 474: Tuvalu’s climate-change escape to Australia

2 juli | 7 min

Has the ‘12-Day War’ settled anything?

28 juni | 34 min

Explainer 473: Cambodia, Thailand and phone-call warfare

25 juni | 7 min

The view of Europe from Globsec Forum 2025

21 juni | 42 min

Explainer 472: The furious funeral row over Zambia’s former president

18 juni | 9 min

‘The Foreign Desk’ in Odesa: the international ripple effects of war in Ukraine

14 juni | 40 min

Explainer 471: Who gets to be an Italian citizen?

11 juni | 8 min

Odesa, the Black Sea, the front line and Ukraine’s future

7 juni | 38 min

Explainer 470: The on-again, off-again US-Iran nuclear talks

4 juni | 8 min

Are journalists safe?

31 maj | 36 min

Explainer 469: Who are India’s Maoists?

28 maj | 7 min

Why does Russia still have influence in eastern Europe?

24 maj | 32 min

Explainer 468: Tantrum or tactic? Why has Australia’s National Party split from the Liberals?

21 maj | 8 min

Does the dream of a Kurdish state end with the PKK?

17 maj | 32 min

Explainer 467: Why does Qatar want to gift Trump a jet?

14 maj | 8 min

The Trump factor

10 maj | 34 min

Explainer 466: What actually happens during a papal conclave (as far as we know)?

7 maj | 7 min

The most extraordinary first 100 days of any US presidency?

3 maj | 41 min

Explainer 465: Who is behind the terrorist attack on Kashmir?

30 april | 8 min

Live from Delphi: What’s brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean?

26 april | 28 min

Explainer 464: The threats facing Ecuador: real or invented?

23 april | 7 min

Live from Delphi: has the sun set on the transatlantic relationship?

19 april | 34 min

Explainer 463: Why is a UK MP facing corruption charges in Bangladesh?

16 april | 7 min

Live from Delphi: how to respond to Trump’s trade war

12 april | 37 min

Explainer 462: Is Mali and Algeria’s feud really about drones?

9 april | 8 min

Why has Israel gone back to war?

5 april | 36 min

Explainer 461: Marine Le Pen and the movable feast of far-right law and order

2 april | 8 min

Is Erdoğan’s crackdown backfiring?

29 mars | 33 min

Explainer 460: Jeffrey Goldberg has exited the war chat

26 mars | 9 min

Syria: Is this going to work?

22 mars | 38 min

Explainer 459: Why has Rwanda severed ties with Belgium?

19 mars | 7 min

Nato’s frontline: the view from the Baltics

15 mars | 38 min

Explainer 458: Why is Rodrigo Duterte being sent to The Hague?

12 mars | 9 min

Has the US given up?

8 mars | 38 min

Explainer 457: What does Ukraine do now?

5 mars | 7 min

Russia’s ripple effect

1 mars | 39 min

Explainer 456: What’s halting Germany’s defence? History.

26 februari | 7 min

Very well, alone?

22 februari | 39 min

Explainer 455: Mauritius’s money-laundering prime minister

19 februari | 7 min

Is Serbia OK?

15 februari | 39 min

Explainer 454: New Zealand’s beef with its neighbours

12 februari | 6 min

How to win a trade war

8 februari | 31 min

Explainer 453: Does China really control the Panama Canal?

5 februari | 8 min

What is Rwanda doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

1 februari | 36 min

Explainer 452: Trump’s Greenland grab

29 januari | 7 min

Can the Israel-Hamas ceasefire become lasting peace?

25 januari | 34 min

Explainer 451: The veteran rebels behind Colombia’s violent turf war

22 januari | 7 min

Mr Trump goes to Washington: the sequel

17 januari | 36 min

Explainer 450: What is Lebanon’s new government up against? Spoiler: itself

15 januari | 6 min

The legacies of US presidents

11 januari | 40 min

Explainer 449: Is China cutting Taiwan’s cables or are their wires crossed?

8 januari | 7 min

The geopolitical risks of 2025

4 januari | 36 min

Elections, conflicts and the rise of the right: a look at 2024

28 december 2024 | 35 min

The case for foreign aid

21 december 2024 | 43 min

Explainer 448: Trudeau in trouble

18 december 2024 | 6 min

The spectacular fall of the Assad regime

14 december 2024 | 48 min

Explainer 447: Why is Israel striking Syria?

11 december 2024 | 7 min

The case for indigenous political inclusion

7 december 2024 | 31 min

Explainer 446: The South Korean coup that wasn’t

4 december 2024 | 7 min

Taiwan’s China problem

30 november 2024 | 33 min

Explainer 445: Are Romania’s election candidates really that surprising?

27 november 2024 | 7 min

Is Europe ready for war?

23 november 2024 | 33 min

Explainer 444: Why are New Zealand’s Maori protesting?

20 november 2024 | 6 min

Trump’s doctrine: the sequel

16 november 2024 | 41 min

Explainer 443: The motives behind Equatorial Guinea’s sex scandal

13 november 2024 | 8 min

Trump returns: what now?

9 november 2024 | 44 min

Explainer 442: The election result making Europe breathe a sigh of relief

6 november 2024 | 6 min

US election counterintuitives

2 november 2024 | 46 min

Explainer 441: In celebration of Uruguay’s drama-free election

30 oktober 2024 | 7 min

How the war in Ukraine has reshaped Asian foreign policy

26 oktober 2024 | 41 min

Explainer 440: Why don’t Australians care about King Charles III?

23 oktober 2024 | 7 min

Artificial intelligence: Scourge or saviour?

19 oktober 2024 | 39 min

Explainer 439: Why can’t UNIFIL keep the peace in Lebanon?

16 oktober 2024 | 7 min

Strange borders

12 oktober 2024 | 39 min

Explainer 438: Is Russia and Ukraine’s gas deal about to blow?

9 oktober 2024 | 7 min

Reflections on 7 October and the future

5 oktober 2024 | 43 min

Explainer 437: Is Austria ‘Back to the Future’?

2 oktober 2024 | 8 min

Where does Hezbollah go from here?

28 september 2024 | 33 min

Explainer 436: Sri Lanka’s new president

25 september 2024 | 6 min

Keeping the Balkan peace

21 september 2024 | 42 min

Explainer 435: Kashmir elections

18 september 2024 | 6 min

In defence of Europe

14 september 2024 | 42 min

Explainer 434: Is the EU-topia failing?

11 september 2024 | 8 min

Globsec 2024 highlights

7 september 2024 | 44 min

Explainer 433: Brazil vs X

4 september 2024 | 8 min

Is centrism in retreat?

31 augusti 2024 | 35 min

Explainer 432: The theatre of war

28 augusti 2024 | 6 min

Explainer 446: The South Korean coup that wasn’t

Senaste avsnitt

Is a liberal Israel recoverable and might that be the key to peace?

Explainer 479: Who are the Balochistan Liberation Army and why have they suddenly attracted US attention?

Is popularity in politics a thing of the past?

Explainer 478: Why does Trump care about Bolsonaro?

The catastrophe in Gaza and the prospects of a Palestinian state

Explainer 478: Why is Islamic State targeting the DRC?

Cameroon’s forgotten crisis: Is reconciliation in the Anglo-Franco schism possible?

Explainer 477: What is behind the violence in Syria?

Explainer 476: Lesotho’s one-man fight for South African land

The future of warfare

Dynastic democracies

Explainer 475: Why has Russia recognised the Taliban?

How to topple a tyrant

Explainer 474: Tuvalu’s climate-change escape to Australia

Has the ‘12-Day War’ settled anything?

Explainer 473: Cambodia, Thailand and phone-call warfare

The view of Europe from Globsec Forum 2025

Explainer 472: The furious funeral row over Zambia’s former president

‘The Foreign Desk’ in Odesa: the international ripple effects of war in Ukraine

Explainer 471: Who gets to be an Italian citizen?

Odesa, the Black Sea, the front line and Ukraine’s future

Explainer 470: The on-again, off-again US-Iran nuclear talks

Are journalists safe?

Explainer 469: Who are India’s Maoists?

Why does Russia still have influence in eastern Europe?

Explainer 468: Tantrum or tactic? Why has Australia’s National Party split from the Liberals?

Does the dream of a Kurdish state end with the PKK?

Explainer 467: Why does Qatar want to gift Trump a jet?

The Trump factor

Explainer 466: What actually happens during a papal conclave (as far as we know)?

The most extraordinary first 100 days of any US presidency?

Explainer 465: Who is behind the terrorist attack on Kashmir?

Live from Delphi: What’s brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean?

Explainer 464: The threats facing Ecuador: real or invented?

Live from Delphi: has the sun set on the transatlantic relationship?

Explainer 463: Why is a UK MP facing corruption charges in Bangladesh?

Live from Delphi: how to respond to Trump’s trade war

Explainer 462: Is Mali and Algeria’s feud really about drones?

Why has Israel gone back to war?

Explainer 461: Marine Le Pen and the movable feast of far-right law and order

Is Erdoğan’s crackdown backfiring?

Explainer 460: Jeffrey Goldberg has exited the war chat

Syria: Is this going to work?

Explainer 459: Why has Rwanda severed ties with Belgium?

Nato’s frontline: the view from the Baltics

Explainer 458: Why is Rodrigo Duterte being sent to The Hague?

Has the US given up?

Explainer 457: What does Ukraine do now?

Russia’s ripple effect

Explainer 456: What’s halting Germany’s defence? History.

Very well, alone?

Explainer 455: Mauritius’s money-laundering prime minister

Is Serbia OK?

Explainer 454: New Zealand’s beef with its neighbours

How to win a trade war

Explainer 453: Does China really control the Panama Canal?

What is Rwanda doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Explainer 452: Trump’s Greenland grab

Can the Israel-Hamas ceasefire become lasting peace?

Explainer 451: The veteran rebels behind Colombia’s violent turf war

Mr Trump goes to Washington: the sequel

Explainer 450: What is Lebanon’s new government up against? Spoiler: itself

The legacies of US presidents

Explainer 449: Is China cutting Taiwan’s cables or are their wires crossed?

The geopolitical risks of 2025

Elections, conflicts and the rise of the right: a look at 2024

The case for foreign aid

Explainer 448: Trudeau in trouble

The spectacular fall of the Assad regime

Explainer 447: Why is Israel striking Syria?

The case for indigenous political inclusion

Explainer 446: The South Korean coup that wasn’t

Taiwan’s China problem

Explainer 445: Are Romania’s election candidates really that surprising?

Is Europe ready for war?

Explainer 444: Why are New Zealand’s Maori protesting?

Trump’s doctrine: the sequel

Explainer 443: The motives behind Equatorial Guinea’s sex scandal