When K-pop diplomacy hits Brussels

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.4 • 205 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2026

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

South Korea’s president is in Brussels for the first EU-South Korea summit in three years — a visit that starts with K-pop diplomacy but quickly moves to chips, trade, defense and China. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart look at why Seoul has become such an important partner for Europe and why South Korea’s role in Europe’s rearmament push is also politically awkward. The due also discuss Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tightening her grip on another strategic file: defense. We unpack how the EU’s new Security Strategy is being shaped inside the Berlaymont, why the diplomatic service is being pushed to the margins and why capitals are watching closely. And finally: With the World Cup about to kick off, Brussels has its own football drama. The European Parliament’s annual football cup has produced coalition teams, fair-play penalties and now a handshake row between the Greens and the ECR. If you have comments, do send us a voice note or a message us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Some follow the noise.
0:03.0	Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion
0:07.7	dollar swings.
0:09.0	There's a money side to every story.
0:11.4	Get the money side of the story.
0:13.5	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:18.2	Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 10, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:28.9	The vibe in Brussels today is K-pop diplomacy.
0:34.1	That is not a vibe.
0:35.3	That is not a vibe.
0:37.3	Oh, Dionis.
0:38.7	He does it again.
0:40.0	The vibe in Brussels today is K-poppy.
0:42.3	As South Korea's president arrives for a summit that starts with soft power and quickly
0:46.7	gets to chips, trade, defence and China.
0:51.1	Also on the pod, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is tightening her grip on yet another strategic file, this time it's defence, and the European Parliament's Football Cup delivers some peak Brussels drama on the pitch and off.
1:05.0	Can't wait.
1:06.2	I'm Zoya Shatlovich, and with me today is Senior Politics Editor Ian Wishart. Hey Ian.
1:10.4	Good morning, Zoya.
1:11.7	Who are you into BTS or Black Pink?
1:16.0	Is that like the emission trading scheme?
1:19.0	No, it's K-pop groups.
	...

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