Thousands of children from South Korea have been adopted by Australian families over decades.

In many cases, these children were raised to believe they were orphans – and their adoptive families believed they were doing something loving and selfless by giving them a home.

But a much more sinister truth has been laid bare: South Korea’s own Truth and Reconciliation Commission exposed how many of those adoptions were built on falsified orphan records, and traced trafficking and forged documents back to the agencies involved.

Today, associate editor for The Saturday Paper, Martin McKenzie-Murray, on the trafficking of fake orphans, and whether Australia is finally ready to confront its role in the trade.

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Guest: Associate editor for The Saturday Paper, Martin McKenzie-Murray.

Photo: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

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Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his plans to step up his country’s attacks on Gaza, with “extensive ground operations”. Israeli officials have described the strategy as “conquering” and occupying the strip.

That plan is now underway, with ground operations in the north and in the south.

In the past week, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, making it one of the deadliest periods in Gaza since ceasefire negotiations broke down in March.

Last week, Donald Trump visited the Middle East – but didn’t go to Israel.

Today, Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom, on Trump’s role in the conflict – and what it would take for the war to end.

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Guest: Middle East correspondent for The Economist Gregg Carlstrom

Photo: EPA/Abir Sultan

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Larissa Waters is the new leader of the Australian Greens.

She steps in as the party reels from its election wipe-out, losing three of its four seats in the House of Representatives – including that of Adam Bandt.

Senator Waters’ task is to repair the Greens’ image: Labor has painted the party as obstructive and militant, and that perception has cost the Greens votes.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe, on Larissa Waters – why she won, and whether she can rebuild the Greens.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe

Photo: AAP / Joel Carrett

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Josephine Rowe’s writing has been described by the New York Times as “gorgeous” and “precise”. This is particularly evident in her latest novel, Little World; a slender book that offers a deeper, denser exploration of ideas than its modest page count might suggest. This week on Read This, Michael sits down with Josephine to discuss the genesis of Little World and why a library card might be her most prized possession.

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When Labor insiders are asked who was responsible for their thumping election victory, one name keeps coming up: Paul Erickson.

Even though Erickon likes to keep a low profile, Anthony Albanese made a point of thanking him in his victory speech on election night.

So, who is Paul Erickson? And what is next for the quiet force behind Labor’s landslide win?

Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis, on the electoral battles that shaped Paul Erickson and whether he has a future in parliament.

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis

Photo: AAP Image / Mick Tsikas

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Three years ago this month, Sussan Ley stood beside Peter Dutton as his deputy, the newly installed pair projecting confidence about the contest ahead.

Ley backed Dutton enthusiastically. But now, in 2025, she faces the public as the Coalition’s new leader after voters rejected the Dutton-Ley project and handed the Liberals its worst defeat on record.

The task before Ley is threefold: unite the Coalition, reset its policy platform, and win back the city women and younger voters who deserted the Liberal Party.

Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow, on Sussan Ley’s uphill battle to rebuild the Coalition.

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Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Barlow

Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

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When Anthony Albanese’s new ministry was sworn in this week, it was overshadowed by the axing of Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus.

Husic in particular didn’t go quietly, calling Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles a “factional assassin”.

After a landslide victory – with 93 seats and counting –  the prime minister could choose from a significant talent pool to assemble the ministry. But the process was limited by longstanding factional rules.

Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis, on whether factions help or hurt the Labor Party – and who won out.

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis

Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

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Today, the Liberal Party will elect a new leader. Whoever is chosen will have to figure out how to attract women back to the party – both candidates and voters. 

But Julia Banks thinks that ship has sailed and it’s time for a new coalition.

Today, the former Liberal MP on what it’s like to be a woman in the party – and why she’ll never go back.

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Guest: Former Liberal MP, Julia Banks.

Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

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Just before 4.30pm last Wednesday, Antony Green called it for the ABC: Greens leader Adam Bandt had lost his seat.

Fifteen years after Bandt won the inner-urban seat of Melbourne from the ALP, Labor has taken it back – along with two of the Greens’ other three seats – leaving the party with just a single MP in the House of Representatives and without a leader.

The wipeout came as a shock to the Greens, who had high hopes of increasing their number of representatives in parliament.

But despite the shock result, this election sits alongside 2010 and 2022 as among the party’s largest ever share of votes.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe, on where it all went wrong, and what now for the Greens.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe

Photo: AAP Image / Diego Fedele

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In addition to being an established novelist, James Bradley is also a journalist and writer of non-fiction, much of it concerned with the natural world and the myriad threats it faces. Set in the near future, in a world that is in the grips of climate catastrophe, his latest novel, Landfall, is a crime thriller at its heart. On this episode of Read This, Michael and James discuss what it means to write into a specific genre and why kindness is so important in both this novel and the world.

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A week ago, most pundits were predicting a hung parliament as the likely outcome of Australia’s federal election. Instead, Labor has secured one of its largest majorities in recent decades – eclipsing even Bob Hawke’s first-term result.

Anthony Albanese now commands near-unquestioned authority within his party. But as the celebrations subside, questions are already emerging about how his government will use that mandate and whether hubris could undo it.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, on Labor’s historic win and the risks that follow a landslide.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno

Photo: AAP/Mick Tsikas

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