Former South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha also ponders the challenges posed by Kim Jong Un’s moves on missiles and Moscow, and Seoul’s ties with Japan. 

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with Dr Kang Kyung-Wha, the incoming President and CEO of Asia Society. In 2017, she was the first woman to be appointed foreign minister of South Korea, holding the post until early 2021.

They discuss how she handled the Trump administration as foreign minister, the South’s position on nuclear deterrence vis a vis a provocative Pyongyang, and her plans for Asia Society.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:38: The US is “certainly overextended”; will US interest in Asia survive a Trump return?

10:11 US-China tensions “will probably increase”

15:30 On North Korea: “War preparation is not the right interpretation”

22:36 Analysing the Kim Jong Un-Putin relationship; does South Korea intend to go nuclear?

30:30 On her experience on multilateral diplomacy

34:54 Will Asia Society open a China office?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

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