Welcome to PART TWO... of THE DAILY REPORT.
In today's segment... of VIEW POINT... we touch upon... the Yoon administration's foreign
policy priorities...
as shared... over the past week... since...
taking office.
For more…
I have Professor MIN Jeong-hun … from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
Professor Min… it’s good to have you… here.
I also have Professor Mason Richey… at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies…
LIVE on the LINE.
Professor Richey… it’s been a while.
Welcome back.
1) Professor Min… let's begin then... with Seoul's ties... with Washington.
The first foreign delegation... to the presidential office... in Yongsan... was led... by Douglas
Emhoff... the husband... of U.S. Vice President...
Kamala Harris.
Do you suppose...
this pecking order... is further indication... of the Yoon administration's priority... on
its ties... with the Biden administration?
(That being said... in what areas...
can we expect...
significant advancements?)
2) Professor Richey…
President Yoon Suk-yeol's first telephone conversation...
with... a foreign leader...
following his election victory...
was...
President Biden.
And... that call came... just five hours...
after...
the announcement... of Yoon's win.
What are your thoughts... on the timing... of this exchange?
(In other words...
what...
do you suppose... are the implications... of this quick connection?)
3) Professor Min… last Thursday…
North Korea fired...
three ballistic missiles…
toward the East Sea.
The provocation came just hours after confirming its first COVID-19 outbreak.
What…
do you suppose… are Pyeongyang’s intentions?
4) Professor Richey… in his inauguration speech...
President Yoon spoke... of significant support... for North Korea... should it surrender...
its nuclear ambitions.
These remarks stand... in sharp contrast... to his hardline rhetoric... against Pyeongyang's
provocations... while... on the campaign trail.
How do you explain...
this shift... in tone?
5) Professor Min…
some believe…
the Yoon administration is seeking… a carrot-and-stick policy...
with regard to North Korea… especially…
considering…
remarks from his Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup… who has warned of a “stern” response to
Pyeongyang's acts of provocation.
How feasible... will... this approach... be?
6) Professor Richey… beyond... the Korean peninsula...
Yoon's government faces... the task... of enhancing...
Seoul-Tokyo ties.
Now... speaking with Japanese lawmakers... who had attended...
his inauguration...
last week...
President Yoon said... he opposed...
politicizing... historical matters.
What are your thoughts?
((Will this... be possible...
even... in the wake... of Japan's false claims... over Dokdo... and historical events... including...
the issue of comfort women?))
7) Professor Min… it has been said... that members of Japan's ruling party...
believe...
Tokyo should refrain... from actions...
considered...
too conciliatory...
BEFORE...
Seoul takes... tangible steps... to mend ties.
What steps... might...
they... be talking about?
8) Professor Richey… staying within this region.
Chinese Vice President WANG QISHAN... attended...
the inauguration...
last week... and... he is reportedly...
the highest-ranking Chinese official... to ever... attend... a
South Korean presidential inauguration.
What...
do
you believe...
are Beijing's intentions?
9) Professor Min…
President Yoon
has been invited to China... by his Chinese counterpart...
Xi Jinping... but...
some pundits believe...
it's time... now... for the Chinese leader... to make... his way... to South Korea.
How do you respond?
10) Professor Richey… while...
President Yoon has spoken of placing priority... on ties with Washington...
observers say... he'll need... to navigate regional waters... carefully...
given...
Seoul's economic ties with Beijing.
What do you propose?
11) Professor Min… the Yoon administration intends... to expand...
South Korea's role... on the international stage… and as part of such efforts…
President Yoon pledged... additional financial support... to the global fight... against
the pandemic... during the second virtual COVID-19 summit…
last week.
Having said that...
what are...
some other tangible roles… that
the new government can take on?
All
right