Thanks, Ed! Yes, I’m looking forward to visiting — and to reconnecting with colleagues and friends in Australia, since I’ll be nearby!

Thank you :)

I’d also like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has helped me grow as a scholar and a person – especially my mentors, colleagues, students, and friends at Georgetown University, @usc.edu, @aparc.stanford.edu, and @global-wm.bsky.social. I look forward to continuing to learn from you all☺️

As I begin preparing for the next chapter of my academic journey in New Zealand – back in the Asia-Pacific region🌏, after 11 incredible years in the US 🇺🇸 – I’m thankful to my colleagues at @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social for the warm welcome and support. Looking forward to building the community together! 🙌🏻

Thanks for sharing my recent public engagement work, including the op-ed and podcast. I’m grateful for the continued support 💐

You can check this out on multiple platforms using the link below:
🔗 Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQr8...
🔗 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0b6V...
🔗 Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/e...
🔗 iHeartRadio: www.iheart.com/podcast/269-...

Big thanks to A.J. Manuzzi at the John Quincy Adams Society (JQAS) and Michelle Anne Newby at Defense Priorities for the great conversation!

In the later half, we also discussed the future of the U.S.-South Korea alliance in the wake of the election of new President Lee Jae-myung and whether nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is viable! Here, I’ve expanded on a few key points from my National Interest piece with @daveckang.bsky.social

As a democracy, S. Korea’s foreign policy must also reflect public sentiment. Polling data suggests that S. Korean citizens do not view China’s rise as inherently threatening. Instead, they see the intensifying US-China rivalry, as an immediate & multifaceted source of threat.

Unlike his predecessor, who adopted “peace through strength” approach, President Lee pursues “peace through dialogue,” saying “peace and economy go hand in hand.” While not discarding deterrence, Lee places greater emphasis on reassurance, inter-Korean dialogue, & pragmatism.

Even now disgraced President Yoon Suk-yeol, “arguably the most conservative South Korean leader in decades, did not abandon relations with Beijing in favor of an exclusive alignment with Washington."

“In that sense, Yoon was the aberration. If his presidency served as a litmus test for how far to the right South Korea is willing to go, the results were telling: As a general rule, Seoul prefers to maintain cooperative ties with China.”

A closer look at government documents shows “Every 🇰🇷 president, whether liberal or conservative…all have recognized the necessity of living with China. None have embraced a policy of containment or economic decoupling; the enduring orientation has been pragmatic coexistence.”

🧵 Thread on key takeaways:
What is often overlooked in Washington🇺🇸 is that S. Korea shares some, but not all, American priorities. This is not new and shows no signs of changing.

Yeah, I believe the core ideas that underpin democracy are fine (though not without flaws). The real problem today is that these principles are either not upheld at all or are reduced to procedural formalities, rather than being practiced as substantive democracy imho :/

It’s hard to see any upside in this grave situation, but if there is one, it’s that many more people are now rapidly recognizing how deeply international law has been distorted and are seeing the unmasked face of exceptionalism and hypocrisy.