Value of the 'Linchpin' Alliance Between the US and South Korea with Ambassador Chung Eui-yong | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

About this episode

Chung Eui-yong and H.R. McMaster discuss the future of the US-ROK alliance amid North Korea's threats and regional dynamics.

Join Chung Eui-yong, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the future of the US–ROK alliance in the face of North Korea’s accelerating weapons programs, the implications of a growing Russia–North Korea partnership, and how Washington and Seoul can strengthen deterrence while preserving space for diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Chung Eui-yong is the former minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Korea. Minister Chung joined South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971. He later served in the National Assembly and contributed to deliberations over the US–Korea Free Trade Agreement. In 2017, President Moon Jae-in appointed him director of the National Security Office, where he coordinated South Korea’s national security strategy. He went on to serve as foreign minister from 2021 to 2022, helping steer South Korea’s alliance management, North Korea policy, and regional engagement. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the…

People in this episode

Host: H.R. McMaster

Guest: Chung Eui-yong

Topics covered

• US-South Korea relations
• North Korea weapons programs
• diplomacy
• deterrence
• international security

Keywords

• US-ROK alliance
• North Korea
• diplomacy
• deterrence
• H.R. McMaster
• Chung Eui-yong
• international relations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hoover Institution

Places: Republic of Korea, North Korea, South Korea, Washington, Seoul, Russia

More episodes of Today’s Battlegrounds

• Greece’s Comeback: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Economy, Security, and Governance | Hoover Institution · June 11, 2026 · 46 min
• Germany: The Future of Transatlantic Relations | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution · June 9, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Finland: NATO’s First Line of Defense | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution · June 2, 2026 · 52 min
• Cuba at a Crossroads: Crisis and the Long Struggle for Liberty | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution · May 13, 2026 · 47 min
• The Iran Wars: History, Ideology, and Prospects for Peace | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution · April 24, 2026 · 44 min
• Denmark and the Future of NATO: What Comes Next for Western Security? | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution · April 15, 2026 · 33 min