Kang Kyung-wha, the former ROK foreign minister who helped steer diplomacy with North Korea from 2018-19, took up her post as Seoul’s new ambassador to Washington on Monday, amid renewed speculation about the potential revival of U.S.-DPRK talks.

In her inaugural address at the South Korean Embassy, Kang said “the foundation of our pragmatic diplomacy lies in the ROK-U.S. alliance,” pledging to strengthen cooperation across security, economic and advanced technology sectors.