ROK gets 1st female foreign minister

SEOUL - A United Nations veteran was appointed on Sunday as the Republic of Korea's first female foreign minister, tasked with easing tensions over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Kang Kyung-wha, 62, served as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs before becoming a senior policy adviser to UN chief Antonio Guterres this year.

Her appointment by President Moon Jae-in comes less than two weeks before Moon's first trip to the United States for a summit with President Donald Trump as fears grow over Pyongyang's weapons programme.