South Korea's short-lived martial law and impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol has shocked the world and crushed confidence in Asia's fourth-largest economy. Even before these events, the country was suffering from sluggish economic growth combined with the worst-performing stock market and currency in the region throughout 2024. What's next for South Korea's political process and what will it take to revive its financial markets?

Hyosung Kwon, an economist at Bloomberg Economics in Seoul, joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to discuss the political and economic risks that lie ahead for South Korea.

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It's that time of year when we look to what the next 12 months have in store. Currencies are set to weaken against a strong dollar, so which ones may provide a degree of safety? Equities outperformed in 2024 but tariffs hang over trade-sensitive countries and the tech and AI sectors may have peaked. Where can investors find the most value? And geopolitical risk and a new US-China trade war have yet to be fully priced into the market, so what does that mean for credit?

Asia Centric convenes a panel of Bloomberg Intelligence analysts to preview 2025. Joining hosts John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva this week are Stephen Chiu, chief Asia FX and rates strategist, Marvin Chen, senior equity strategist, and senior credit strategist Timothy Tan.

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Hong Kong nightlife isn't what it used to be, with fewer revelers spending less than in the pre-pandemic boom – indicative, perhaps, of wider political and demographic changes taking place in the city. Yet entertainment and property mogul Allan Zeman – known as the “father of Lan Kwai Fong” after the bar area he established in the 1980s – remains upbeat and optimistic. Despite business being slower and rents lower, he welcomes the influx of mainland visitors as new tenants adapt to the changes. For Zeman, Hong Kong is far from over.

He joins hosts John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast to discuss Hong Kong’s changing landscape. Patrick Wong, senior property analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, also outlines the challenges facing office landlords and luxury retailers – and reveals who stands to gain.

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US President-elect Donald Trump is already providing a preview of what's to come for US-China relations when he enters the White House, appointing several China hawks to his team and vowing to impose additional tariffs. Stephen Roach, economist and former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, believes the world should take Trump at his word over tariff threats and that it signals his second term could be more contentious than the first.

Roach also defends his controversial comments earlier this year that "Hong Kong is over" as ties with the mainland strengthen and the economy remains weak. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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Falling interest rates could spark a return to real estate M&A deals across the Asia-Pacific region, according to Ivy Ng, APAC Chief Investment Officer at DWS Group. Ng joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast to break down where she sees the biggest opportunities and risks, and argues the worst may be over for the sector.

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President-elect Donald Trump's sweeping election victory and cabinet appointments point to more protectionist policies and market volatility, with broad implications for Asia. China is firmly in the crosshairs, but previous US efforts to contain its advance -- particularly in technology -- have largely faltered, according to Bloomberg Economics and Bloomberg Intelligence.

Tom Orlik, chief economist at Bloomberg Economics in Washington, D.C., joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to outline what the next four years may bring for the global economy and US-China relations -- and the potential risks.

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Food trends across Asia are shifting rapidly with declining populations, wealthier consumers eating more meat and climate change upending supply and prices. China is set to be overtaken by India as the world's number one driver of food demand, according to the UN, further shifting the picture.

Darin Friedrichs, co-founder of Sitonia Consulting, speaks with Bloomberg Intelligence's John Lee and Bloomberg News' Asia economics correspondent Katia Dmitrieva about how best to navigate the changes to come.

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China could deploy more stimulus -- and officials have more policy space and tools to do so than many other major economies, according to Weijian Shan, Executive Chairman of PAG, an Asia-based investment firm with more than $55 billion in assets under management. Despite being bullish on China's growth prospects, Shan says the nation still needs to find a way to pivot toward the consumer.

Shan, who grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution and later counted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as his PhD adviser in the US, shares his thoughts on the world's second-largest economy and investment opportunities in Japan. He also discusses some of his biggest deals, including the $8 billion investment into one of the world's largest shopping mall managers. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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