Country Representative

Asa Torkelsson serves as UNFPA Chief of the Seoul Representation Office in the Republic of Korea starting from the 1st of May 2024.

She brings a wealth of experience in international development, advocating for gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women, and youth empowerment worldwide.

Asa is a sociologist and development economist with a career spanning 25+ years in the multilateral system (FAO, IFAD, UN Women, UNFPA, World Bank) providing leadership and advice towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, serving at country-, regional- and HQ levels.

Since 2018, Asa has served as a UNFPA leader, starting as Representative in Bangladesh, and, since 2021 as Representative in Malaysia and Country Director Thailand.

She uses strategic foresight and interdisciplinary sensibilities to lead teams towards weaving and stretching ICPD into new programming frontiers, managing complexity and change, activating strategic partnerships, and catalyzing innovation, thereby magnetizing resources and accelerating impact and scale.

Examples are brokering IFI/World Bank/Government financing and positioning UNFPA in the humanitarian response in Bangladesh, scaling private sector partnerships, digital life cycle innovation and South-South cooperation in Thailand, and introducing Islamic financing and advocating to expand the nexus reproductive and productive rights for all ages in Malaysia.

Architect of collaboration, she thrives at propelling joint purpose into action, harnessing individual talent for collective genius, and fostering collaborative and diverse workspaces, renowned for innovation and growth.

Active as UN mentor, she takes joy in mentoring and supporting young women leaders.

She has led multiple evidence-based signature interagency research and initiatives, influencing new arenas and audiences across the development and humanitarian nexus, and upper middle income country contexts, towards enhancing demographic resilience and sustainable and just solutions for the underserved.

In her role as the UNFPA Chief of the Seoul Representation Office, Asa Torkelsson will continue to strengthen partnerships with the Government of the Republic of Korea, civil society, academia, and the private sector, advocating further for inclusive policies and programs that empower individuals worldwide and promote sustainable development for all.

Asa holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in Economic Sociology, Rural Sociology, and Gender Studies, from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, a master’s degree in development economics from the University of Gothenburg, and a bachelor’s degree in international social science from the University of Stockholm.

Asa is married and the mother of three.

Photo by 여성신문(Women News)