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South Korea appoints Ambassadors to Netherlands, six other countries

IANS April 28, 2025 306 views

South Korea has announced new ambassadors for seven countries in a delayed diplomatic reshuffle following President Yoon Suk Yeol's removal from office. The appointments include key envoys to the Netherlands, Denmark, and several other nations, reflecting the country's ongoing diplomatic restructuring. Some critical posts, like ambassadorships to China and Indonesia, remain unfilled due to recent political turbulence. These appointments are expected to be the last major diplomatic assignments before the upcoming presidential election on June 3.

"Regular appointments of heads of foreign missions are typically made public twice a year" - Foreign Ministry Press Release"
Seoul, April 28: South Korea appointed new Ambassadors to seven countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark, and consul generals to Kazakhstan and Germany on Monday in a delayed regular reshuffle amid the political crisis following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster.

Key Points

1

South Korea fills key diplomatic posts in Netherlands and Denmark

2

Political reshuffle follows Yoon Suk Yeol's constitutional removal

3

Ambassadors named for Azerbaijan, Croatia, Poland, Lebanon, Iraq

4

Consul generals appointed for Kazakhstan and Germany

Hong Seok-in, Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy, will serve as Ambassador to the Netherlands, with Rhee Dong-yeol, Ambassador for International Cyber Affairs and Special Adviser to the Foreign Minister, to head the embassy in Denmark, the ministry said in a press release.

Kang Kym-gu, who previously served as Charge d'Affaires at the South Korean Embassy in Myanmar, will take up the top envoy post to Azerbaijan.

Lee Seung-buhm, Director-General for the International Policy Bureau at the defence ministry, will serve as Ambassador to Croatia.

Tae Jun-youl, a foreign policy adviser to the Prime Minister, will be serving as the new top envoy to Poland, and Geon Gyu-suk, head of the South Korean representative office to Palestine, will serve as Ambassador to Lebanon.

Lee Jun-il, Director-General for Korean Peninsula policy, will head the embassy in Iraq, Yonhap news agency reported.

Others include Ha Tae-wuk, Deputy Consul-General in the Chinese city of Shenyang, who will serve as Consul-General to Almaty, and Kim Eun-jeong, Director-General for African and Middle Eastern Affairs, who will serve as Consul-General in Frankfurt.

Monday's announcement did not include the names for the top envoy posts in China and Indonesia, which have remained vacant since South Korea was thrown into a political crisis in the wake of Yoon's brief martial law declaration in December.

Yoon appointed his former chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki, as Ambassador to Beijing, but the appointment has been held up since the martial law debacle.

Former Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu has been widely speculated to be the next Ambassador to Indonesia, but he was also not included in the list.

The announcement of the ambassadors came later than usual, as regular appointments of heads of foreign missions are typically made public twice a year -- around the beginning and end of each year.

Monday's announcement is expected to be the last appointments for heads of diplomatic missions before the country elects a new president on June 3. Yoon was removed from office in a Constitutional Court verdict earlier this month.

Reader Comments

J
James L.
Interesting reshuffle! The Netherlands is getting a strong diplomat with Hong Seok-in's experience. Hope these appointments bring stability during this transitional period. 🇰🇷
S
Sarah K.
I wonder why they're still holding back on announcing the China ambassador? That's such a crucial position right now with all the trade tensions. Seems like an odd time for delays.
M
Min-Jae P.
Rhee Dong-yeol to Denmark is a great choice given his cyber expertise! With all the recent hacking incidents, we need tech-savvy diplomats in Europe. Smart move by the ministry.
A
Alex T.
While I understand the need for continuity, I wish we saw more fresh faces in these appointments. Many of these are just internal promotions rather than bringing in new perspectives.
E
Eunice R.
Kim Eun-jeong as Consul-General in Frankfurt is exciting! She did great work in African relations. Hope she can strengthen Korea-EU business ties too. Fighting! 💪
D
David H.
The delay in appointments shows how much the political crisis has affected government operations. Hope the June elections bring some stability back to foreign policy decisions.

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Tags:
South Korea Diplomacy Yoon Suk Yeol Diplomatic Appointments Netherlands Denmark Foreign Ministry
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