Government Announces 23 New Senior Diplomats

The government on Thursday reshuffled 23 senior diplomats, appointing Ra Jong-yil, former presidential advisor for national security, as ambassador to Japan and Yim Sung-joon, a senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security, as ambassador to Canada.

The government also named Choi Jong-il, former chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), as ambassador to India, Choi Seung-ho, former ambassador to Kazakhstan, as ambassador to Egypt, and Yu Myung-hwan, ambassador to Israel, as the new ambassador to the Philippines.

In addition, according to its changed personnel policy, the government selected experts unaffiliated with the MOFAT as ambassadors, appointing Kwon Yeong-jae, a former senior official of the Defense Ministry, as ambassador to Turkey, Kim Dong-won, former senior official of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, as ambassador to Nigeria, and Park Gyeong-tak, former vice-consul of New York, as ambassador to Israel.

The following are the rest of the senior diplomats affected by the reshuffle.

Ambassadors:

Former top envoy to China Kim Eun-soo as ambassador to Republic of South Africa, former ambassador to Senegal Park Jae-seon as ambassador to Morocco, former ambassador to Tanzania Ahn Hyo-seung as ambassador to Denmark, former ambassador to Republic of South Africa Park Won-hwa as ambassador to Switzerland, former MOFAT senior official Shin Jeong-seung as ambassador to New Zealand, former MOFAT senior official Chim Yoon-jo as ambassador to Portugal, former envoy to Italy Kim Dae-sik as ambassador to Romania, former consul general to Ho Chi Minh Ryu Yeong-bang as ambassador to Afghanistan, former envoy to Zimbabwe Jeong Jae-sik as ambassador to Bulgaria, former researcher of the Institute of Foreign Affairs & National Security (IFANS) Jeong Hae-moon as ambassador to Greece, former researcher of the IFANS Lee Soon-cheon as ambassador to Tanzania, former senior official of the MOFAT Rym Jae-hong as ambassador to Sri Lanka, former envoy to Columbia Chu Yeon-gon as ambassador to El Salvador, and envoy to Kuwait Geum Dong-eok as ambassador to Sudan

Consul General:

Former top envoy to Kobe Geum Yeon-kwan as consul general to Hiroshima.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com