South Korea on Thursday appointed new ambassadors to nine countries, including Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, in a regular reshuffle, the foreign ministry said.
Suh Jeong-in, who led the preparatory office for last year's commemorative summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was appointed ambassador to Mexico.
Suh Jeong-in was appointed ambassador to Mexico. (Yonhap)
Kang Jeong-sik, former deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, took the ambassadorial post for Australia, while Lee Sang-jin, deputy minister for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, was appointed ambassador to New Zealand.
Chung Hae-kwan, director-general for trade legal affairs at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, was picked as Seoul's top envoy for Bahrain, while Jeong Woon-jin, formerly director-general for planning and management at the foreign ministry, was appointed ambassador to Sri Lanka.
Kim Jong-han, minister counselor at the South Korean Embassy in China, took the ambassadorial post for Cameroon, while Koo Hong-seok, formerly director-general for ASEAN and Southeast Asian affairs, was appointed ambassador to Kazakhstan.
Choo Jong-youn, former ambassador to Argentina, was appointed ambassador to Colombia, while Jo Yung-joon, formerly director-general for Latin American and Caribbean affairs, took the post for Peru.
The ministry also appointed Park Kyung-jae, former president of Dongbang Culture University, as consul general for Los Angeles.
It remains uncertain when they will be posted to their designated countries due to travel restrictions caused by the new coronavirus.
In a related personnel change, the ministry appointed Lee Heon, ambassador to Sri Lanka, as deputy minister for overseas Koreans and consular affairs.
Lee Seong-ho, currently deputy chief of South Korea's team for defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, was picked as deputy minister for economic affairs. (Yonhap)
