South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday urged chief envoys to foreign countries to keep pace with the rapid changes in the world.

"You should redouble efforts to catch up with the ever-changing world," Lee told a group of South Korean envoys to overseas countries.

"I want you to work more actively. Being bound to instructions will not promise any progress," he said.

A total of 115 ambassadors and consuls general are attending the five-day conference that began in Seoul on Monday.

The conference is aimed at helping diplomatic mission chiefs better understand the country's foreign policy objectives.

Lee also told the envoys that they should study ways to enhance the international image of the country.

(Yonhap News)