The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Wednesday it had appointed 18 new ambassadors and five consuls general in an annual reshuffle.

Hong Seong-hoa, former ambassador to Colombia, will serve as ambassador to Mexico and former ambassador to Peru Han Byung-kil will become ambassador to Argentina.

Baek Ju-hyun, former director general of the overseas Koreans and consulate affairs department, was named to head the Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan.

Lee Tae-ho, former director general of the free trade agreement policy department, will be ambassador to Morocco and Kim Hyun-myung, former consul general in Fukuoka, Japan, will serve as ambassador to Iraq.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)