Ambassador to Australia Cho Tae-yong was appointed Monday new chief envoy to the stalled six-nation talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea.

Cho, 57, will replace Lim Sung-nam as the Foreign Ministry’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs. Lim has been named South Korea’s ambassador to Britain.

Since his 1980 entry to the ministry, Cho has resumed various key positions including chief of protocol, ambassador to Ireland, special advisor to the minister, director-general of North American Affairs and director-general of North Korea nuclear issue.

With cross-border tension remaining high, he will visit core neighbors next month to perk up policy coordination and develop rapport with his counterparts, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told reporters.

The six-party forum consists of the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.

(heeshin@heraldcorp.com)