South Korea appointed Bahk Sahng-hoon, former protocol secretary to President Moon Jae-in, as ambassador to Spain in a regular reshuffle that included 15 other new ambassadors and consul generals. 

Bahk, a career diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Panama, is known for his expertise in Latin America affairs and fluency in the Spanish language, the foreign ministry said Friday.

Lee Kwang-ho, vice consul-general to the Chinese city of Wuhan who became known for spearheading anti-coronavirus efforts for Koreans at the early stage of the pandemic, was appointed consul-general in Chengdu.

Park Chul-min, presidential secretary for foreign policy, was picked as ambassador to Hungary, and Im Moohong, former director at Yeominrak Hospital in Laos, will head the embassy in the Southeast Asian country.

Choi Tae-ho, former minister-counsellor at the Korean Embassy in Iraq, was appointed ambassador to Afghanistan. Lim Jung taek, director-general for international administrative cooperation at the interior ministry, was appointed ambassador to Ghana.

Park Chull-joo, deputy ambassador to Korea's Permanent Mission to the UN, was appointed ambassador to South Africa. Ko Bongwoo, a retired career diplomat, was appointed as ambassador to Ecuador, and Park Young-kyu, a minister at the Korean Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was picked as the top envoy to the Fiji Islands.   

The ministry also named new consul generals to the Chinese regions of Qingdao, Shenyang, Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Seattle in the United States. (Yonhap)