SEOUL: President Yoon Suk Yeol has appointed his former chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki, as the new ambassador to China, signaling a continued focus on strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a press briefing by current Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, Kim Dae-ki was selected for his extensive experience in economic cooperation with China. This includes his involvement in the South Korea-China free trade agreement and various bilateral trade disputes. Chung highlighted Kim’s deep engagement with Chinese society, history, and culture and noted his proficiency in the Chinese language, which positions him well to foster and enhance the strategic cooperative partnership between South Korea and China.
“Kim’s advanced understanding of China and his previous policy roles are expected to help him achieve significant diplomatic successes, reflecting South Korea’s stature in the evolving Northeast Asian region,” Chung stated.
Kim served as Yoon’s firs
t chief of staff from May 2022 until December 2023. His earlier roles include positions at what is now the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and as the senior economic secretary and chief of policy under former President Lee Myung-bak.
The South Korean government plans to formally appoint Kim following Beijing’s issuance of an agrement, a formal consent, which Seoul intends to request later today. Kim is set to succeed Ambassador Chung Jae-ho, who has held the position since August 2022.