Former nuclear envoy named new ambassador to Russia
Lee served as a former presidential secretary for foreign affairs in the Park Geun-hye administration and later as a special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, doubling as Seoul's top nuclear envoy, in the Moon Jae-in administration.
He will succeed Chang Ho-jin, the former top diplomat to Moscow, who was appointed first vice foreign minister in a surprise reshuffle of the presidential security and foreign affairs team in April.
Lee retired from the diplomatic service in December 2020 but joined the presidential campaign for Yoon and made a comeback as a second vice foreign minister in charge of multilateral and economic diplomacy with the launch of the new administration in May 2022.
He is a graduate of Yonsei University, majoring in economics, and received a master's degree in war studies from King's College London.
Lee will take on the Moscow post during a delicate period as President Yoon has been vocal in joining with the international community in coming down on Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.
In July, Yoon made a surprise trip to Ukraine during a visit to Poland and promised a comprehensive package of security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the war-torn country, or the so-called "Ukraine Peace and Solidarity Initiative," in a bilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he stopped short of promising lethal aid.
Lee will likely be tasked with managing South Korea-Russia relations as South Korean officials and Korean businesses in Russia worry about fraying ties amid the ongoing war.
Later in the day, Yoon presented credentials in a ceremony at the presidential office to five new ambassadors including Lee and new Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Choi Young-sam, a former deputy foreign minister. The others were the ambassadors to the Czech Republic, Pakistan and Chile.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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