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First Cuban ambassador to South Korea assumes post after establishment of diplomatic ties

Published: 08 Jan. 2025, 16:04

SEO JI-EUN
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Claudio Raúl Monzón Baeza, left, the first Cuban ambassador to South Korea, poses with Acting President Choi Sang-mok, center, and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul after presenting his credentials to Choi on Tuesday afternoon. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Claudio Raúl Monzón Baeza, the first Cuban ambassador to South Korea, officially assumed his post on Tuesday, 11 months after the two nations established diplomatic ties.

Monzón, along with eight other ambassadors-designate to South Korea, presented credentials at a ceremony presided over by acting President Choi Sang-mok at the government complex in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon, where they were granted formal recognition.

South Korea and Cuba formally established diplomatic relations on Feb. 14, 2024, through an exchange of diplomatic notes between their representatives to the United Nations in New York. The establishment of ties followed years of behind-the-scenes negotiations and reciprocal visits.

The announcement was a surprise move, dealing a blow to North Korea which has long boasted of its “brotherly” ties with Havana. The diplomatic breakthrough also prompted the defection of Ri Il-gyu, a North Korean political affairs counselor in Cuba, who entered South Korea with his family in November 2024.

Monzón arrived in South Korea on Sunday and is currently working out of a temporary office. His primary focus will be on establishing the Cuban embassy in Seoul, with the process expected to be completed by the first half of this year.

“We are providing the necessary support to ensure the smooth establishment of the Cuban embassy in Korea,” said Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

In parallel, South Korea is preparing to open its embassy in Cuba in the coming months. A nominee for the ambassadorial position is currently awaiting agrément, or formal approval from the Cuban government, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The credential presentation ceremony was conducted under Acting President Choi Sang-mok, following the suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties due to the National Assembly’s impeachment motion.

In addition to Ambassador Monzón, eight other ambassadors presented their credentials during the ceremony: Dai Bing from China, Antonio de Sa Benevides from East Timor, Patricio Esteban Troya Suárez from Ecuador, Landry Mboumba from Gabon, Loukas Tsokos from Greece, Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe from Nepal, Diego Manuel Villanueva Martinelli from Panama and Paul Sobba Massaquoi from Sierra Leone.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]