Ex-Army general tapped as top envoy to Saudi Arabia

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with new Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Choi Byung-hyuk after presenting him with credentials for the head of the South Korean mission to the Middle Eastern nation during a ceremony at the presidential office in Yongsan on Dec. 28, 2023. (Yonhap)

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Ex-Army general tapped as top envoy to Saudi Arabia

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Thursday appointed new ambassadors to nine countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Singapore, and the new consul-general to Hamburg in a regular reshuffle, the foreign ministry said.

Choi Byung-hyuk, a retired Army general who served as deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in 2019-20, will serve as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the foreign ministry said.

Kim Jin-hyung, former commander of the Naval Logistics Command, was appointed as ambassador to Fiji.

Yang Dong-han, deputy ambassador to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, was appointed new ambassador to South Africa, with Jang Je-hak, ambassador for international relations for the Incheon city, tapped as the top envoy to Libya.

Lee Hyung-jong, ambassador for international relations in the Daejeon city, became ambassador to Sweden. Hong Jin-wook, former top envoy to Egypt, was appointed as ambassador to Singapore.

Shim Jae-hyun, ambassador for international relations for Gangwon Province, took the post as ambassador to Ecuador.

Jung Kang, director general for overseas Korean nationals protection at the foreign ministry, will serve as the ambassador to Ethiopia.

Jeong Hong-geun, a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Britain cum the consul general, was appointed the top envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thursday's announcement also includes Lee Sang-soo, incumbent ambassador to Libya, who will be serving as consul-general in Hamburg, Germany.

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