The foreign ministry said Friday it appointed a senior diplomat as the country's special envoy for Indo-Pacific affairs, a new position created under a shakeup plan to broaden diplomacy into regional and other challenges besides North Korea. Chung Kee-yong, previously the ambassador to Morocco, will be in charge of promoting South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy, and working with key partner countries in and outside of the region to strengthen cooperation in related issues, the ministry said. Chung is a career diplomat who has served as the director general for climate, environment and science, and a counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Washington. Given his extensive experience in a wide range of fields and people-to-people network, he is considered the right person for the post, which promotes South Korea's representation in the implementation of its Indo-Pacific strategy, the ministry said. South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy, announced by the Yoon Suk Yeol government in late 2022, seeks to promote freedom, peace and prosperity through the establishment of a rules-based order under the principles of inclusiveness, trust and reciprocity. Key areas of initiatives include security cooperation in economy and science technology, climate change cooperation and development cooperation. Yoon Yeon-jean, deputy ambassador to Austria, will succeed Chung as the new top envoy to Morocco. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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