President Moon Appoints Former Lawmaker Kang Chang-il as Next Ambassador to Japan (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in announced on the 23rd that he has appointed Kang Chang-il, Honorary Chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League (68), as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, held a briefing at the Chuncheon Press Center in the afternoon and said, "Honorary Chairman Kang earned his doctorate from the University of Tokyo and is a historian who has studied Japan extensively in academia for a long time." He added, "With the launch of the Suga Cabinet in Japan, we expect him to use his expertise and experience in Japan, along with the high-level networks he has built over many years, to untangle the strained Korea-Japan relations and create an opportunity to move toward a future-oriented bilateral relationship." Furthermore, he noted, "As a politician with four terms as a member of the National Assembly, he served as secretary-general and chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League, making him well-versed in Japan."

Ambassador-designate Kang graduated from Jeju Ohyun High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Korean History. He earned a master's degree in East Asian history and a doctorate in literature from the University of Tokyo. He served as a professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at Paichai University and as a visiting researcher at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo. Starting as a member of the 17th National Assembly, he was elected for four consecutive terms. During his tenure as a lawmaker, he also served as chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League.

Ambassador-designate Kang is expected to be officially appointed soon after going through the agrement (appointment approval) process with the host country.

Current Ambassador to Japan Nam Kwan-pyo has been in office for about one year and six months since May last year. A senior Blue House official emphasized, "He has worked to improve Korea-Japan relations during the Abe Cabinet, which is an above-average tenure since the Park Geun-hye administration," and explained, "This appointment reflects President Moon’s intention to resolve Korea-Japan relations with the launch of Japan’s new cabinet."

Regarding the appointment of another politician rather than a professional diplomat as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the official added, "(Ambassador-designate Kang) has a strong interest in Korea-Japan relations and has built high-level networks," and "Therefore, it was judged that a politician is more suitable than a career diplomat for the position of Ambassador to Japan."