Nominee Cho Tae-yong for NIS Director, Experienced Six-Party Talks Representative and 'North Korea Nuclear Expert'

Renowned North Korea and US Expert
Passed 14th Foreign Service Exam in 1980
Deputy Chief Representative at Six-Party Talks
Expert in US and North Korea Diplomacy
"Will Build the Best Intelligence Agency"

Cho Tae-yong, Nominee for Director of the National Intelligence Service

Cho Tae-yong, the nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, is regarded as a diplomatic expert with a strong network in the United States and a veteran negotiator on North Korea's nuclear issue.

Born in Seoul in 1956, he graduated from Kyunggi High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Political Science. He began his public service career in 1980 after passing the 14th Foreign Service Examination. He served as Director of the North America Division 1 and Director General of the North America Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2004, he was appointed the inaugural head of the Ministry’s North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Group, and in 2005, he served as the deputy chief delegate for the Six-Party Talks during the adoption of the September 19 Joint Statement.

In 2013, he was appointed Chief Negotiator of the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters for the Six-Party Talks, working to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea. He was promoted to First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2014 and served as the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office the following year. In 2020, he was elected as a proportional representative for the Future Korea Party in the 21st National Assembly, where he was active on the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and the Intelligence Committee.

After serving as the first ambassador to the United States under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he was appointed Director of the National Security Office in March, succeeding former Director Kim Sung-han who resigned. Cho is also the son-in-law of former Foreign Minister Lee Beom-seok, who died in the 1983 Aung San terrorist attack in Myanmar.

Upon his appointment announcement by the Presidential Office, Cho said, “I am grateful to the President for entrusting me with this important position. The National Intelligence Service is a pivotal intelligence agency standing at the forefront of protecting the people.” He added, “If confirmed through the hearing process, I will devote all my efforts to making the NIS a world-class intelligence agency that can compete with any intelligence agency globally.”

▲ Seoul National University, Department of Political Science ▲ 14th Foreign Service Examination ▲ Director of North America Division 1, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ▲ Counselor, North America Bureau ▲ Head of North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Group ▲ Director General, North America Bureau ▲ Ambassador to Ireland ▲ Ambassador to Australia ▲ Chief Negotiator, Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters ▲ First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs ▲ First Deputy Director, National Security Office ▲ 21st National Assembly Member ▲ Ambassador to the United States ▲ Director of the National Security Office, Presidential Office