Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, appointed Kang Seokhee (53), former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the African Union, as the new Ambassador for International Relations at the provincial government office on the 7th.
Ambassador Kang is expected to contribute to strengthening North Gyeongsang Province's international standing and promoting global cooperation based on his many years of diplomatic experience.
Kang Seokhee, International Relations Ambassador of Gyeongbuk Province (right), is holding the appointment certificate together with Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province.
The newly appointed Ambassador for International Relations, Kang Seokhee, was born in 1971 in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, and graduated from Sangju High School, the Department of Political Science at Seoul National University, and the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Washington in the United States.
He passed the 26th Foreign Service Examination in 1992 and began his diplomatic career as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, performing various diplomatic roles both domestically and abroad.
Ambassador Kang has accumulated extensive diplomatic experience by serving in various positions, including the Office of Foreign Policy, the Daejeon World Expo Organizing Committee, Counselor at the Embassy in Afghanistan, Counselor at the Embassy in the United Kingdom, Director of Overseas Koreans Protection Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Nagoya.
In particular, in 2020, he was appointed as the Ambassador to Ethiopia and concurrently as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the African Union, playing a key role in enhancing cooperation between Korea and African countries.
In 2024, he was appointed as the government representative for Ukraine reconstruction support, participating in international reconstruction activities, and also served as a welcoming ambassador at the Korea-Africa Summit.
With this appointment, Ambassador Kang will play a central role in expanding North Gyeongsang Province's international relations and strengthening its global network. In particular, the province expects him to play a significant role in ensuring the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC Summit.
The newly appointed Ambassador for International Relations, Kang Seokhee, stated, "I am very pleased to be working in North Gyeongsang Province, which is leading local diplomacy," and added, "I will do my best to promote the beauty of North Gyeongsang Province to the world and contribute to the expansion of tourism and the Korean Wave."
Governor Lee Cheolwoo said, "Ambassador Kang's extensive experience will be a great asset in expanding North Gyeongsang Province's international cooperation," and urged, "Please take a leading role in ensuring the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC Summit."
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