Yoon Appoints Former Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi as Ambassador to China, Citing "Extensive China Policy Experience"

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Kim Dae-gi, former Chief of Staff to the President (photo), as the new Ambassador to China on the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 14th appointed Kim Dae-gi, former Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, as the new Ambassador to China.

Jung Jin-seok, Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon to announce this appointment.

Jung described the appointee Kim as "a seasoned economic bureaucrat with extensive government experience, having served as the Budget General Review Officer at the Planning and Budget Office, Director of Fiscal Operations, Commissioner of the Statistics Office, Economic Secretary and Policy Secretary in the Lee Myung-bak administration's Presidential Office, and the first Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration."

He added, "The appointee has rich policy experience in promoting economic cooperation projects with China, such as the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and resolving Korea-China trade conflicts, having worked in economic ministries for a long time."

He also said, "He has shown deep interest in Korea-China relations centered on economic issues, has been devoted to studying China's social history and culture, and possesses excellent Chinese language skills. We expect him to not only continue to develop the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries but also achieve diplomatic successes befitting Korea's status in the rapidly changing Northeast Asian order."

Jung added, "We plan to request agr?ment from the Chinese government for Kim today and will appoint him as soon as the agr?ment is granted."

Accordingly, Ambassador Jung Jae-ho to China, who was appointed as the first ambassador to China under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in August 2022, will step down after about two years. Ambassador Jung is a classmate of President Yoon from Chung-Ang High School and was involved in controversies regarding 'gapjil' (abuse of power) toward embassy staff.