Yoon Sungu Appointed as Ambassador to Indonesia; Lee Youngchae Named Consul General in Osaka

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on December 17 that Yoon Sungu, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (age 63, 22nd Foreign Service Exam), has been appointed as the new Ambassador to Indonesia. The ambassadorial post had been vacant for a year and a half since former Ambassador Lee Sangdeok was appointed as the head of the Overseas Koreans Agency in July 2024. Previously, at the end of last year, Ban Moonkyu, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, was nominated for the position under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, but the appointment was canceled due to the martial law situation and the timing of the change in administration, which prolonged the vacancy.

Yoon Sungu, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs / Joint Reporting Team

Ambassador Yoon graduated with a bachelor's degree in French Literature from Seoul National University and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988. He served as Deputy Chief Negotiator for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and as Minister and Consul General at the Embassy in the United States, before becoming Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in September 2017 during the Moon Jae-in administration. In June of this year, he also participated as a planning committee member in the Foreign Affairs and Security Subcommittee of the National Policy Planning Committee under the Lee Jaemyung administration.

In addition, Lee Youngchae, a professor at Japan's Kyoei Gakuen University (age 54), has been appointed as Consul General in Osaka. He is known for frequently appearing as a panelist on the YouTube channel of Kim Eo-jun, a broadcaster with pro-government leanings, where he has provided commentary on Korea-Japan relations.

Lee Junho, Minister at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States (age 55, 28th Foreign Service Exam), has been appointed as Consul General in Atlanta. A career diplomat who graduated from the Department of International Relations at Seoul National University, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. He has served as Director of the North Korea Nuclear Policy Division and as Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in the United States, and was dispatched to the National Security Office during the Moon Jae-in administration. He has also served as Director-General for Foreign Policy Strategy, Ambassador to Qatar, and Minister at the Embassy in the United States. The Consul General post in Atlanta had been vacant since the new administration took office in June this year, and following the large-scale detention of Korean workers by U.S. immigration authorities in September, concerns were raised about a lack of consular support. After six months, a consul with extensive experience in U.S. affairs and a background as Minister at the Embassy in the United States has been appointed to the position.