[New Year's Address] Foreign Minister Cho Hyun: "Bold Innovation and Restructuring of Overseas Missions"

Minister Cho Holds New Year Kick-off Ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On January 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated, "We will carry out efficient restructuring for diplomatic missions with low effectiveness and strengthen the core functions of our missions, focusing on key regional hubs."

Yonhap News

That afternoon, at the government complex in Seoul, Minister Cho held the Foreign Ministry's New Year's kick-off ceremony and announced, "We will boldly innovate the operation of overseas missions and enhance the efficiency of organizational management." This statement follows up on President Lee Jaemyung's directive during the Foreign Ministry's work briefing on December 19, when he criticized some overseas missions as "bloated organizations" and ordered a review of downsizing.

Minister Cho also said, "We will strengthen accountability so that the heads of overseas missions lead by example," adding, "We will reorganize the cooperation system between overseas missions and public institutions expanding abroad, establish the Team Korea system, and ensure that overseas missions serve as outposts for spreading K-Initiatives." He continued, "We will also introduce improvements to systematically manage performance and service, such as institutionally enhancing the authority of mission heads over local public institutions, and selecting capable diplomats for postings."

Regarding diplomatic achievements since the launch of the new administration, Minister Cho assessed, "We have stably developed relations with all neighboring countries by breaking away from familiar conventions and traditional diplomatic norms." He added, "Thanks to the President's bold initiative, we have opened the way to secure nuclear-powered submarines and peaceful enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, which have long been national aspirations." He further explained that this year's diplomatic strategy will involve "significantly increasing the schedule of summit diplomacy and actively pursuing diplomacy in major strategic regions as part of a full-scale diversification of foreign relations."

However, Minister Cho addressed ministry staff, saying, "The environment surrounding our ministry is far from easy," and acknowledged, "I am well aware that in the rapidly changing international situation, and amid the expectations and responsibilities placed on us by the public, many of you feel concern and pressure." He urged, "At times like this, we must find our own ways to build a healthy organization."