New Delhi, July 21 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday extended his congratulations to Ambassador Cho Hyun on his appointment as the new Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.
In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote: “Congratulate Amb Cho Hyun on his appointment as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea. Look forward to working together to further strengthen our Special Strategic Partnership.”
Ambassador Cho Hyun, a seasoned diplomat, previously served as South Korea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and has held key diplomatic roles across the globe.
FM Cho Hyun on Monday issued a rare public apology for the ministry's past diplomatic conduct that he said had been misused for political purposes under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government.
Cho made the remarks at his inauguration ceremony as the first foreign minister under President Lee Jae Myung, who took office last month following the ouster of Yoon over his botched martial law imposition in December.
"Over the past few years, diplomatic issues were used for domestic political purposes, and the field of diplomacy, where national interest and pragmatism should prevail, was often approached in a black-and-white manner," Cho said.
"As foreign minister, I offer my sincere apology to the public," he noted, adding the foreign ministry has failed to meet public expectations throughout the process and vowing to reform the organization to prevent a recurrence of such missteps.
In this time of growing geopolitical instability, establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula has to be South Korea's top diplomatic priority, Cho pointed out, Yonhap news agency reported.
"We must work closely with the United States to ease tensions on the peninsula and create a path for dialogue with North Korea," he said, also stressing the need to make "tangible" progress in efforts toward resolving North Korea's nuclear issues.
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