South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has appointed former vice foreign minister Cho Tae-yul as the country’s new foreign minister and national security advisor Cho Tae-yong as the country’s new spy head according to Yoon’s office.
Following Pyongyang’s intercontinental ballistic missile test this week and its November launch of a spy satellite, tensions with North Korea have escalated this year.
Both nominations come as tensions with North Korea have increased this year after Pyongyang launched a spy satellite in November and tested an intercontinental ballistic missile this week.
Speaking to the media, the newly nominated foreign minister said he felt a “heavy weight on his shoulders” at a time of major geopolitical shifts, also citing growing US-China competition and the Ukraine war.
The National Assembly will have confirmation hearings on the nominees, yet the president can effectively make appointments because parliamentary approval is not required for cabinet positions.
Cho Tae-yul, who is a veteran diplomat and a former ambassador to the United Nations says ge will make an utmost effort to strengthen the foundation for national security and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the new pick to become director of the National Intelligence Service Cho Tae-yong who is also a career diplomat vowed to present accurate information at the right time to help the country make the right decisions.
