New Ambassador to Colombia Appointed as Korea Strengthens Defense Ties
On the 11th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the appointment of Choi Hyun-guk, a former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as the new ambassador to Colombia. Ambassador Choi is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and has held various significant positions, including Commander of the 16th Fighter Wing, Commander of the Air Force Education Command, and Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Colombia is currently pursuing the acquisition of the FA-50 light attack aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Although the main contract has not yet been signed, ongoing discussions between the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Colombian Aerospace Force have been taking place since they established a mutual recognition agreement for military aircraft airworthiness certification last February. Colombia is expected to purchase around 16 units of KAIs FA-50 attack aircraft, and the project, including initial procurement costs and logistical support, is projected to exceed 1 trillion won.
In recent months, there has been a notable trend of military personnel being appointed to key diplomatic positions. Last month, Kang Shin-cheol, a former Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, was appointed as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Park In-ho, a former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, was appointed as the ambassador to Israel. Additionally, former police chief Jang Ha-yeon was appointed ambassador to East Timor last month, and former National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong was appointed as the ambassador to Cambodia at the end of last year. This reflects a growing presence of military and police officials in the diplomatic arena.
The delay in appointing career diplomats as ambassadors has raised concerns within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and beyond. Reports have indicated that the presidential office is considering appointing up to 40% of the positions for ambassadors from non-career diplomats (those who are not professional diplomats or have retired) among the over 170 foreign embassy heads. This strategy aims to transform embassies into frontline bases for cultural and industrial diplomacy. However, there are fears that this could diminish the standing of career diplomats. In contrast, at the beginning of the Moon Jae-in administration in January 2018, only 16% of the foreign embassy heads were non-career appointees out of 163 embassies.
There are ongoing discussions about whether the proportion of non-career ambassadors will significantly increase in future appointments, particularly as the export of K-defense products has expanded in recent years.
Colombia is currently pursuing the acquisition of the FA-50 light attack aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Although the main contract has not yet been signed, ongoing discussions between the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Colombian Aerospace Force have been taking place since they established a mutual recognition agreement for military aircraft airworthiness certification last February. Colombia is expected to purchase around 16 units of KAIs FA-50 attack aircraft, and the project, including initial procurement costs and logistical support, is projected to exceed 1 trillion won.
In recent months, there has been a notable trend of military personnel being appointed to key diplomatic positions. Last month, Kang Shin-cheol, a former Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, was appointed as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Park In-ho, a former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, was appointed as the ambassador to Israel. Additionally, former police chief Jang Ha-yeon was appointed ambassador to East Timor last month, and former National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong was appointed as the ambassador to Cambodia at the end of last year. This reflects a growing presence of military and police officials in the diplomatic arena.
The delay in appointing career diplomats as ambassadors has raised concerns within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and beyond. Reports have indicated that the presidential office is considering appointing up to 40% of the positions for ambassadors from non-career diplomats (those who are not professional diplomats or have retired) among the over 170 foreign embassy heads. This strategy aims to transform embassies into frontline bases for cultural and industrial diplomacy. However, there are fears that this could diminish the standing of career diplomats. In contrast, at the beginning of the Moon Jae-in administration in January 2018, only 16% of the foreign embassy heads were non-career appointees out of 163 embassies.
There are ongoing discussions about whether the proportion of non-career ambassadors will significantly increase in future appointments, particularly as the export of K-defense products has expanded in recent years.
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