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(L-R) KAIST Graduate School Visiting Professor Cho Yoon-je

On Aug. 30, South Korean President Moon Jae-in entered the final stage of choosing the envoys to the four most powerful states surrounding the Korean Peninsula by nominating Cho Yoon-je, a visiting professor at KAIST’s Graduate School of Finance, as ambassador to the US; Noh Young-min, a former lawmaker, as ambassador to China; and Lee Su-hoon, a professor of international relations at Kyungnam University, as ambassador to Japan. A few candidates are also being considered for ambassador to Russia, with the final decision to be made soon.

The most notable fact about the three nominees for ambassador is that none of them are professional diplomats. While Cho served as UK ambassador during the presidency of Roh Moo-hyun, he cannot be really considered a professional diplomat, while Noh and Lee have no diplomatic experience whatsoever. At a time when North Korea’s continuing nuclear weapon and missile provocations have made diplomacy with South Korea’s neighbors more important than ever, Moon’s choices for these positions are even more curious considering that they are the product of 112 days of careful consideration following Moon’s inauguration as president.

The trait linking these three nominees is that they are close associates of Moon. During the presidential race, Cho served as the director of Policy Space and National Development, Moon’s think tank, while Noh was a key figure in Moon’s presidential campaign, directing the organizational office of his election action committee. Lee is a campaign veteran also, serving as an advisor on the Foreign Policy and Security Subcommittee of the National Growth Committee during Moon’s campaign. After Moon was elected, Lee was appointed to the Foreign Policy and Security Subcommittee of the State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee (which served as Moon’s transitional committee) and eventually became chair of that subcommittee.

“Since the ambassadors to Korea’s four most powerful neighbors will have several critical and weighty issues to deal with, not only diplomatic expertise but also a clear understanding of the president’s governing philosophy and convictions are important,” said a senior official at the Blue House. The implication is that the fact that these nominees, who worked with Moon in the National Assembly and the Roh Moo-hyun administration and took part in his presidential campaign, share his governing philosophy and his understanding of foreign policy and security is every bit as critical to resolving difficult problems as diplomatic expertise would be.

When asked about concerns that Cho may not be the best choice as ambassador to the US considering the numerous diplomatic issues affecting the two countries, including the North Korea nuclear weapon and missile issues, a senior Blue House official said, “He doesn’t need to be an expert on nuclear matters to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. It’s sufficient to be good at diplomatic negotiations, and we believe that the North Korean nuclear issue can also be effectively resolved through that kind of negotiating experience.” But concerns remain about the choice of Cho since he has no experience with security matters. As ambassador to the US, he would have to play a key role in resolving the North Korean nuclear weapon and missile issues.

Lee’s strengths, according to the Blue House, are his experience as the chair of the Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation during the Roh administration and his extensive network in the Japanese academic community. During a sabbatical spent as a guest professor at Keio University in Japan, Lee reportedly also interacted with foreign policy and security experts. But since he has little experience to speak of in regard to historical disputes and other issues currently affecting South Korea-Japan relations, some think that his appointment has little to do with “expertise.”

The Blue House seems to expect that Noh will be able to resolve the current issues affecting South Korea and China. The very nomination of a veteran politician like Noh – who served three terms in the National Assembly and who is so close to Moon that he served as Moon’s chief of staff during his bid for president in 2012 – can be seen as an unusual honor for China, the Blue House contends. But given China’s stubborn attitude on the THAAD issue, there is considerable skepticism about whether Noh will be able to accomplish much, even if he is in Moon’s inner circle.

By Kim Bo-hyeop, Jung In-hwan and Kim Ji-eun, staff reporters

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