Cho Hyun (diplomat)
Cho Hyun | |
|---|---|
조현 | |
Cho in 2014 | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assuming office TBD | |
| President | Lee Jae-myung |
| Prime Minister | Kim Min-seok |
| Succeeding | Cho Tae-yul |
| Permanent Representative to the United Nations | |
| In office 2019–2022 | |
| First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea | |
| In office September 28, 2018 – May 23, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Lim Sung-nam |
| Succeeded by | Cho Sei-young |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 30, 1957 Gimje, South Korea |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | Yonsei University (BA) Columbia University (MA) Sciences Po (MA) Toulouse Capitole University (PhD) |
| Awards | Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes) Republic of Korea (2012) Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (2014) |
Cho Hyun (Korean: 조현; Hanja: 趙顯; born November 30, 1957) is a South Korean diplomat and government official who served as the 4th First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. In June 2025, Cho was nominated to be South Korea's foreign minister.
Early life and education
Cho graduated from Jeonju High School and earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and Diplomacy from Yonsei University. He later obtained a Master of Social Science in International Relations from the Graduate School of Columbia University, a Master of Political Science in International Politics from Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), and a doctorate in Political Science (International Politics) from the Graduate School of Toulouse 1 University Capitole.
Diplomatic Career
Cho passed the 13th Foreign Service Examination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. He held numerous diplomatic and government posts, including: Second Secretary at the Embassies of the Republic of Korea to Belgium and the European Union, the Central African Republic, and Senegal. First Secretary at the Embassy to the United States. Director of the Trade Organizations Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Director-General for Multilateral Trade and Director-General for International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. Ambassador for Energy and Resources. Coordinator for Multilateral Diplomacy. Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna. Visiting professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Ambassador to India. From June 2017 to September 2018, he served as the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and from September 2018 to May 2019, as the 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.[1]
He later became an advisory member of the Korea–South Asia Parliamentary Diplomacy Forum and served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. As of September 2024, he chairs the Advisory Committee on Parliamentary Diplomacy.
Foreign Minister
On 23 June 2025, South President Lee Jae Myung nominated Cho as foreign minister.[2]
Honors
- Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes), Republic of Korea (December 2012)
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (April 2014)[3]
References
- ^ Lee, Sang-hyun (2018-09-27). "Cho Hyun appointed 1st Vice Foreign Minister, an expert in multilateral diplomacy with experience in trade and disarmament". Yonhap News. Seoul. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
- ^ "South Korea's Lee names first civilian defence minister in decades". Reuters. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (September 2018). "Home > About MOFA > Vice Ministers > Profile of the 1st Vice Minister – Cho Hyun". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2018-11-15.