Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.
Ex-national security chief tapped as envoy to China
By Kang Seung-woo
Kim Jang-soo
By Kang Seung-woo
Kim Jang-soo, former chief of the National Security Office (NSO), is expected to be named the next ambassador to China, a government source said, Sunday.
Should Kim’s appointment be granted by the Chinese government, he will become the nation’s first envoy to Beijing to come from a military background since the two nations established diplomatic relations in 1992.
Kim, a retired four-star general, served as the Army’s chief of staff and as defense minister before becoming the inaugural leader of the NSO in March 2013, serving until May 2014.
The Gwangju native also worked on security and diplomacy affairs in the transition team for President Park Geun-hye, who took office in February 2013.
“Kim’s appointment is seen as reflecting a need to further promote cooperation with China in terms of peace and security in Northeast Asia,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
During his time with the NSO, Kim earned recognition for his commitment to a strong national defense.
Amid Pyongyang’s growing threats of war, including nuclear strikes against Seoul and Washington in the spring of 2013, he slept at lodgings near the presidential office and had most of his meals inside the presidential compound for about three months, dealing with national security issues.
However, Kim stepped down last May after receiving criticism for his remarks that his office was not the “control tower“ for disasters and disavowed responsibility for handling the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry that left more than 300 people dead or missing.
Given that Kim has been chosen for the ambassadorial post less than one year after his resignation, the appointment has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
“As Kim is a military figure, known for his hawkish stance against North Korea, it is questionable if he is the right person for the job,” the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy spokeswoman Yoo Eun-hae said in a briefing on the same day.
Kim, who headed the defense ministry under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, is known for his no-bow handshake with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during the inter-Korean summit in 2007.
Meanwhile, Wi Sung-lac, Seoul’s ambassador to Moscow, is likely to be replaced by a high-ranking official of the foreign ministry, but the source did not specify the replacement.
Wi is expected to maintain the position until May as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to visit Moscow to attend the celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II. President Park has also been invited to the event.