Ex-diplomat named Busan's ambassador for international relations

By Kang Seung-woo

Shin Chae-hyun, a former ambassador to Austria, has been named the ambassador for international relations of the Busan Metropolitan Government, tasked with promoting the port city's bid to host the World Expo 2030.

The 57-year-old majored in communication at Seoul National University and holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Shin began his diplomatic career in 1987.

Prior to the appointment, Shin served in various capacities, including at the Korean consulate general in New York, and as the director general for North Korean Nuclear Affairs at the Office of Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, the director general for North American Affairs, the consul general in San Francisco and the presidential secretary for foreign policy at the national security office, through which he received a reputation as an experienced and professional diplomatic expert.

The nation's second-largest city is seeking to establish itself as a pivotal metropolis by finding new exchange projects with countries in Central and South America, Africa and the Pacific islands, while resuming urban economic diplomacy and supporting local companies expand into new markets. And Shin is regarded as a perfect fit for the job, according to the local government.

In particular, Busan expects its new ambassador for international relations to play a role in promoting its bid to host the expo in 2030, taking advantage of his wealth of diplomatic experience.

The World Expo is one of the largest international festivals besides the World Cup and the Olympics. Hosting a world expo is estimated to create economic effects worth 61 trillion won ($49.1 billion), according to the government.

Korea is competing with two other countries ― Italy and Saudi Arabia ― and the winner is expected to be announced in November 2023.