Ex-ambassador to Myanmar, New Zealand to lead ASEAN-Korea Centre

By Yi Whan-woo

Kim Hae-yong, Korea's former ambassador to Myanmar and New Zealand, has been appointed as the next secretary-general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, the center announced.

A Seoul-based organization tasked with ASEAN cooperation, the center said Kim's appointment was confirmed during the 13th meeting of its council, held online on Feb. 9.

Kim, 64, will replace Lee Hyuk for a single three-year term beginning in mid-April.

A retired career diplomat, Kim served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 2017.

He was the ambassador to Myanmar (2011-13) and New Zealand (2014-17).

His other overseas postings were in the United States, the European Union, Belgium, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.N. office in Geneva.

Also a former director-general for FTA negotiations, Kim mainly worked on bilateral or multilateral trade when he served back home.

The annual council meeting was joined by high-ranking officials and ambassadors from 10 ASEAN member states and Korea.

The ASEAN-Korea Centre additionally has received four new officers, each a career diplomat, from Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, and the Philippines. They will each begin a three-year term in March.

“Through the leadership of the new secretary-general and valued contributions of the incoming seconded officials, the ASEAN-Korea Centre is expected to play an integral role in furthering a mutually beneficial partnership between ASEAN and Korea,” the center said in a statement.