Lee receives credentials from 8 new ambassadors to Korea

President Lee Jae Myung, center, accompanied by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, right, poses with Indian Ambassador to Korea, Gourangalal Das after receiving the new envoy's diplomatic credentials during a ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday received diplomatic credentials from eight new ambassadors to Korea, including the new envoy from India, the presidential office said.

The envoys included Gourangalal Das of India, Eva Russek of Austria, Khuon Phon Rattanak of Cambodia, Bernadette Therese Fernandez of the Philippines, Hazem Zaki of Egypt, Kojo Choi of Ghana, M.K Pathmanathan of Sri Lanka and Wael Hachem of Lebanon.

They presented their credentials to Lee during a ceremony held at the presidential office, the third such ceremony held since Lee's inauguration in June.

New ambassadors typically present their credentials to the head of state to formally assume their roles.

During the ceremony, Lee told the envoys that Korea hopes to broaden and deepen relations with their respective countries and urged them to serve as a "bridge" in expanding areas of the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

The ambassadors positively evaluated Korea's successful hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and pledged to work toward strengthening cooperation in various fields, Kang added.