Lee appoints special envoys to EU, France, Britain, India
Lee appointed former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon, a renowned strategist from the conservative camp, as the chief of a delegation to the EU, which will depart for Europe on Monday.
Yoon's delegation will visit the EU headquarters in Belgium to meet with key figures of the EU Council and will look to strengthen the strategic partnership between South Korea and the EU while also discussing expanding cooperation in the areas of climate change, and latest science and technology.
Former Justice Minister Kang Gum-sil will head to France on Tuesday as a special envoy.
Kang's team plans to express South Korea's interest in the expansion of cooperation in artificial intelligence and the defense industry, among other areas, in celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) will lead a delegation to Britain, and former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum was appointed as a special envoy for India. They will both leave South Korea on Wednesday.
Choo's delegation will meet with officials from the British government and parliament, and stress the importance of bilateral cooperation in defense and South Korea's willingness to cooperate on climate change, among other global challenges. Kim's team will have talks on bilateral cooperation in defense, and on cultural and human resources exchanges.
Kim Chong-in, a former interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party, is believed to be highly considered as Lee's special envoy to the United States.
Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is said to be the front-runner for the special envoy to Japan, and former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug will likely be named one to China.
Another ex-parliamentary speaker, Kim Jin-pyo, is reportedly a candidate for special envoy to Australia, and DP Rep. Park Jie-won is under consideration for Poland.
The presidential office has been consulting with 14 countries over the dispatch of special envoys, Woo Sang-ho, presidential secretary for political affairs, said last week. (Yonhap)
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