SEOUL, Cho Tae-yul, former South Korean ambassador to the United Nations and the nominee for foreign minister, is a retired veteran diplomat known for his expertise in trade and multilateral affairs.

Yoon's pick of Cho as the top diplomat demonstrates the importance of economic security that the Yoon government places in diplomacy to deal with growing global supply chain risks amid the strategic rivalry between the United States and China.

Cho's "diplomatic acumen and extensive experience" in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, particularly in the fields of economy and trade, "greatly contribute to resolving various pending diplomatic issues that our country faces amid an international environment where economy and security are complexly intertwined," the presidential office said.

Cho, 68, entered the foreign service in 1979. He served in various posts in Thailand, the United States and Saudi Arabia in the 1990s before spending a considerable part of his career in trade affairs in the later years.

Cho served as the ambassador to Spain in 2008 and served as the second vice foreign minister from 2013 to 2016 under the government of President Park Geun-hye. A second vice foreign minister in South Korea handles economy and multilateral affairs.

Cho then served as the top envoy to the United Nations from 2016 to 2019 until his retirement. He later held a number of chair positions at the United Nations bodies, including the U.N. Peace Building Commission and the U.N. Development Program.

Until recently, Cho was a member of the private committee for South Korea's campaign to host the 2025 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Gyeongju.

Cho, a Seoul native, graduated from Seoul National University with a law degree.

Source: Yonhap News Agency