Sept. 12 (UPI) — Former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo’s eldest son has been nominated to serve as the country’s next ambassador to China, according to reports.
The nomination of Roh Jae-heon, 60, was reported Thursday by Yonhap, JoongAng Ilbo and other local media, citing unidentified diplomatic sources.
Roh, director of the East Asia Culture Center in Seoul, would become the first ambassador to China under the administration of President Lee Jae-myung, who was sworn in ln June 4.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, told reporters during a regular scheduled press conference on Thursday that he has noted the reports of Roh’s nomination.
“Diplomatic envoys are important bridges for friendly cooperation and development of relations between countries,” he said. “China is waiting for the ROK’s formal nomination.”
The Republic of Korea is the country’s official name.
While Roh has no public service experience as a diplomat, he has been involved in relations between South Korea and China for over a decade, reports said.
He was among Lee’s delegation to China last month, just before a South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington.
Roh established the Korea-China Culture Center in 2012, which marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of ties between the two countries, which occurred during his father’s presidency. The center has since been renamed the East Asia Culture Center.
Critics of the appointment called it an “insult” to the families of the victims of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980. Roh’s father was associated with a brutal military crackdown against the pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju.