Roh Jae-heon, 60, the eldest son of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo and chairman of the East Asia Culture Center, has been appointed the first Chinese ambassador of the newly elected government led by President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung. Roh Tae-woo led diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992 as part of the “Northern Policy.” This move furthered the new government’s intention to improve relations with China after the tensions during the conservative government of Yoon Suk Yeol, whom Lee replaced.
Roh Jae-heon has been a leading sponsor of improved relations with China, and “promoted cultural exchange projects between South Korea and China through the East Asia Culture Foundation, established in 2012, and in 2016.” He also served as the chairman of the sociocultural subcommittee of the Korea-China Future Relations Development Committee under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He visited China last month as part of the presidential special envoy delegation to China.
