Cho Hyun (diplomat)
South Korean diplomat (born 1957)
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Cho Hyun (Korean: 조현; Hanja: 趙顯; born 30 November 1957) is a South Korean diplomat and government official who has served as the 42nd minister of foreign affairs since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), he held office as the first vice minister of foreign affairs from 2018 to 2019.
Cho Hyun | |
|---|---|
조현 | |
Cho in 2025 | |
| 42nd Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 19 July 2025 | |
| President | Lee Jae Myung |
| Prime Minister | Kim Min-seok |
| Preceded by | Cho Tae-yul |
| Permanent Representative to the United Nations | |
| In office 2019–2022 | |
| First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea | |
| In office 28 September 2018 – 23 May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Lim Sung-nam |
| Succeeded by | Cho Sei-young |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 November 1957 |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Education | Yonsei University (BA) Columbia University (MA) Sciences Po (MA) Toulouse Capitole University (PhD) |
| Awards | Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes) Republic of Korea (2012) Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (2014) |
Early life and education
Cho graduated from Jeonju High School and earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and Diplomacy from Yonsei University. He later obtained a Master of Social Science in International Relations from the Graduate School of Columbia University, a Master of Political Science in International Politics from Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), and a doctorate in Political Science (International Politics) from the Graduate School of Toulouse 1 University Capitole.
Diplomatic career
Cho passed the 13th Foreign Service Examination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. He held numerous diplomatic and government posts, including: Second Secretary at the Embassies of the Republic of Korea to Belgium and the European Union, the Central African Republic, and Senegal. First Secretary at the Embassy to the United States. Director of the Trade Organizations Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Director-General for Multilateral Trade and Director-General for International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. Ambassador for Energy and Resources. Coordinator for Multilateral Diplomacy. Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna. Visiting professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Ambassador to India. From June 2017 to September 2018, he served as the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and from September 2018 to May 2019, as the 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.[1]
He later became an advisory member of the Korea–South Asia Parliamentary Diplomacy Forum and served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. As of September 2024, he chairs the Advisory Committee on Parliamentary Diplomacy.
Foreign Minister
On 23 June 2025, South President Lee Jae Myung nominated Cho as foreign minister.[2]
Honors
- Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes), Republic of Korea (December 2012)
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (April 2014)[3]