China News Service, June 8th. According to a comprehensive report, on the 7th local time, South Korean President Yoon Xiyue appointed Zheng Jae-ho, a professor at the Department of Foreign Affairs of Seoul National University, as the new South Korean ambassador to China.
"China Hand", "President Classmate"... Zheng Zaihao's multiple labels have attracted attention from the outside world.
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Data map of Zheng Zaihao.
Image source: Screenshot of South Korea's "Central Daily" report.
Professor at Seoul National University,
Yin Xiyue "Highly Trusted Person"
According to South Korean media, Zheng Zaihao, 62, is an expert on China issues and Sino-US relations.
Jung Jae-ho was born in Busan, South Korea in 1960.
He graduated from the Department of Korean Language Education of Seoul National University in 1983, and obtained a master's degree in history from Brown University in the United States in 1985 and a doctorate in politics from the University of Michigan in 1993.
Since 1996, he has been teaching at the Department of Foreign Affairs of Seoul National University.
From 2008 to 2011, Zheng Zaihao served as the director of the China Institute of Seoul National University, and since 2013, he has served as the director of the Center for US-China Relations under the Asian Institute of Seoul National University.
Compared with the university professor, Zheng Zaihao's other identity seems to attract more attention.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Zheng Jae-ho and South Korea's new president, Yoon Suk-yue, were classmates from high school to university.
In an article dedicated to introducing Zheng Zaihao, the Korean media said that Yin Xiyue and six or seven high school classmates often get together, including Zheng Zaihao.
South Korea's "Central Daily" believes that Zheng Zaihao is a "highly trusted person" by Yin Xiyue.
Korean media pointed out that Zheng Zaihao has provided policy advice to Yin Xiyue since the election. In April this year, he also visited the United States as a member of the Korea-US policy consultation delegation sent by Yin Xiyue to clarify to the US side the new South Korean government's policy towards China.
Chinese-speaking ambassador,
Suggestions on the development of Sino-Korea relations
Jung Jae-ho is not only proficient in English, but also proficient in Chinese.
According to South Korea's Joongang Daily, this is the first time in recent years that South Korea has appointed a Chinese-speaking ambassador.
This is not unrelated to Zheng Zaihao's resume in China.
According to reports, Zheng Zaihao was an associate professor at the Department of Social Sciences of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a part-time researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
He was also a visiting professor at Renmin University of China in 2007.
In 2014, Zheng Zaihao published a column in South Korea's Joongang Ilbo, where he made suggestions on the development of China-South Korea strategic partnership, including setting economic cooperation indicators, starting from the establishment of a "predictable relationship", building and accumulating the relationship. Mutual strategic trust, etc., and proposed that it is necessary to strengthen the "small multilateral ties" linking South Korea, the United States, China, and South Korea, China and Japan.
South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo said that Zheng Jae-ho "has a broad vision of US-China relations."
His appointment took into account both South Korea-US relations and South Korea-China relations.
The ambassadors of the four countries surrounding South Korea were elected,
Focus on professionalism?
On the day of the appointment of Jung Jae-ho as ambassador to China, South Korean President Yoon Seok-wyeh also nominated Yoon Deok-min, former president of the National Diplomatic Academy and a diplomatic and national security expert on South Korea-Japan relations and North Korea issues, as ambassador to Japan; and Zhang Ho-jin, a visiting professor at Korea Ocean University, was nominated as ambassador to Russia .
Together with Cho Tae-yong, the ambassador to the United States appointed last month, the new South Korean government has completed the appointment of ambassadors to China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
In this regard, Yonhap News Agency analyzed that the ambassadors of the four countries appointed this time are all "classmen".
Zhao Taiyong and Zhang Huzhen are career diplomats, Zheng Zaihao and Yin Demin are international political scientists.
A person from the President's Office said on the background of the nomination of the ambassador candidate, the government's personnel principle is "fit for the right place", and this time the candidate focuses on professionalism.
The analysis pointed out that Yin Xiyue may think that a candidate with rich negotiation experience and professionalism is more suitable for dealing with various diplomatic problems in the field of economic security.
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