Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | President Lee Jae-myung accepted letters of credence from eight newly appointed resident ambassadors to South Korea on the morning of July 22 at the presidential office, calling on the envoys to serve as active bridges for deepening friendly cooperation between their countries and South Korea.
The credentials ceremony, a formal diplomatic procedure in which a new ambassador presents the letter of appointment issued by their head of state to the head of state of the host country, marked the fourth such event held since the launch of the current administration. It was the first credentials ceremony held at the presidential office since 2022, a gap of four years.
The eight ambassadors who presented their credentials were Federico Guerrero Avendaño of El Salvador, Johvanny Velásquez Quintero of Colombia, Khaiyman Orabun of Laos, Assetbek Issenaliyev of Kazakhstan, Noel Emmanuel Kaganda of Tanzania, Azzam Al-Asfour of Kuwait, Nura Radi Dadut of Nigeria, and Fernando Meirelles de Azevedo Pimentel of Brazil.
Welcoming the new ambassadors, Lee said he hoped relations between South Korea and each of their countries would develop further across political, economic, cultural and diplomatic spheres. He emphasized that the role of resident ambassadors is essential to translating friendly bilateral relations into tangible outcomes, and asked the envoys to serve as active bridges in strengthening mutual understanding and trust.
In response, the new ambassadors conveyed personal greetings from their respective heads of state and said their governments attach great importance to cooperation with South Korea. They expressed their commitment to actively expanding mutually beneficial cooperation during their tenure across a range of fields, including trade and investment, infrastructure, critical minerals, science and technology, artificial intelligence, culture, tourism, education and people-to-people exchange.
The ambassadors also requested that President Lee visit their respective countries at a convenient time, saying such visits could serve as a turning point for elevating bilateral relations to a new level.
Ambassador Pimentel of Brazil, who will accompany preparations for Lee's upcoming state visit to Brazil, said Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had been highly satisfied with his state visit to South Korea in February. Pimentel added that the Brazilian government is making every effort to ensure the success of Lee's visit to Brazil.
Officials said the credentials ceremony is expected to serve as an opportunity for South Korea to broaden its diplomatic reach across Latin America, Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, while strengthening practical cooperation in economic security, advanced technology, resources and culture.
