ANKARA

South Korea has picked Kang Kyung-wha, its first female foreign minister, who served between 2017 and 2021, as the next ambassador to the US ahead of President Lee Jae Myung’s first summit with US President Donald Trump.

Veteran diplomat Lee Hyuk has been named as Seoul's new ambassador to Japan, the Korea Times reported Tuesday.

The government has formally requested consent from Washington and Tokyo for both appointments, according to Lee's office.

If confirmed, this will end a two-month vacancy for the ambassadorial posts.

Lee is scheduled to visit Tokyo on Aug. 23 to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before flying to the US for his summit with Trump.

Kang, 70, served as foreign minister during the Moon Jae-in administration from 2017 to 2021.

She has also held prominent positions under UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon and Antonio Guterres.

A PhD graduate from the University of Massachusetts, she currently serves as president and CEO of the New York-based Asia Society think tank.

Lee Hyuk, 67, is a career diplomat who previously served as South Korea’s ambassador to Vietnam and the Philippines.

*Writing by Aamir Latif