Former chief of staff Kim Dae-ki announces appointments for the foreign affairs and security team at the Presidential Office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Dec. 19, 2023. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

President Yoon Suk Yeol decided Monday to name his former chief of staff Kim Dae-ki as the new ambassador to China, his office said.

Presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk announced the decision in a press briefing, saying Kim was chosen for his "abundant policy experience" in economic cooperation with China, including handling the Korea-China free trade agreement and bilateral trade disputes.

"Not only has he delved into China's society, history and culture with a deep interest in Korea-China relations, mostly concerning economic issues, but he also speaks advanced Chinese," Chung said.

"He is expected to not only continue to develop the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, but also attain diplomatic achievements befitting Korea's stature in a rapidly changing Northeast Asian order," he said.

Kim was Yoon's first chief of staff from May 2022 until December 2023.

Previously, he had worked at what is now the Ministry of Economy and Finance and served as the senior economic secretary and chief of policy under former President Lee Myung-bak.

Chung said the government plans to request Beijing's consent, known as an agrement, later in the day and formally appoint Kim once the agrement is issued.

Kim would replace Ambassador Chung Jae-ho, who was appointed in August 2022 as Yoon's first top envoy to Beijing. (Yonhap)