By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak formally appointed former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as ambassador to the United States, Monday, in a major diplomatic shakeup affecting 18 ambassadors and six consul generals.

Han will start his mission by meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will make a two-day visit to Seoul, Thursday, as part of her Asian tour, to discuss North Korea's nuclear threat and other regional security issues.

Han will also attend the meeting between Clinton and South Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, according to Moon Tae-young, a spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The former prime minister was named last month to replace Lee Tae-shik as Korea's top diplomat in the United States. Han, currently awaiting acceptance of credentials from Washington, will leave for the United States next month, the ministry said.

Cho Whan-bok, former secretary general of the Seoul-based Northeast Asian History Foundation, was appointed ambassador to Mexico and former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Lee Joon-jae was named ambassador to Poland.

President Lee also appointed Bae Jae-hyun, a former senior official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as ambassador to Turkey and Yoon Jong-kon, a senior official at the organizing committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu, as ambassador to Egypt.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr