With a rare public apology and a pledge to move beyond “ideological divides”, South Korea’s newly appointed foreign minister has pushed aside past dogma – signalling Seoul’s shift towards pragmatic engagement under recently elected President Lee Jae-myung.
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The clearest sign of this new direction came on Monday, when Foreign Minister Cho Hyun delivered the apology at his inauguration, acknowledging that the foreign ministry had “failed to meet public expectations” under impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol, who is currently behind bars awaiting trial over his failed martial law decree.
“Diplomatic issues were exploited for domestic political purposes,” said Cho, a veteran diplomat with decades of experience. “We need to move beyond ideological divides and pursue a pragmatic diplomacy rooted in rationality and efficiency, with national interests at the centre.”
Analysts say Cho’s remarks echo President Lee’s determination to steer the nation away from the “friend-or-foe” world view that defined the previous conservative administration, which critics contend placed political alignment above practical diplomacy.
Cho singled out South Korea’s failed bid to host the World Expo in 2030 – an effort championed by Yoon despite formidable competition from Saudi Arabia – as emblematic of misplaced priorities.
He also alluded to “inappropriate comments” by former officials that strained key relationships, likely a nod to Yoon’s unsubstantiated allegations of Chinese interference in South Korean elections and claims about anti-state forces linked to North Korea and China.
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Observers see Cho’s candid statements as a clear declaration that Seoul intends to break with the Yoon government’s value-based diplomacy in favour of a broader, more strategic approach: one that balances traditional alliances while expanding diplomatic outreach.