South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday named a parliamentary secretary-general as his top envoy to Russia.
Woo Yoon-keun, 60, chief of the National Assembly secretariat, was appointed to lead the South Korean mission in Russia, according to the presidential Blue House.
The former three-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party has served as the parliamentary secretary-general since April last year.
The lawyer-turned-politician, known as an expert on Russia, has a doctorate degree in political science from Russia's St. Petersburg State University.
Presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing that Woo is a politician going through major posts in the parliament and the party, and a former lawyer specializing in trade with China and Russia.
The spokesman said Woo is one of the most prominent experts on Russia in the political arena, who can contribute to co-prosperity between South Korean and Russia.
The nomination came a day before President Moon's scheduled visit to Russia's eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday to attend a regional economic forum and hold a summit meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Moon named ambassadors to China, the United States and Japan last week, wrapping up the nomination of top envoys to four major countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
