Kim Sang-ho, a former mayor of Hanam and a political appointee with a background as a Democratic Party aide, has assumed his post as South Korea's Consul General in New York and begun his duties.
On Tuesday, his first day in office, Consul General Kim issued a statement saying, "I will strengthen public diplomacy to reinforce the Korea-U.S. alliance, economic diplomacy to support the Korean-American chamber of commerce and Korean companies operating here, cultural diplomacy through the spread of 'K-culture,' and educational diplomacy to nurture future Korean-American leaders." He added, "The Korea-U.S. alliance will take another step forward as a future-oriented and comprehensive strategic alliance." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Kim on May 29.
Kim's appointment comes 10 months after the resignation of former Consul General Kim Eui-hwan, who had been appointed by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in July last year. The Consulate General in New York oversees five states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware — a region that serves as the economic and financial hub of the United States and is home to large Korean-American communities.
With Kim's arrival, all of New York's major diplomatic posts are now filled by political appointees rather than career diplomats. Political appointments refer to the naming of mission chiefs from outside the professional diplomatic corps, such as politicians, legal professionals, senior government officials, or academics. In September last year, Cha Ji-hoon, a fellow graduate of the Judicial Research and Training Institute alongside President Lee Jae-myung, took office as Ambassador to the United Nations despite having no prior diplomatic experience, sparking controversy.
Kim is a former politician who served as an aide to Rep. Ahn Gyu-back in 2008 and Rep. Woo Sang-ho in 2012. He also worked as a staff member for the Democratic Party of Korea. In 2018, he was elected mayor of Hanam in Gyeonggi Province as a Democratic Party candidate, campaigning alongside Lee Jae-myung, who was then running for Gyeonggi Province governor. "It is a great honor to greet the world's people in New York in this historic year marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States," Kim said. "At the same time, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility."
