Cho Hyun, 67, a veteran diplomat with more than four decades in South Korea’s foreign service, has been tapped to serve as foreign minister under President Lee Jae-myung, as Seoul confronts rising strategic and economic pressure from the U.S.

Having served in nearly every corner of the world, Cho has built a reputation as a skilled negotiator and quiet operator, and he now finds himself at the center of Seoul’s efforts to secure exemption from sweeping U.S. tariffs and manage alliance strains that could reshape the regional order.

LONGTIME TRADE AND DIPLOMACY HAND

Cho entered the foreign ministry in 1979