Veteran diplomat Cho Hyun was sworn in Monday as South Korea’s new foreign minister, marking his return to the ministry after a three-year absence. Cho, who previously served as first vice minister and ambassador to the U.N., was appointed by President Lee Jae-myung amid broader efforts to reestablish public trust in key government institutions.

In his inaugural address, Cho apologized for what he described as the ministry’s failure to meet public expectations under the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration. He criticized the politicization of foreign policy, including the ministry’s lawsuit against broadcaster MBCand its pursuit of low-probability initiatives such