Cho Hyun took office as the 42nd Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea on July 19, 2025, under the leadership of President Lee Jae Myung.

With over four decades of experience in foreign service, Minister Cho brings extensive expertise across diverse diplomatic agendas. His previous roles include Vice Minister from 2017 to 2019.

Most recently, he held the position of Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2019 to 2022. Minister Cho also served as Ambassador to India from 2015 to 2017 and as Ambassador to Austria and the IAEA from 2011 to 2014. He was the lead negotiator for the ROK-US civil nuclear cooperative agreement as the Deputy Minister in 2010. His international assignments include postings in Brussels, Bangui, Dakar, Washington D.C., and Paris.

Minister Cho holds a Ph.D. in international politics from the University of Toulouse, an M.A. in international relations from Columbia University, and a B.A. from Yonsei University. He has lectured at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Ewha Womans University, and Seoul National University.

Minister Cho is married with one son. He is the author of A Korean Ambassador’s Report on India, written in Korean and translated into English. The book presents Minister Cho’s perspectives on effective governance, shaped by his lifelong diplomatic career and his firsthand comparative observations of global political, economic, and social systems focusing on India.