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A new Korean consul general arrived in Atlanta last month, vowing in his first public remarks at a World Affairs Council of Atlanta virtual event to steward well the burgeoning economic ties between the Southeast U.S. region and his country.
Yoonjoo Park replaces Young-jun Kim, a Georgia State University alumnus who came to Atlanta in January 2018 and returned to Korea this June after carrying off the first-ever visit from a sitting Korean president to Georgia.
President Moon Jae-in’s trip to the SK Innovation electric vehicle battery plant in Commerce was meant to highlight the deepening economic ties between the U.S. and Korea and “cooperation on cutting-edge technology,” Mr. Park said in remarks introducing a council event featuring two former U.S. ambassadors to his country.
Some $40 billion in Korean investments in semiconductors, EV batteries and more were announced during the presidential visit.
“My consulate covers six Southeast states, and there are more than 200 Korean companies making contributions to mutually beneficial economic development. As the new consul general, I will do my part to support our two countries’ continuing cooperation,” Mr. Park said.
He called the appointment “the honor of a lifetime” and expressed optimism about room for deepening the relationship further as vaccine distribution progresses in Korea and the U.S.
Not that Mr. Park hasn’t had ample experience: He graduated from the Seoul National University in 1993, joining the foreign service in 1995. He has held postings in Iran, Australia and in the U.S., where multiple stints include a period as deputy consul general in Boston from 2013-16.
His appointments back at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul have invariably focused on North America. In 2018, Mr. Park served as deputy director-general for North American affairs at the ministry, after which he headed up its Human Resources department until his Atlanta appointment, according to a bio provided by the consulate.
Mr. Park is married with one son.
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