President Lee to Send Special Envoys to Inauguration of Colombian President-Elect This Week
Key Takeaways
- •President Lee Jae Myung appointed Reps. Yoon Joon-byeong and Lee Hai-min as special envoys to attend Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration on Friday.
- •The envoys will deliver a personal letter from President Lee and brief the incoming Colombian government on South Korea's foreign policy initiatives.
- •Seoul aims to broaden bilateral cooperation with Colombia across sectors including energy, infrastructure, education, and the economy under the new administration.
- •South Korea and Colombia have maintained diplomatic relations since 1962, with Colombia being the only Latin American country to have sent combat troops during the Korean War.
- •The dispatch of envoys continues a longstanding pattern of presidential-level outreach between the two nations during government transitions.

President Lee Jae Myung will dispatch special envoys to attend the inauguration of Colombia's new president this week, as Seoul seeks to reinforce its cooperative partnership with the incoming government in Bogotá, Lee's office announced Tuesday.
Rep. Yoon Joon-byeong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Rep. Lee Hai-min of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party will attend President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration on Friday as special envoys representing President Lee, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
Yoon serves as a vice chairman of the Korea-Colombia lawmakers' friendship association, bringing legislative experience in bilateral relations to the mission.
The envoys plan to use the occasion of the inauguration to brief the new Colombian government on Seoul's foreign policy and other relevant initiatives, Kang said. They will also deliver a personal letter from President Lee reaffirming his commitment to deepening the cooperative partnership between the two nations under the new Colombian administration.
In addition to the inauguration ceremony, the special envoys will attend a reception hosted by the new Colombian president and other related events. Kang said these activities are intended to underscore Seoul's commitment to expanding cooperation with Colombia across a range of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, education, and the economy.
South Korea and Colombia maintain long-standing diplomatic ties dating back to 1962, and Colombia is the only Latin American country to have sent combat troops to fight alongside South Korea during the 1950–53 Korean War as part of the UN coalition. That shared history has formed a foundation for bilateral cooperation that Seoul has periodically sought to deepen through high-level exchanges. The dispatch of special envoys reflects Seoul's intent to sustain that engagement as Colombia transitions to new leadership, continuing a pattern of presidential-level outreach that has accompanied changes of government in both capitals.