Nuke energy cooperation envoy named ambassador to Russia

South Korea Thursday appointed its chief negotiator in nuclear cooperation talks with the United States as its new ambassador to Russia.

President Park Geun-hye picked the veteran diplomat, Park Ro-byug, to take up the post, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The president will award credentials to the diplomat later in the day.

Park Ro-byug led Seoul's years-long negotiations with Washington on their civilian nuclear energy partnerships. The two sides struck a deal last month that would pave the way for South Korea's access to low-enriched uranium program and research into pyroprocessing, a new type of reprocessing technology.

Park will replace Wi Sung-lac, who is to retire after a three-year stint in Moscow.

He served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2008 to 2011. He has since worked as special representative for South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation. 

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979 after studying international relations at Seoul National University.

He earned a diploma in the same subject at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1983. He also obtained his doctorate in history at Russia's Diplomatic Academy in 1993. (Yonhap)