China Names Ambassador to S. Korea Zhang Xinsen By Kim Se-jeong

Zhang Xinsen, a director at the general office of the Chinese foreign ministry, has been named the new ambassador to Korea, according to diplomatic sources.

The move, if approved by South Korea, will likely be seen as a ``notch up'' from China's past practice since 1992, when the two former Cold War adversaries established full diplomatic relations.

China, a traditionally strong ally of North Korea, had been sending vice-ministerial level ambassadors to North Korea, and sending lower-ranked envoys to South Korea.

China's ``upgrade'' is seen as a positive response to South Korea's recent appointment of Yu Woo-ik, a former top aide to President Lee Myung-bak, as Korea's ambassador to China.

Zhang is to succeed Cheng Yonghua, who was named the Chinese ambassador to Japan.

He was born in 1953 in Shanghai and graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a top school in China, well known for producing many top diplomats. He also previously served as the Chinese ambassador to Ireland in 2005-2007.

He is not known to have had any involvement with Korean affairs.