New Ambassador of South Korea to the Holy See presents Credentials to the Holy Father

By Sr. Carmel Ann

Pope Francis on Friday received in audience H.E. Mr. Baek Man Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of his Credential Letters.

H.E. Mr. Baek Man Lee was born on 23 February 1956. He graduated in economics from Seoul National University, Korea in 1978, and specialized in mass communications at Chungang University, Seoul, in 2010.

He was the editor for ‘The Hankook-Ilbo’ the South Korean vernacular daily newspaper (2001); director of the Reporting Division at Korea Business TV (2002); Deputy Minister, Government Information Agency (2004-2006); Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations (2006-2007); special advisor to the President for Public Relations (2007); visiting professor at Mokpo National University (2008-2010); honorary ambassador to the Cambodia Xavier Jesuit School (2016) and Catholic missionary at the Catholic Catechetical Institute (2017).

In 2017 Korea and the Holy See celebrated 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations: in particular, the commemoration of the sending of the first permanent Apostolic Delegate of the Holy See in Korea. And this year for the first time The International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally invited a delegation from the Holy See to attend the inauguration of the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea on February 9. The delegation was led by the under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca, and from 5 to 7 February they also attended an Olympic session of IOC members as observers.