South Korea will replace its ambassador to Libya later this month as part of efforts to start relations with the African nation anew after resolving an espionage row that had hampered ties for months, an official said Monday.
Ambassador Chang Dong-hee will be called back home in the first half of this month in a "symbolic measure" to freshen relations with Libya following a diplomatic spat over espionage activity by a South Korean agent, the foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The planned replacement was one of the measures that South Korea and Libya had agreed to take to mark the end of the four-month row, along with the envisioned upgrading of Libya's economic cooperation office in Seoul to a full embassy, the official said.
The dispute began in June after Libya accused the intelligence agent of attempting to collect information on Libya's leader and the country's weapons systems. Libya had since expelled the agent, suspended its economic office in Seoul and detained two South Koreans for allegedly violating its religious law.
The row was fully resolved in late September at a meeting between Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi and South Korean legislator Lee Sang-deuk, who is also a brother of President Lee Myung-bak.
Libya has since reopened the economic office and released the detained South Koreans.
The appointment of Chang's successor is expected to take some time because the ministry plans to make the appointment when it carries out a regular personnel reshuffle, the official said. The reshuffle is expected to come early next year.
Earlier in the day, another ministry official said Chang will be recalled on Nov. 7, adding that the ministry has decided to have him take "comprehensive responsibility" though he was not directly responsible for the dispute.