Amb. Jong-kook LEE was appointed to the Executive Vice-President of the Korea Foundation in 2021. He served as Consul-General in Chicago, USA from April 2016 to May 2019, and Ambassador for International Cooperation at the Korean Institute for National Unification from June 2015 to March 2016, and Ambassador to Libya from August 2012 to February 2015. As a career diplomat, he also served in many countries including Russia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Amb. LEE graduated from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea with B.A. in International Relations in 1982 and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1981. He also received his M.A. in International Relations from University of Texas in 1988.