South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol finalized his picks for key ambassadorships to China, Russia and Japan this week, while tapping a career diplomat with extensive experience on North Korea issues as his envoy to the U.N.

The announcement of the nominations on Tuesday came as the new administration charts its approach to managing tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid the DPRK’s frequent weapons testing this year.

Yoon’s choice to represent South Korea at the U.N. is Hwang Joon-kook, a career diplomat and former ambassador to the U.K. who visited North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facilities in 2009 for negotiations.

Hwang later