The U.K. has named a career diplomat to serve as the country’s new ambassador to North Korea, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Monday, though he is not expected to initially reside in Pyongyang.

Simon Wood, a career diplomat with nearly three decades of experience, will assume the post later this month, London announced in a press release. He will succeed Dr. David Ellis, who served as ambassador from Dec. 2021 to Feb. 2025.

The appointment confirms NK News reporting from June on Wood’s expected nomination for the ambassadorship.

Wood most recently served as deputy director of