Masatoshi Muto

The Japanese government has appointed current ambassador to Kuwait Masatoshi Muto as the new ambassador to Korea. He will replace Toshinori Shigeie.

Muto previously served a post in the Japanese Embassy in Seoul and consul-general in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has worked as the ambassador to Kuwait since October 2007.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that it is an unusual appointment as Muto has never served in a director-level position in Japan's Foreign Ministry, but he has expertise in Korean affairs as he served three times in the Korean Embassy, and worked at the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Northeast Asia affairs bureau.