The British ambassador to South Korea is in charge of the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to South Korea. The official title is His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK).

History Under the Imperial Chinese tributary system, Korea was a tributary state to China. After the United Kingdom–Korea Treaty of 1883 British Ministers to China were appointed as "Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of China, and also Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of Corea." Britain also appointed consuls-general to be resident in Seoul, but they were not heads of mission, as the head of mission was the minister in Peking (now Beijing). In 1898, following the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), the Korean Empire became independent of China, and Britain appointed a chargé d'affaires who became Minister Resident when the United Kingdom and Korea exchanged envoys in 1901.

Consul-General in Seoul

British representative to Joseon (until 1897) and later Korean Empire (after 1897).

1884–1885: William George AstonKornicki, Peter, , Cambridge University, Department of East Asian Studies, 2008. 1889–1896: Walter HillierAddison, Henry Robert. (1901). ; compare Note 12 1896–1898: John JordanKit-ching Chan Lau, Anglo-Chinese Diplomacy 1906–1920: In the Careers of Sir John Jordan and Yuan Shih-kai, Hong Kong University Press, 1978

Head of mission to Korea

Minister to China, non-resident minister to Korea

Holders were station in Beijing.

1884–1885: Sir Harry Smith Parkes 1885–1892: Sir John Walsham, 2nd Baronet 1892–1895: Sir Nicholas O'Conor 1896–1898: Sir Claude MacDonald

Chargé d'affaires 1898–1901: John Jordan

Minister Resident 1901–1905: Sir John Jordan

Under the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 Korea became a protectorate of Japan, and Britain and other countries withdrew diplomatic missions from Seoul. After World War II Japan's rule ended and Korea was occupied by the Soviet Union and United States, resulting in division of Korea between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Korea under Japanese rule

From 1910 to 1945 Korea was under Dependent territory of the Empire of Japan, thus no longer required a diplomatic mission.

Head of mission to South Korea

The current mission represents South Korea, while the ambassador for North Korea did not exist until 2000.

Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary 1949–1954: Captain Vyvyan Holt (consul-general from 1948). 1954–1956: Charles Stewart 1957: Hubert Evans

Ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary 1957–1961: Hubert Evans 1961–1966: Sir Walter Godfrey 1967–1969: Ian Clayton Mackenzie 1969–1971: Nigel Trench 1971–1974: Jeffrey Charles Petersen 1975–1980: William Bates 1980–1983: John Morgan 1983–1986: Nicholas Spreckley 1986–1990: Lawrence Middleton 1990–1993: David Wright 1994–1997: Thomas HarrisUKIndia Business Council (UKIBC), Executive Board 1997–2000: Sir Stephen BrownThe Diplomatic Service List 2005, page 138, Foreign & Commonwealth Office 2000–2003: Charles Humfrey 2003–2008: Warwick MorrisBarclay, Jennifer. A diplomatic career in Korea, Anglo-Korean Society. 14 May 2008. 2008–2011: Martin Uden 2011–2015: Scott WightmanUK in the Republic of Korea, Our ambassador 2015–2018: Charles HayCharles Hay, British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, gov.uk

2018–: Simon Smith 2022–present: Colin Crooks

See also British Embassy, Seoul Embassy of Korea in the United Kingdom South Korea–United Kingdom relations United Nations Command United Kingdom in the Korean War United Nations Memorial Cemetery 1st Commonwealth Division KATCOM British Commonwealth Forces Korea Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Foreign relations of the United Kingdom List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom List of diplomatic missions in South Korea

Notes

References Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609

External links UK and South Korea, gov.uk