An Jooeun, Chairperson of CJES Foundation, Appointed as Cultural Envoy of Mongolia

by Park Pyunghee

Published 23 Apr.2026 12:20(KST)

An Jooeun, Chairperson of the CJES Foundation, has officially been appointed as The Cultural Envoy of Mongolia, becoming the first Korean to hold this title.

On April 17, Chairperson An received her appointment letter directly from Suhe Suhbold, Mongolian Ambassador to Korea, at the appointment ceremony held at the Embassy of Mongolia in Korea. She is the first foreigner to be designated as a cultural envoy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. Until now, only Mongolians have served as cultural envoys, acting as private diplomatic channels to promote Mongolian culture worldwide.

An Jueun, Chairperson of CJES Foundation, posed for a commemorative photo with Suhe Sukhbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to Korea, after receiving the appointment letter at the Mongolian Culture Ambassador appointment ceremony held at the Embassy of Mongolia in Korea on the 17th. CJES Foundation

Ambassador Suhbold stated, "We have high expectations as this is the first time a foreigner has been appointed as a Mongolian cultural envoy," adding, "We hope that, through Envoy An Jooeun, Mongolian culture and arts will become even more active across various fields in Korea."

An Jooeun, the newly appointed cultural envoy, expressed her commitment to expanding cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries, saying, "From now on, An Jooeun is Mongolia, and Mongolia is An Jooeun," reflecting her sense of mission. The term of the cultural envoy appointment is not separately defined.

Chairperson An is currently a professor at Dankook University's Department of New Music and a performance director, broadening the scope of private diplomacy through culture and the arts.

She has successfully led numerous projects commemorating diplomatic relations between countries, including serving as executive director for the 35th anniversary concert of Korea-Mongolia diplomatic ties. The Mongolian government is said to have decided to appoint her as a cultural envoy in recognition of these achievements.

Last year, Chairperson An became the first Korean woman to direct the opera "Aida" on the stage of the world-renowned Teatro Antico di Taormina in Italy. She has also served as executive director for internationally symbolic cultural exchange events such as the 140th anniversary concert of Korea-Italy diplomatic relations and the 33rd anniversary concert of Korea-Kyrgyzstan diplomatic relations, presenting new models of public diplomacy through the arts.

In 2026, Chairperson An plans to continue her active work as the artistic director of the "World Sound Festival" at KBS Hall in Yeouido in May, artistic director of the "Seoul-Paris Art Bridge" commemorating the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations in August, director of the opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" in Sicily, Italy in September, and director of the original opera "King’s Star" for the opening of the Hwaseong Arts Center in October.