Libya's new leadership considers upgrading diplomatic mission in S. Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Libya's government-in-waiting is considering upgrading the African nation's diplomatic mission in South Korea to a formal embassy as opposition military forces in Tripoli overran the compound of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi, a Libyan diplomat said Wednesday.
Masaoud Al Ghali, chief of Libya's diplomatic mission in Seoul, also believed that the two nations would further boost exchanges in various sectors after the National Transitional Council (NTC), led by the opposition military forces, forms a post-Gadhafi government.
"We are considering upgrading our diplomatic mission to an embassy," Al Ghali told Yonhap News Agency in an interview. "It won't take too long for us to upgrade" the economic cooperation office to a formal embassy.



Libya downgraded its embassy in Seoul in 2007 to the economic cooperation bureau while closing some 20 embassies around the world as part of efforts to cut government spending.
Relations between South Korea and Libya deteriorated last year when Tripoli expelled an intelligence officer of the South Korean embassy, accusing him of trying to illegally collect information about Gadhafi. The diplomatic row prompted the Libyan mission in Seoul to close its office for more than three months.
While Tripoli remains in a state of chaos after the opposition military forces stormed Gadhafi's compound, international efforts to support the new leadership in Libya are intensifying.
South Korea has officially recognized the NTC as the African nation's legitimate government and pledged to lend humanitarian assistance to help reconstruction work by Libyan people.
Al Ghali thanked South Korea for its support of the NTC and asked South Korean government and its companies to "actively participate in reconstruction projects in Libya."
"In the future, relations between South Korea and Libya will be further strengthened," he said.
Al Ghali also confirmed that his office has replaced the Libyan national flag with the red, black and green flag used by NTC supporters over its building.
The Libyan mission changed the flag on Tuesday "in accordance with the wishes of Libyan people," he said.
kdh@yna.co.kr