By Hong Soon-do, Beijing correspondent, AsiaToday - Chinese ambassador Qiu Guohong is highly likely to be appointed as the next envoy to Japan in February. As a result, nominees for the next ambassador to Korea are being watched with keen interest. Among them, the leading candidate is Kong Xuanyu, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry.

Kong Xuanyu, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry of China./ Source from search engine Baidu

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According to diplomatic sources in Beijing on Thursday, ambassador Qiu has been nominated as the successor of China's current ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, who will be replaced in February next year. The next envoy to Korea must have been already nominated for such reason. This is why Kong Xuanyu is being specifically named.

Most of all, Kong speaks Korean, and has a deep understanding of Korean culture. Of course, the fact that he is ethnic Korean can act as a negative factor.

Xing Haiming, Chinese ambassador to Mongolia. He has been nominated as a new ambassador to Korea./ Source from search engine Baidu

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China's current ambassador to Mongolia, Xing Haiming, is another nominee for a new ambassador to Korea. Before becoming ambassador to Mongolia, Xing worked as a diplomat in the Korean peninsula. He worked in both South and North Korea twice, respectively. But the fact that it's been less than a year that he has been appointed to Mongolia and that he is in early 50s are expected to work as main obstacles.