Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Andrei Podyolyshev as Russia’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Under the relevant decree, the diplomat was relieved of his post as ambassador to Nigeria, Kommersant reports.

Podyolyshev graduated from MGIMO in 1984 and began his diplomatic career at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs that same year. He speaks English and Korean.

During his service, the diplomat worked at the Soviet embassy in North Korea, as well as at Russian diplomatic missions in South Korea and the United States. From 2005 to 2015, he served as deputy director of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2015–2019, he headed the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul, and in 2024 he was appointed Russia’s ambassador to Nigeria.

In addition, Putin signed decrees appointing new Russian ambassadors to several countries. Stanislav Krans became Russia’s ambassador to Tonga, while Alexander Bryantsev was appointed ambassador concurrently to São Tomé and Príncipe and Angola.