The president of the United States, Donald Trump, appointed former Republican congresswoman Michelle Steel as ambassador to South Korea, a post that remained vacant for much of his second term.
The announcement, made by the White House, still needs to be approved by the US Congress. This appointment comes as Seoul remains a major strategic ally of Washington, particularly in matters of regional security in Asia.
Since last October, the interim position had been held by a senior State Department official, in the absence of an ambassador confirmed by the Senate. The last holder of the post, appointed during the presidency of Joe Biden, was Philip Goldberg.
Michelle Steel, an American of Korean descent, was elected twice to the House of Representatives before narrowly losing her seat in 2024 to Democrat Derek Tran, in a particularly close election in California.
His appointment could be seen as a strong political signal, given his background and close ties to conservative American circles, in a context of sensitive regional relations, particularly in the face of issues related to North Korea and China.
If confirmed, Michelle Steel's mission will be to strengthen bilateral relations between Washington and Seoul, in a geopolitical environment marked by growing tensions in East Asia.
Community
Comments
Comments are open, but protected against spam. Initial posts and comments containing links undergo manual review.
Be the first to comment on this article.