Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | Mme. Michelle Steel, newly appointed U.S. ambassador to South Korea, has assumed her post, ending a year-and-a-half vacancy. She is the second Korean-American to hold the position following former Ambassador Sung Kim and the first Korean-American woman to perform the work.
Attention is now focused on whether this will help solve the pending bilateral issues between Seoul and Washington.

Ambassador Mme. Steel said: "I respectfully greet the people of Korea. Although I was born in Seoul, I stand here representing the United States."

Then she emphasized, "The Republic of Korea and the United States should jointly try to realize U.S. President Trump's vision for the alliance."

She said, "Together, we will try to realize President Trump's vision for this alliance. The Republic of Korea and the United States should jointly try to realize U.S. President Trump's vision for the alliance."

Born in Seoul in 1955 and immigrating to the U.S. in 1975, Ambassador Steel is a former two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During her tenure in the Congress, she spearheaded efforts on checking China and sponsoring legislation for North Korean defectors' human rights.

Known for her conservative stance advocating a hard-line approach toward North Korea and China, she has also aligned with the Trump Administration's 'America First' agenda.

Ambassador Steel says: "Just as South Korean companies in the U.S. receive equal treatment, I believe that the U.S. companies operating in South Korea should also receive the equal treatment."

While Ambassador Steel's arrival fills the ambassadorial vacancy that lasted for a year and a half, many bilateral issues remain to be resolved between Korea and the U.S.

A pile of pending trade and security tasks awaits her attention, including the Coupang issue raised by the U.S. regarding discrimination, investment in the U.S., and stalled security projects such as nuclear cooperation and the construction of nuclear-powered submarines.

On the Korean-American relations, cooperation and friendship, Ambassador Mme. Kang Kyung-wha in Washington states as follows:
“Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of serving Korea in a variety of diplomatic posts. Yet to serve as Ambassador to the United States, at the very forefront of Korea’s diplomacy here in Washington, D.C., is both an immense honor and a profoundly meaningful responsibility.

Our government is a Government of Popular Sovereignty that places the people at the center of governance and gives the highest priority to policies that improve the lives of our citizens through democracy, common sense, and pragmatism.

This governing philosophy must also guide our diplomacy. President Lee Jae Myung has likewise emphasized that the guiding principle of our diplomacy is the national interest, and that the ultimate measure of the national interest lies in the quality of life and well-being of the Korean people.

At the cornerstone of our pragmatic, national interest-based diplomacy stands the ROK-U.S. Alliance, which has played the most vital role in advancing peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

Over the past seven decades, Korea and the United States have grown together beyond a traditional military alliance into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance founded on our shared commitment to democracy, the market economy, and the rule of law, and anchored by three key pillars: security, the economy, and cutting-edge technology.

Going forward, I will work to further strengthen this alliance and elevate it to new heights.

Alongside close engagement with the U.S. Administration, communication with Congress, academia, the media, and other sectors of American society is also of great importance. With this in mind, I will make even greater efforts in public diplomacy to ensure that Korea is better understood throughout the United States.

I will also actively support efforts to ensure that the soft power of Korean culture continues to shine ever more brightly across the United States.

The 2.6 million Koreans in the United States are among the most precious assets of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. We will strengthen our partnership with the Korean community in the United States, while providing active support so that it may continue to serve as an even stronger bridge between our two countries.

As Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, I will conduct diplomacy befitting the stature and dignity of the Republic of Korea, with a profound sense of responsibility. Together with all members of the Embassy, I will do my utmost to advance our national interests and further strengthen the ROK-U.S. Alliance.