'First U.S. Ambassador to Korea Under Trump’s Second Term' Michelle Steel Arrives Today... Foreign Ministry 'Expecting Contributions to Korea-U.S. Relations' (Comprehensive)

The First Korean-American Woman Appointed as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea

Michelle Steel (Korean name: Park Eun-ju), age 71, who has been nominated as the 26th U.S. Ambassador to Korea, is scheduled to arrive in Korea on July 30. This marks the end of the ambassadorial vacancy one and a half years after the launch of the second Trump administration in the United States. She becomes the second female U.S. Ambassador to Korea following former Ambassador Kathleen Stephens in 2008, and sets a new milestone as the first woman of Korean descent in this position.

Kang Kyung-wha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States (right), and Michelle Steel, the U.S. Ambassador-designate to Korea, are meeting for a commemorative photo in Washington D.C., USA. Photo by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S.

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States on July 30, Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha met with Ambassador-designate Steel in Washington, D.C. ahead of her deployment to Korea. The Embassy stated on its official social media account that the two reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance and expanding collaboration on shared priority areas, including shipbuilding, nuclear-powered submarines, and advanced technology.

Steel is an American politician born in Seoul. Her parents are known to be from the North and defected to the South during the Korean War. She spent her childhood in Japan and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1975. In the 2020 U.S. House election, she was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives from California. She attempted a third term in 2004 following reelection, but was unsuccessful. Her husband, Shawn Steel, is also a prominent Republican politician and lawyer.

With the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Korea filling the position that had remained vacant for 18 months following the departure of former Ambassador Philip Goldberg in January last year, expectations are rising that this could break the deadlock facing the Korea-U.S. relationship. Steel, in particular, is seen as someone who has a direct line to President Donald Trump. However, there are also concerns given her political background: she is considered to hold strong conservative views even within the Republican Party and is noted for her hardline stance toward China.

Regarding this, Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a regular briefing at the Seoul Government Complex and welcomed Steel’s appointment, stating, "Based on her understanding of the Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral relations, we expect her to make meaningful contributions during her tenure." He added, "There are numerous areas for cooperation between Korea and the U.S., and since Ambassador Steel is assuming her post after more than a year of vacancy, we anticipate diplomatic communication will be much more effective and close." He further stated, "We intend to strengthen diplomatic efforts to make progress on the various issues agreed upon in the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS)."

Steel is expected to submit a copy of her credentials to the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs early next week before paying a courtesy visit to Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. She will then present the original credentials to President Lee Jaemyung in a formal ceremony, after which she will officially begin her diplomatic duties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.