New U.S. Ambassador Steel Visits Ministry of National Defense... Third Visit After Foreign and Trade Ministries

Possibility of Discussing Key South Korea-U.S. Defense Issues

Michelle Steel, the recently appointed US Ambassador to Korea, visited the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul on September 3.

On the morning of the same day, Ambassador Steel visited the Ministry of National Defense with Xavier Brunson, Commander of the United States Forces Korea, and is believed to have paid a courtesy call to Minister of Defense Ahn Gyu-baek. While the visit appears to be an official introductory meeting, there is also a possibility that key bilateral defense issues—such as the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and the status of combined US-ROK military exercises following the downsizing of "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS)—were discussed during the meeting.

Michelle Steel, the US Ambassador to Korea, is delivering a greeting during a meeting with Jo Jeong-sik, the Speaker of the National Assembly, held in the Speaker's office on the 21st. Photo by the National Assembly Press Corps, Yonhap News Agency

It is reported that since Steel assumed her post in Korea at the end of July, the Ministry of National Defense is the third government ministry she has visited, following the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Usually, a newly appointed US ambassador to Korea meets the Minister of Foreign Affairs first when submitting a copy of the letter of credence, then presents the official letter of credence to the President, and subsequently pays courtesy visits to other key cabinet ministers.

On August 4, Ambassador Steel paid a courtesy visit to Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, and on August 12, she presented her letter of credence to President Lee Jaemyung. She then met with Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Junggwan on August 14, making him the second key cabinet member of the Korean government she met with after the Foreign Minister.

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