Seoul: Former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha was formally appointed as South Korea’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone as Seoul’s first female envoy to Washington, according to the foreign ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang, who held the position of South Korea’s top diplomat from 2017 to 2021 under former President Moon Jae-in, has now been appointed as the first ambassador to the U.S. under the Lee Jae Myung administration. This appointment comes years after she made history as the country’s first female foreign minister under the Moon administration.

Experts have highlighted Kang’s suitability for the role, particularly in the context of close policy coordination with the United States, as there are growing expectations for a potential resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. Her prior experience includes serving as South Korea’s top diplomat during the peak of summit diplomacy between North Korea and the U.S. in 2018-19, which occurred during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term.

Kang is anticipated to play a key role in coordinating Trump’s upcoming trip to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, as well as facilitating summit talks between Lee and Trump on the sidelines of the multilateral event.

As Seoul’s top envoy, she will also tackle significant diplomatic challenges, including ongoing tariff negotiations with the U.S. and Washington’s efforts towards the “modernization of the alliance,” all aimed at maximizing national interests.

Born in 1955, Kang is an alumna of Yonsei University in Seoul, graduating in 1977, and she earned a doctorate in communications from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1984. Kang’s extensive experience includes significant roles within the United Nations, particularly in human rights, where she served as the U.N. deputy high commissioner for human rights in 2007 and as the deputy emergency relief coordinator for humanitarian affairs in 2013.