Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Michelle Park Steel, a former Korean American congresswoman from California, as the United States' ambassador to South Korea. This diplomatic position has remained unfilled since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg departed in January last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the nomination arrives during a critical period for U.S.-South Korea relations, with both nations facing several significant joint challenges. These include modernizing their bilateral alliance, addressing trade and investment issues, and collaborating on regional and global security matters, such as North Korean threats and the ongoing Middle East conflict. Should the Senate confirm her nomination, Steel is anticipated to play a pivotal role in reinforcing communication between the two allies after more than a year without a permanent ambassador.
Following Goldberg's departure, Joseph Yun, the former special representative for North Korea policy, and Kevin Kim, the former deputy assistant secretary at the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, have served as acting ambassadors. Steel's confirmation would mark her as the second Korean American to hold the ambassadorial role in South Korea, succeeding Sung Kim, who served from 2011 to 2014.
Steel was a prominent contender for the ambassadorial post since Trump assumed office in January last year, reportedly receiving strong backing from Republican figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. During Trump's initial term, Steel contributed to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Elected to the House in 2020 and reelected in 2022, Steel narrowly lost her seat in the 2024 general election. Despite this, Trump endorsed her on social media, praising her as one of the "strongest congresswomen" and an "America First Patriot."
In Congress, Steel advocated for legislation to support Korean Americans separated from relatives in North Korea due to the Korean War. Her political career also includes roles on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the California State Board of Equalization.
Steel is married to Shawn Steel, an attorney and former California Republican Party chairman. She was born in Seoul in June 1955 and spent parts of her childhood in South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Steel is multilingual, speaking fluent Korean, and holds degrees from Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California.