Seoul: Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's nomination of former Korean American congresswoman Michelle Park Steel as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, expressing hope that her formal appointment would further strengthen bilateral ties.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Trump selected Steel, a former two-term Republican lawmaker from California, for the position, which has been vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg left Seoul in January last year.
A presidential official stated, "We expect the formal appointment of nominee Steel would bolster Korea-U.S. relations and promote friendship between people of the two nations." Steel's appointment is pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate, a process that typically spans several months.
If confirmed, Steel would become the second Korean American to serve as U.S. ambassador to South Korea, following former Ambassador Sung Kim, who held the position from 2011 to 2014.
Her nomination comes as Seoul and Washington tackle various shared tasks, including modernizing the bilateral alliance, addressing trade and investment issues, and cooperating on regional and global challenges, such as North Korea's threats and the Middle East conflict.