Trump nominates former lawmaker Michelle Steel as US ambassador to South Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated a former California congresswoman, Michelle Steel, to be the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, a post that has been vacant throughout his second term, despite South Korea's status as a key ally.

The White House announced the nomination, which will require congressional approval, on Monday.

South Korea's presidential office said on Tuesday it expects Steel, if formally appointed, to contribute to strengthening bilateral ties and promoting friendship between the peoples of the two countries, according to media reports.

A senior State Department official, Kevin Kim, has been serving as acting ambassador since last October, shortly before Trump paid a visit to South Korea. The last Senate-approved ambassador in Seoul was Philip Goldberg, who was picked by former President Joe Biden.

In 2024, Steel, a Korean-American and a conservative Republican, narrowly lost her bid for reelection to her Orange County congressional seat to Democrat Derek Tran, a Vietnamese-American, having served two full terms.

News reports at the time said the tight race between the two Asian-American candidates turned ugly with both accusing each other of red-baiting tactics. 

Reuters