UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Michelle Steel has assumed her post as the new U.S. ambassador to South Korea, filling a position that had remained vacant for a year and a half. She is the second Korean-American to serve as U.S. ambassador to Seoul, following former Ambassador Sung Kim, and the first Korean-American woman to hold the position.

"I respectfully greet the people of Korea," Ambassador Steel said upon assuming her post. "Although I was born in Seoul, I stand here representing the United States." She added that South Korea and the United States "should jointly try to realize U.S. President Trump's vision for the alliance."

Born in Seoul in 1955, Steel immigrated to the United States in 1975 and went on to serve two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in Congress, she was known for leading efforts to counter China and for sponsoring legislation supporting the human rights of North Korean defectors. She has taken a conservative stance favoring a hard-line approach toward North Korea and China, and has aligned herself with the Trump administration's "America First" agenda.

On trade matters, Steel said fair treatment should apply equally in both directions between the two countries. "Just as South Korean companies in the U.S. receive equal treatment, I believe that U.S. companies operating in South Korea should also receive equal treatment," she said.

While her arrival fills the ambassadorial vacancy, a substantial list of bilateral issues remains unresolved between Seoul and Washington. These include a discrimination-related dispute involving Coupang raised by the U.S. side, questions over investment in the United States, and stalled security cooperation projects such as nuclear cooperation and the construction of nuclear-powered submarines. Attention is now turning to whether Steel's appointment will help advance progress on these pending matters.

Separately, in Washington, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Kang Kyung-wha, reflected on her own appointment and the broader state of the alliance. "Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of serving Korea in a variety of diplomatic posts," Kang said, adding that serving as ambassador to the United States "at the very forefront of Korea's diplomacy here in Washington, D.C., is both an immense honor and a profoundly meaningful responsibility."

Kang described South Korea's current government as a "Government of Popular Sovereignty" that places citizens at the center of governance and prioritizes policies grounded in democracy, common sense and pragmatism. She said this governing philosophy also extends to the country's diplomacy, noting that President Lee Jae-myung has emphasized that the national interest is the guiding principle of South Korean diplomacy, with the ultimate measure of that interest being the quality of life and well-being of the Korean people.

Kang characterized the ROK-U.S. alliance as the cornerstone of this pragmatic, national interest-based diplomacy, describing it as having played the most vital role in advancing peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. Over the past seven decades, she said, the two countries have grown from a traditional military alliance into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic partnership built on shared commitments to democracy, the market economy and the rule of law, anchored by three pillars: security, the economy, and advanced technology.

Kang said she would work to further strengthen and elevate the alliance, while also prioritizing public diplomacy efforts to deepen understanding of Korea across the United States. This includes close engagement not only with the U.S. administration but also with Congress, academia, the media and other sectors of American society, as well as continued support for the global visibility of Korean cultural soft power.

She also highlighted the role of the roughly 2.6 million Koreans living in the United States, describing them as among the most valuable assets of the ROK-U.S. alliance. Kang said she would work to strengthen ties with the Korean-American community and support its role as a bridge between the two countries.

"As Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, I will conduct diplomacy befitting the stature and dignity of the Republic of Korea, with a profound sense of responsibility," Kang said, adding that she and the embassy staff would work to advance national interests and further strengthen the alliance.