Key facts
- Michelle Steel will arrive in Seoul on Thursday to assume her post as the new U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.
- The ambassadorial position has been vacant for about 1.5 years.
- Steel, a Korean American Republican politician, previously served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Her arrival coincides with several bilateral issues, including South Korean investment in the U.S. and nuclear cooperation.
- Steel has identified strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance as her top priority.
Michelle Steel, the newly nominated U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, is expected to arrive in Seoul this week, filling a post that has been vacant for approximately 1.5 years. Her arrival comes as the United States and South Korea navigate a range of pressing bilateral issues, including economic cooperation, nuclear energy collaboration, and the modernization of their long-standing alliance.
Steel, a Korean American Republican politician and former two-term U.S. Representative from California, was nominated by President Donald Trump. She is set to arrive on Thursday, with her credentials expected to be formally submitted as early as next week, pending the return of South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and the foreign ministry's chief of protocol from accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on a trip to South America.
The ambassadorial role has been empty since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg departed in January of last year. Steel has emphasized that strengthening the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is her primary objective. Her nomination has faced some criticism from progressive civic groups in South Korea, who perceive her as a conservative figure. However, government officials in Seoul believe she possesses a strong understanding of the alliance's importance and is committed to collaboration.
A foreign ministry official expressed optimism about Steel's arrival, stating that it is hoped her presence will facilitate discussions on the diverse security and economic matters that the two nations must address in a rapidly changing global landscape. Steel has previously attended events related to bilateral industrial cooperation, including one in July 2026 focused on shipbuilding.