Ambassador Michelle Park Steel [EPA=Yonhap News file photo]

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul announced on the 8th that "the new U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Michelle Steel, will soon arrive in Seoul to begin her tenure." 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today, the Embassy stated, "We look forward to further strengthening the relationship between the two countries," confirming her upcoming arrival.

In a video accompanying the post, Ambassador Steel spoke in both English and Korean, saying, "I am deeply honored to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to South Korea," and added, "I look forward to meeting you all in person very soon."

Ambassador Steel has recently completed the U.S. Senate confirmation process and has received the formal agreement (agrément) from the South Korean government, paving the way for her imminent arrival. 

Ambassador Steel will be the second Korean-American to serve as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, following Sung Kim (who served from 2011 to 2014). 

Born in Seoul in 1955, Ambassador Steel immigrated to the United States in 1975. She served as an elected member of the California State Board of Equalization and as a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, before serving four years as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 2021.