U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel, who has arrived to assume her post, delivers a statement at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the 30th. [Photo=Yonhap News]U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel expressed her commitment to working with the South Korean government to advance the ROK-U.S. alliance on the 30th.

Upon arriving in Korea that day, Ambassador Steel met with reporters at Incheon International Airport and stated, "I look forward to working with Korea to ensure that our ironclad alliance remains the linchpin of regional peace and security."

Ambassador Steel said, "In Gyeongju, The U.S. President Donald Trump and the President opened a new chapter in our alliance," adding, "Today, we will carry forward the vision of the U.S. President Donald Trump for this alliance. It will be stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before."

This is interpreted as an expression of her commitment to cooperate on implementing the agreements reached by the leaders of South Korea and the United States during their summit in Gyeongju last October.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul highlighted the significance of Ambassador Steel’s appointment, stating, "Ambassador Steel arrives in Seoul at a critical time as the United States and the Republic of Korea deepen their cooperation based on the commitments in the 2025 ROK-U.S. Joint Fact Sheet, opening a new chapter for one of the strongest alliances in the world."

Ambassador Steel also stated, "The United States and South Korea have been together for over 140 years. Our alliance was forged in war and secured through the blood of those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder to defend freedom."

She further emphasized, "The alliance has been reaffirmed through unwavering trust. Today, the ROK-U.S. alliance is one of the strongest in the world."

Ambassador Steel arrived with her husband, Shawn Steel.

Ambassador Steel is the first U.S. Ambassador to South Korea appointed under the second administration of The U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul had been operating under an acting ambassador for a year and a half since the departure of former Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who was appointed under the Joe Biden administration, in January of last year.

Ambassador Steel was born in Seoul in 1955 and is from an immigrant family that moved to the United States in 1975; her Korean name is Park Eun-joo.

Before delivering her statement in English that day, Ambassador Steel greeted the public in Korean, saying, "I respectfully greet the people of Korea. Although I was born in Seoul, I stand here representing the United States. I am filled with mixed emotions as I stand here once again."

Ambassador Steel is a conservative politician who served as an elected member of the California State Board of Equalization and as an Orange County Supervisor, before serving four years as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 2021.