U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Jongno-gu. Yonhap News. 

Domestic media reports indicate that the United States has replaced Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Joseph Yun.

It is understood that Deputy Assistant Secretary Kevin Kim of the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs will be appointed as his successor.

According to Chosun Ilbo and other media on the 19th, Yun, who was appointed Chargé d'Affaires ad interim by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 10th, is expected to step down as of the 26th.

It is unusual for a Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to be replaced by another Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, especially since the role temporarily performs the duties of a full ambassador.

The sudden replacement of the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim by the U.S. is drawing attention, particularly as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting is scheduled for the end of this month.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Kevin Kim, who is being considered as the successor, has been responsible for Korean Peninsula affairs at the State Department.

Chosun Ilbo reported that Deputy Assistant Secretary Kim worked in the Office of the Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the State Department from 2018 to 2020 during the first Trump administration, and was involved in practical U.S. North Korea diplomacy alongside officials such as former Special Representative for North Korea Policy Steve Biegun, who served as Deputy Secretary of State.

The U.S. Ambassador typically requires Senate confirmation, which can take several months to over a year. A Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, however, can assume the role immediately without such a process.

Previously, during the first Trump administration, the government also left the position of U.S. Ambassador to Korea vacant for an extended period, only appointing former Ambassador Harry Harris in July 2018, more than a year and a half after the inauguration.

Editorial Department