Foreign Minister Cho Highlights New U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel's Role in Addressing Bilateral Issues
Key Takeaways
- •U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel arrived in South Korea on Thursday to assume a post that had remained vacant since January of the previous year, marking one of the longest ambassadorial gaps in the alliance's history.
- •Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expects to leverage Steel's reported direct access to Washington to address difficult issues in the bilateral relationship.
- •Pending matters between Seoul and Washington include South Korean investment commitments in the United States and regulatory tensions surrounding U.S.-listed Coupang Inc. after a major data breach.
- •Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit South Korea soon, with discussions anticipated on his April trip to North Korea.
- •The foreign ministry plans to build a new firewall and implement other countermeasures following a cyberattack on the Korea National Diplomatic Academy that exposed the personal information of all South Korean diplomats.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday that he expects newly arrived U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel to play a key role in resolving pending issues between Seoul and Washington, citing her reported "direct" access to the U.S. capital.
"(I) expect to have various consultations on pending South Korea-U.S. issues," Cho said during an interview with Yonhap News TV. "Since the ambassador is said to have a direct line to Washington, (I) expect we can utilize that to resolve difficult issues in South Korea-U.S. relations."
Steel, a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, arrived in South Korea on Thursday to take up her post, which had remained vacant since January of last year — one of the longest gaps for the ambassadorship in the decades-long alliance. Cho is expected to meet with Steel in person on Tuesday, when she submits a copy of her credentials to the foreign ministry.
Her arrival comes at a time when Seoul and Washington are navigating a series of unresolved security and economic matters. These include South Korean investment commitments in the United States and rising tensions over Seoul's regulatory actions against U.S.-listed Coupang Inc. — one of South Korea's largest e-commerce platforms — following a major data breach that affected millions of customers.
The embassy vacancy had overlapped with a politically turbulent period in South Korea, including a brief period of martial law declared by then-President Yoon Suk-yeol in December, making the restoration of a full-time American diplomatic presence in Seoul a priority for both governments.
On a separate matter, Cho noted that he understands Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea "soon." He added that he hopes to discuss Wang's April trip to North Korea during the visit.
Regarding a recent cyberattack on the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, which is believed to have exposed the personal information of all South Korean diplomats, Cho stated that the ministry intends to implement robust countermeasures. These include building a new firewall to guard against future breaches.
