Former Rep. Michelle Steel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to serve as the country’s new ambassador to South Korea.
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Steel, 70, was nominated by President Donald Trump for the post in April. The two-term House member was born in South Korea to parents who fled North Korea and was raised in Japan, immigrating to the U.S. when she was 19.
On Wednesday, June 17, the Senate voted 55-39 in favor of confirming her to the post. U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, both of California, voted no.
James Heller, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, has been serving as the chargé d’affaires ad interim — essentially an acting ambassador when there is no one in the position — to South Korea since January. Philip Goldberg was the last Senate-confirmed person to serve as ambassador, retiring in early January 2025 from the post he had held since July 2022 with the nomination from then-President Joe Biden.
Steel, a Republican from Seal Beach, said during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May that American companies would receive “equal treatment” in South Korea under her ambassadorship if she were confirmed.
She made history when she was first elected to Congress in 2020. Then, she — along with Rep. Young Kim, a Republican who represents communities in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and Rep. Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat from Washington — was one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress.
Kim, on Wednesday, praised Steel’s confirmation to the post.
“I can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish to strengthen our ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance,” Kim said on social media, using an acronym for the Republic of Korea.
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Congratulations, Ambassador Michelle Steel! 🇺🇸🇰🇷
America is so lucky to have you representing our nation. I can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish to strengthen our ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance. https://t.co/18vScN9c0Q
— Young Kim (@RepYoungKim) June 17, 2026
In the House, Steel, a Republican, served on a commission that opposed human rights violations in China and sponsored legislation in support of Taiwanese democracy, as well as an effort to restrict federal funding from colleges affiliated with China.
Steel lost to Rep. Derek Tran, D-Orange, in a wildly expensive 2024 congressional race, but was then tapped by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, to be part of a team studying the feasibility of a new national museum dedicated to the culture and history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
Responding to a question during the May Senate hearing about allegations that South Korea has discriminated against American technology companies, including online retailer Coupang, Steel pointed to a trade agreement fact sheet from the two countries’ presidents that commits to fairness. She said she would follow up on that agreement if confirmed.
Steel also promised that she would sit down with members of the South Korean government related to trade to discuss the country’s pledge of $350 billion in U.S. investments to avoid the Trump administration’s tariffs. South Korea and the U.S. finalized an agreement in November — after months of tense negotiations — to invest $200 billion in U.S. semiconductor and other high-tech industries, plus another $150 billion in shipbuilding, in exchange for Washington lowering reciprocal tariffs on Seoul from 25% to 15%. It also caps South Korean investments at $20 billion a year to protect the country’s foreign currency reserves.
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Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.