Former Rep. Michelle Steel vowed to ensure American companies receive “equal treatment” in South Korea, should she be confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to the country.
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Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday morning, the former Orange County congresswoman also told lawmakers that she would like to ensure a continued strong alliance between the U.S. and South Korea — not only for military and security purposes, but also in fostering trade and U.S. exports.
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Steel, 70, was nominated by President Donald Trump in April to serve as the country’s ambassador to South Korea. 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.
Responding to a question posed by Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, about allegations that South Korea has discriminated against American technology companies, including online retailer Coupong, 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.
“All the Korean companies here in the United States, they get equal treatment, and I think United States companies in South Korea (have) to get equal treatment with their companies, too,” Steel said during the nearly two-hour hearing.
“American companies operating in Korea deserve the same market access that Korean companies enjoy in the United States,” Steel had also said in her prepared opening remarks.
In response, Hagerty said, “If confirmed, you’ll be carrying the full weight of the United States in your voice, and so your advocacy is going to be absolutely critical.”
Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, said South Korea continues to implement barriers that stifle farmers in his state of Nebraska.
“We cannot celebrate new deals when old barriers remain, or new ones are being created,” Ricketts said. “American farmers and companies deserve the full benefits of agreements we sign. If confirmed, will you commit to ensuring the full implementation of the Korean Strategic Trade and Investment deal?”
Steel promised to sit down with members of the South Korean government related to trade to discuss Seoul’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.
On Wednesday, Steel sat in the middle of a long table positioned in front of lawmakers. She was questioned about her positions and goals for the role alongside David Brat, a former Virginia congressman who is nominated to serve as ambassador to Australia; Brock Dahl, a lawyer from Maryland picked to serve as legal advisor to the State Department; Michael Kavoukjian, an attorney selected to serve as ambassador to Norway; and retired Lt. General Eric Wendt, who teaches at the Naval Postgraduate School and was nominated to serve as ambassador to Albania.
with a Korean saying: “After hardship comes joy.”
She detailed her family’s journey from North Korea to South Korea during the Korean War. Eventually, they relocated to Japan, and from there, her father encouraged her to study in the U.S., Steel said. English, Steel said, is her third language.
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Steel said she was committed to “strengthening our alliance with the Republic of Korea.”
“The United States and the Republic of Korea share one of the world’s strongest alliances, and I look forward to supporting the next phase in our great alliance,” she said.
Steel earned praise from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for agreeing to look into the trade deal and report back her findings to lawmakers.
“Allies like South Korea are watching closely to see whether American commitments remain firm. That matters not only for our security alliances but for our economic partnerships as well,” Shaheen had said earlier in the hearing. “If confirmed, I hope you will work to strengthen our alliance with Seoul and reinforce deterrence in the region.”
In order to assume the ambassador role, Steel will need to be confirmed by the Senate.
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.
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.
Steel was narrowly defeated by Rep. Derek Tran, D-Orange, in a wildly expensive congressional race in 2024.
After that election loss, Steel was 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.
And in an interview last year, Steel said she was proud of her time in Congress.
“I was very honored to serve and grateful that people elected me,” Steel said.
“I want to work on the frontlines helping to advance President Trump’s tough-on-China trade agenda,” Steel said. “I think I can do more outside (of Congress) than in there.”
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.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.