{"id":15823,"date":"2026-06-17T20:31:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T20:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15823"},"modified":"2026-06-17T20:31:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T20:31:39","slug":"former-rep-michelle-steel-confirmed-as-new-ambassador-to-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15823","title":{"rendered":"Former Rep. Michelle Steel confirmed as new ambassador to South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Former Rep. Michelle Steel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to serve as the country\u2019s new ambassador to South Korea.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

James Heller, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, has been serving as the charg\u00e9 d\u2019affaires ad interim \u2014 essentially an acting ambassador when there is no one in the position \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Steel, a Republican from Seal Beach, said during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May that American companies would receive \u201cequal treatment\u201d in South Korea under her ambassadorship if she were confirmed.<\/p>\n

She made history when she was first elected to Congress in 2020. Then, she \u2014 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 \u2014 was one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress.<\/p>\n

Kim, on Wednesday, praised Steel\u2019s confirmation to the post.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to see all you\u2019ll accomplish to strengthen our ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance,\u201d Kim said on social media, using an acronym for the Republic of\u00a0Korea.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n
\n

Congratulations, Ambassador Michelle Steel! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7<\/p>\n

America is so lucky to have you representing our nation. I can\u2019t wait to see all you\u2019ll accomplish to strengthen our ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance. https:\/\/t.co\/18vScN9c0Q<\/p>\n

\u2014 Young Kim (@RepYoungKim) June 17, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n<\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 presidents that commits to fairness. She said she would follow up on that agreement if confirmed.<\/p>\n

Steel also promised that she would sit down with members of the South Korean government related to trade to discuss the country\u2019s pledge of $350 billion in U.S. investments to avoid the Trump administration\u2019s tariffs. South Korea and the U.S. finalized an agreement in November \u2014 after months of tense negotiations \u2014 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\u2019s foreign currency reserves.<\/p>\n

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Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump picked the former Orange County lawmaker for the ambassador post in April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Rep. 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