"Delay in Nomination of US Ambassador to Korea, Insult to Korea"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Reports have emerged that the Biden administration in the United States has not nominated an ambassador to South Korea for nearly a year since taking office, becoming a source of tension between the two countries.

A former senior U.S. official told NBC on the 16th (local time), "There have been various talks surrounding the vacancy of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea in recent months, and it is increasingly becoming a contentious issue."

Currently, the United States has Christopher Del Corso serving as the charg? d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea. Former and current officials see tensions rising between the long-standing allies, South Korea and the U.S.

A congressional official said on the broadcast, "The fact that no one has been nominated as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea and that there isn't even a rumored name has caused Koreans to feel insulted."

A former White House official expressed concern, saying, "Given the critical moment surrounding the Korean Peninsula situation, including President Moon Jae-in's proposal for a declaration of the end of the war, and with the presidential election scheduled for March next year, the vacancy of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea is ill-timed."

In particular, NBC reported that tensions increased when President Biden announced nominees for ambassadors to China and Japan last August. A former senior official said, "It is insulting that there is no nominee for ambassador in Seoul while there are nominees in Tokyo and Beijing."

A senior South Korean official told the broadcast, "South Korea is not the only country without a U.S. ambassador appointed or nominated," adding, "We understand that the U.S. government follows certain procedures. The fact that ambassadors have been nominated for Japan and China does not imply anything beyond the procedures." However, the official added, "For practical reasons, it would be better if a new U.S. ambassador to South Korea is decided soon."