President Donald Trump has nominated Michelle Park Steel, a Korean-American former Republican congresswoman, as the first U.S. ambassador to South Korea for his potential second term on Monday.
The White House officially announced Trump’s nomination of Steel for the position on its website.
Steel, a prominent Korean-American politician, served as a U.S. Representative for California from 2021 to 2025.
Prior to her congressional tenure, she held roles as an Orange County Supervisor and a member of the California State Board of Equalization. Steel’s diverse educational background spans Korea, Japan, and the U.S., and she is fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese.
Born in Seoul in 1955, Steel immigrated to the United States with her family in 1975. The 1992 Los Angeles riots sparked her interest in politics, as she recognized the need for Korean representation in American government.
As a leading Korean-American figure in the Republican Party, Steel received public support from President Trump just before the 2024 election, where she narrowly lost by approximately 600 votes.
This appointment is expected to end the year-long vacancy in the U.S. ambassador position to South Korea.
The timing is particularly significant as it comes amid complex geopolitical challenges facing the U.S.-South Korea alliance, including Middle East tensions and global supply chain instability.