The U.S. Senate has approved the nomination of Michelle Steel as ambassador to Korea. She is expected to become the first Korean American woman to serve as ambassador to Korea.
On the 17th (local time), the Senate put Steel's nomination to a floor vote and passed it 55-39. With this, the Senate's confirmation process for Steel is complete.
Steel will officially assume the post after receiving her commission from U.S. President Donald Trump and going through Korea's agrément (consent to receive a diplomatic envoy) process. Trump nominated Steel as ambassador to Korea on Apr. 13.
Steel will be the second Korean American to serve as ambassador to Korea, following former Ambassador Sung Kim (2011-2014). She will also be the first Korean American woman. The ambassadorship to Korea has been vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg departed in Jan. last year.
Born in Seoul in 1955, Steel immigrated to the United States with her family in 1975. She later served as an elected Commissioner of California's Board of Equalization and as an Orange County supervisor (chief administrative officer), and from 2021 for four years she was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives.