New US Ambassador Michelle Steel Arrives in Seoul, Vows to Strengthen 'Ironclad' Alliance

Michelle Steel, the newly confirmed US Ambassador to South Korea, arrived in Seoul on Thursday and immediately framed her mission around preserving what she called one of the world's strongest bilateral alliances. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport shortly after landing, Steel said the relationship between Washington and Seoul had endured for well over a century and had been "forged in war" and repeatedly tested through decades of cooperation.

Steel described the alliance as "ironclad" and said she intends to make sure it continues to serve as a pillar of regional stability. Her arrival marks a milestone for the post: she is the first ambassador to take up the Seoul assignment since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, and only the second Korean American to hold the job, following Sung Kim, who served from 2011 to 2014. The ambassador's seat had been empty since Philip Goldberg departed in January 2025, with the embassy run in the interim by acting officials.

Her welcome was not without friction. A small group of civic activists gathered at the airport to protest, holding placards criticizing her past remarks on regulatory treatment of Coupang, the US-founded e-commerce giant that operates extensively in South Korea. Police kept the demonstrators away from Steel as she made her way through the terminal.

The Coupang issue is expected to be an early flashpoint in her tenure. During her Senate confirmation hearing in May, Steel signaled she would push back against what she views as unfair regulatory scrutiny of American firms operating in Korea, and she reportedly met with Coupang and Google representatives in Washington before departing for her post.

Beyond corporate disputes, Steel's inbox is expected to fill quickly with high-stakes matters: South Korea's proposed $350 billion investment commitment in the United States, ongoing tariff negotiations, Seoul's ambitions to build nuclear-powered submarines, potential revisions to civilian nuclear cooperation rules, and the enduring challenge of North Korea's weapons programs. Seoul officials have said they hope to unveil the first projects under the investment package as early as August or September.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official told reporters the government welcomes Steel's arrival and hopes it will help move stalled discussions forward, noting the two countries face "a wide range of issues to work on together" given the shifting security and economic landscape.

While Steel has already begun working out of the embassy, her formal engagements with the South Korean government will not start until she delivers a copy of her diplomatic credentials to the Foreign Ministry, expected early next week once senior officials return from President Lee Jae Myung's trip to South America. Born in Seoul in 1955 before her family later settled in the United States, Steel previously served on California's State Board of Equalization, as an Orange County supervisor, and for two terms in the US House of Representatives.