THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Senate confirms Michelle Steel as US ambassador to Korea - The Korea Times Michelle Steel testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on her nomination to be U.S. ambassador to South Korea on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 20. Reuters-Yonhap WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Michelle Steel, a former two-term Korean American congresswoman, as the United States' ambassador to South Korea. The upper chamber approved Steel in a 55-39 vote, clearing the way for her to take the ambassadorial post as Seoul and Washington face a series of joint tasks, including "modernizing" their alliance and implementing bilateral security and trade agreements. In April, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated her for the ambassador post, which has been left vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg left Korea in January last year. Steel would become the second Korean American to serve as the U.S.' top envoy to South Korea, following former Ambassador Sung Kim, who served in Seoul as ambassador from 2011–2014. During her confirmation hearing last month, she vowed to ensure that American companies operating in South Korea are not discriminated against,…

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois [WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm former U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Steel as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea: “The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community is the fastest growing minority community in America. As the three United States Senators of AANHPI descent, we have a deep understanding of the way our communities are perceived at home and abroad. When leaders in our community weaponize division and hate, it is not representative of who we are as Americans. “Congresswoman Steel has a disturbing history of using racially-based attacks and tropes. She has targeted AANHPI leaders – including Americans who have served our country in uniform – to divide and push us further apart. “The role of a United States Ambassador is more than executing the policies of the United States Government; it is to serve as a symbol of what America is and what it should be to people around the world. As we work to advance the U.S.-ROK alliance, it is critical that the connections between …

(LEAD) Senate confirms Michelle Steel as U.S. ambassador to S. Korea SEOUL/WASHINGTON, June 18 (Yonhap) -- The Senate has confirmed Michelle Steel, a...

Senate confirms Michelle Steel as US ambassador to S. Korea The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Michelle Steel, a former two-term Korean American congresswoman, as the United States' ambassador to South Korea. The upper chamber approved Steel in a 55-39 vote, clearing the way for her to take the ambassadorial post as Seoul and Washington face a series of joint tasks, including "modernizing" their alliance and implementing bilateral security and trade agreements. In April, US President Donald Trump nominated her for the ambassador post, which has been left vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg left Korea in January last year. Steel would become the second Korean American to serve as the U.S.' top envoy to South Korea, following former Ambassador Sung Kim, who served in Seoul as ambassador from 2011–2014. During her confirmation hearing last month, she vowed to ensure that American companies operating in South Korea are not discriminated against, if she is confirmed. While in Congress, Steel was active in pushing for legislation to address the issue of Korean Americans who have been separated from their relatives in North Korea in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War. …

The Nomination of Michelle Steel and How the Senate Confirms an Ambassador The Nomination of Michelle Steel and How the Senate Confirms an Ambassador As exports to the U.S. fell in late 2025, shipments to China surged, suggesting market uncertainty will push Korea toward a more regionally focused economy. By Arius Derr and Sia Choi April 17, 2026 Listen to this article 0:00 / 0:00 1x On April 13, 2026, President Donald Trump nominated Michelle Steel as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. Steel is a Republican politician from Orange County, California, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing California’s forty-fifth and forty-eighth congressional districts. She has held elected office at the local, state, and federal levels, with a career rooted in taxation and fiscal management. Steel first entered public office in 2007 as a member of the California State Board of Equalization, which administers taxes and oversees revenue collection in the state, and served until 2015. She was elected to Orange County’s Board of Supervisors in 2015 and served until 2021. In that role, she oversaw the county budget, infrastructure projects, public safety, public health, and social …

Senate confirms Michelle Steel as U.S. ambassador to S. Korea WASHINGTON, June 17 (Yonhap) -- The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Michelle Steel...

Senate confirms Michelle Steel as next US ambassador to South Korea - The Korea Herald Jung Min-kyung Since 2017, I have covered South Korea’s political and economic landscape as a reporter, with a focus on foreign affairs, inter-Korean relations and security. As a foreign affairs reporter, I closely follow developments from the Ministry of Unification, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry, tracking shifts in diplomacy, military policy and North Korea’s evolving posture. My work focuses on the intersection of geopolitics, security and policy decisions shaping the Korean Peninsula. Earlier in my career, I also reported on South Korea’s financial sector, covering banking, markets and regulatory developments—experience that continues to inform my understanding of how economic policy intersects with national strategy. Subscribe +

Former Rep. Michelle Steel confirmed as new ambassador to South Korea Former Rep. Michelle Steel testifies before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, May 20. She was picked by President Donald Trump to serve as ambassador to South Korea. (Photo via Foreign Senate Hearings) By Charlie Borla | cborla@scng.com PUBLISHED: June 17, 2026 at 1:17 PM PDT | UPDATED: June 17, 2026 at 4:14 PM PDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Former Rep. Michelle Steel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to serve as the country’s new ambassador to South Korea. 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. 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. The Senate’s vote was largely along party lines, apart from Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, both of whom voted in favor of Steel’s confirmation. Steel was not available for comment Wednesday. …

Senate Advances Steel Korea Ambassador Nomination - Legis1 The Senate took a significant step forward on thePN901-8 nomination, advancingMichelle Steel's bid to serve asU.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Koreathrough a cloture vote that underscores the continuing partisan divide over diplomatic appointments. The vote reveals both the path forward for the Trump administration's diplomatic priorities and the coalition required to move nominations. The ambassadorship to South Korea represents a critical diplomatic post at a moment of heightened regional tensions. Steel's confirmation would fill a position that has remainedvacant for more than 15 monthsinto Trump's second term, leaving a key U.S. ally without permanent diplomatic representation during a period of significant geopolitical importance. The cloture vote passed with54 votes in favor and 41 votes opposed, allowing the nomination to advance past a procedural hurdle that had threatened to stall Steel's confirmation. The breakdown revealed a largely party-line vote, with 51 Republicans in favor, 2 Democrats in favor, and 1 Independent in favor, while 40 Democrats opposed and 1 Independent opposed. The narrow margin underscor…