Ambassador anxiety continues to mount as Korea awaits Trump's diplomat pick

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Ambassador anxiety continues to mount as Korea awaits Trump's diplomat pick

Published: 24 Jul. 2025, 11:03

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Anjani Sinha, nominee for U.S. ambassador to Singapore, speaks during a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington on July 9. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Amid a growing pattern of politically connected ambassadorial picks under U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, Korea is still waiting for a nominee to fill the vacant post of U.S. ambassador — an absence that has drawn concern as diplomatic challenges mount between the two allies.

At a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 9, an exchange between Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Anjani Sinha, nominee for U.S. ambassador to Singapore, sparked controversy among Singaporean netizens.

Following Sinha’s rambling and incoherent responses, online comments included: “Not sure what’s more insulting — the tariffs or accepting this person as ambassador.”

Sinha, an orthopedic and sports medicine specialist of Indian descent, was nominated as ambassador to Singapore in March. He operates several medical clinics in New York and resides in Florida, home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to the BBC. At the hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, introduced Sinha as a “friend of the president for 10 years.”

Cases like Sinha’s have drawn criticism that ambassadorial appointments under Trump’s second administration are prioritizing personal ties and loyalty over diplomatic expertise.

Other notable picks include Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s father-in-law, nominated as ambassador to France, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s former girlfriend, nominated as ambassador to Greece.

U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside newly sworn-in Ambassador to France Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, looks on as a U.S. flag is raised on a newly installed flag pole on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, on June 18. [EPA/YONHAP]

“In Trump’s first term, there were ‘grown-up figures’ like Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who could speak candidly,” said Seo Jung-kun, professor of political science and international relations at Kyung Hee University. “In the second term, loyalty has become the top priority.”

Bloomberg noted on July 16 that while placing Trump allies in ambassadorial roles might have short-term diplomatic benefits, it risks undermining long-established bilateral relationships and U.S. diplomatic strategy in the long run. Diplomacy, it emphasized, requires not only understanding of issues and negotiation skills, but also deep knowledge of the host country’s history and culture.

In fact, Trump’s pick for ambassador to Malaysia, Nick Adams, is facing growing opposition in Malaysia. Adams, known for his Make America Great Again (MAGA) aligned activism and books, previously tweeted: “If you don’t support Israel, you’re with the terrorists.”

Over 60 percent of Malaysia’s population is Muslim, and the country has Islam as its official religion.

Activists hold placards depicting Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, Nick Adams, during a protest outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 18. [EPA/YONHAP]

Korea, meanwhile, has not even seen a nomination — nearly seven months into Trump’s second term. Though China and Japan have received their U.S. ambassadors, the post in Seoul remains vacant.

Some observers attribute the delay to Korea’s own recent political transition, following the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and impeachment proceedings. Still, the prolonged vacancy is troubling, especially amid pressing issues like tariff negotiations and defense cost-sharing.

Ideally, the nominee would be someone with direct communication access to Trump and a sound understanding of Korea. Some cite Bill Hagerty’s 2017–2019 term as U.S. ambassador to Japan as a model. Hagerty, who led Trump’s campaign in Tennessee in 2016, later served on the presidential transition team and was appointed to Tokyo, having also worked there for three years at Boston Consulting Group.

Repblican Senator Bill Hagerty gives a thumbs-up after being hailed by US President Donald Trump during a bill signing for cryptocurrency legislation in the East Room of the White House in Washington on July 18. [EPA/YONHAP]

Elected to the Senate in 2020, Hagerty continues to reinforce the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance within the foreign affairs and appropriations committees.

A former Korean diplomat remarked, “Of course, any appointee will be someone eager to implement Trump’s ‘America First’ vision. But more important, what matters is communication between the presidents of the two countries.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY WI MOON-HEE [[email protected]]