Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Defense minister meets with newly appointed US ambassador to the ROK

US ambassador promises “close communication” with the ROK government

On July 21, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop met with Philip Goldberg, the new United States (US) ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the two exchanged opinions on the security situation and the development direction for the ROK-US alliance.

“I feel reassured that Career Ambassador Goldberg, with his abundant experiences and distinguished capabilities, has been appointed as the US ambassador to the ROK,” Lee said, congratulating Goldberg on his appointment. Career Ambassador is a personal rank of Foreign Service Officers within the US Department of State Senior Foreign Service. The President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, is empowered to appoint individuals who have been recognized for their especially distinguished service to this class.

Significantly, Lee stressed the “importance of the role of the US ambassador to the ROK in communication between the governments of the two countries, amid the continued military threats from North Korea,” and asked Goldberg “to serve as a bridge between the governments of our two countries while the ROK-US alliance is developing into a ‘global comprehensive strategic alliance.’”

“The current situation is very critical for the security of the Korean Peninsula. I am honored to work as the US ambassador to the ROK to beef up the ROK-US alliance,” Goldberg commented. “I highly appreciate the key contribution the ROK-US alliance is making to building peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added, promising to “thoroughly carry out the given tasks by closely communicating with the ROK government to enhance the joint prosperity and security of the ROK-US.”

The two sides also agreed to continue to communicate closely about the development of the bilateral alliance and the main security issues.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr >

<Copyright ⓒ The Korea Defense Daily, All rights reserved>