U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated former Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel as the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea, tapping a Seoul-born former lawmaker whose anti-communist politics, China hawkishness and long involvement in Korean and Korean American issues make her a revealing choice for one of Washington’s most sensitive diplomatic posts in Asia.

If confirmed by the Senate, Steel would become the first Senate-confirmed envoy to Seoul since Philip Goldberg left the post in Jan. 2025, filling a vacancy that has stretched through a period of rising regional tensions, shifting political leadership in both capitals and growing uncertainty over how