Nomination of Ambassador Hill for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

On March 4, Christopher R. Hill, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, was officially nominated to the position of assistant secretary for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, succeeding ex-assistant secretary James Kelly.

Ambassador Hill was assigned to the Republic of Korea on August 12, 2004, and he has concurrently served as head of the U.S. negotiating team for six-party talks on North Korean nuclear issues lately.

The assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs covers East Asian and Pacific countries, including Korea, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

In addition, as successor to Ambassador Hill, Douglas H. Paal, director of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Michael Green, senior director for Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council, Richard Christenson, the diplomatic minister to Afghanistan, and Richard Lawless, deputy assistant secretary of U.S. Department of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, are being considered. However, it is entirely possible that an unexpected celebrity will be appointed.

U.S. ambassador to Australia Tom Schieffer, who was seriously taken into account for the post assistant secretary, was named as the new ambassador to Japan.

Soon-Taek Kwon maypole@donga.com