Hirono to Trump: Nominate a U.S. Ambassador to South Korea as Soon as Possible

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after Victor Cha confirmed that he is no longer being considered to serve as the ambassador to South Korea:

“One year into his presidency, Donald Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea -- one of our closest allies in a volatile region of the world.

“That the White House is no longer considering Victor Cha’s nomination over his legitimate concerns about preemptive military strikes against North Korea is deeply troubling and undermines ongoing diplomatic efforts to deescalate tensions.

“Donald Trump’s aversion to differences of opinion is pathological and does not serve our national interest or the interests of our allies in the region.”

In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday, Senator Hirono questioned experts on the Korean Peninsula on the importance of filling the ambassadorship. Last year, Senator Hirono wrote to the President to urge him to fill the ambassadorship, and several other positions that are critical to finding a diplomatic solution to deescalate tensions with North Korea.