List of ambassadors of the United States to South Korea
Ambassador of the United States to South Korea | |
---|---|
Nominator | Barack Obama |
Inaugural holder | Lucius H. Foote as Envoy, Resident Minister and Counsul-General |
Formation | 1883 |
Website | U.S. Embassy - Seoul |
The current United States Ambassador to Korea is Sung Kim. His official title is "United States Ambassador to the Republic of Korea."[1]
Kingdom of Korea
After the United States-Korea Treaty of 1882 was negotiated, diplomatic representatives were sent from Washington to Seoul.[2] From then until 1905 there were several Envoys and Consuls General, each heading what was called a legation. After the Japanese had defeated the Chinese in 1895, and the Russians in 1905, Korea began to see its independence disappear. By 1910 Japan had annexed Korea and the U.S. no longer had a diplomatic presence in Korea.
Envoy, Resident Minister and Counsul-General
- Lucius H. Foote, 1883–1885[2]
- George Clayton Foulk, 1885–1886
- William Harwar Parker, 1886
- George Clayton Foulk, 1886–1887[3]
- Hugh A. Dinsmore, 1887–1890[4]
- Augustine Heard, 1890–1894[2]
- John M.B. Sill, 1894–1897[2]
- Horace Newton Allen, 1894–1897[2]
- Edwin V. Morgan, 1905[5]
Republic of Korea
At the end of World War II American forces accepted Japanese surrender in southern Korea, and Soviet forces accepted the surrender of the Japanese in northern Korea. Talks to agree upon a unity government for Korea failed and in 1948 two separate Korean states were created: the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The United States established diplomatic relations with the new South Korean government, but did not recognize North Korea. Other nations like the Soviet Union recognized the Pyongyang regime in North Korea, but did not initially establish relations with the South Korea government in Seoul.
The United States has maintained constant diplomatic relations with South Korea since 1948; and the United States formally recognized the Republic of Korea on 1 January 1949. The American special representative, John J. Muccio became the first Ambassador to the Republic of Korea on March 1, 1949.[6]
The Embassy of the United States in Seoul has jurisdiction over APP Busan.
Ambassador
- John J. Muccio, 1949–1952[6]
- Ellis O. Briggs, 1952–1955
- William S.B. Lacy, 1955–1955
- Walter C. Dowling, 1956–1959[7]
- Walter P. McConaughy, 1959–1961[8]
- Samuel D. Berger, 1961–1964[9]
- Winthrop G. Brown, 1964–1967[10]
- William J. Porter, 1967–1971[11]
- Philip C. Habib, 1971–1974[12]
- Richard L. Sneider, 1974–1978
- William H. Gleysteen, Jr., 1978–1981[13]
- Richard L. Walker, 1981–1986
- James R. Lilley, 1986–1989
- Donald Gregg, 1989–1993
- James T. Laney, 1993–1996
- Stephen W. Bosworth, 1997–2001[14]
- Thomas C. Hubbard, 2001–2004[15]
- Christopher R. Hill, 2004–2005[16]
- Alexander R. Vershbow, 2005–2008[17]
- Kathleen Stephens, 2008–2011[1]
- Sung Kim, 2011–present
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
As of 2011, the U.S. has no diplomatic presence in North Korea.
Notes
- ^ a b Embassy of the United States, Seoul, Ambassador
- ^ a b c d e Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922).Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament, pp. 29-32., p. 29, at Google Books Cite error: The named reference "mission32" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Foulk served two tours of duty. He relieved Ambassador Parker, whose alcoholism affected his ability to fulfill his responsibilities.
- ^ U.S. Congress, Dismore bio
- ^ Korean Mission p. 32, p. 32, at Google Books; note that Morgan's term was brief. He (a) presented credentials on June 26, 1905; (b) closed the Legation, November 28, 1905; and (c) left Seoul, December 8, 1905 after Japan took over responsibility for Korean foreign relations
- ^ a b Schnabel, James F. (1972). Policy and Direction: the First Year, p. 28., p. 28, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, George. (2007). Nation Building in South Korea, pp. 105-106, p. 105, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky,pp. 111-112, p. 111, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, pp. 118-120, p. 118, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, p. 135, p. 135, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, pp. 150-160, p. 150, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books
- ^ Brazinsky, p. 226, p. 226, at Google Books
- ^ Funabashi, Yōichi. (2007). The Peninsula Question: a Chronicle of the Second Korean Nuclear Crisis, p. 225-226., p. 225, at Google Books
- ^ Funabashi, p. 108., p. 108, at Google Books
- ^ Funabashi, p. 372., p. 372, at Google Books
- ^ Funabashi, p. 176., p. 176, at Google Books
See also
- Embassy of the United States, Seoul
- South Korea – United States relations
- Foreign relations of South Korea
- Ambassadors of the United States
References
- Brazinsky, George. (2007). Nation Building in South Korea:Koreans, Americans, and the Making of a Democracy. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. 10-ISBN 0807831204/13-ISBN 9780807831205; OCLC 263714059
- Funabashi, Yōichi. (2007). The Peninsula Question: a Chronicle of the Second Korean Nuclear Crisis. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. 10-ISBN 0815730101/13-ISBN 9780815730101; OCLC 156811113
- Halleck, Henry Wager. (1861). International law: or, Rules regulating the intercourse of states in peace and war New York: D. Van Nostrand. OCLC 852699
- Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609
- Schnabel, James F. (1972). Policy and Direction: the First Year, Vol. 3 of United States Army in the Korean War. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
- United States Department of State: Background notes on South Korea
- This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.