US President Donald Trump has nominated Michelle Park Steel, a Korean-born former Republican congresswoman from California, as the next US ambassador to South Korea. Steel, who served two terms in the House of Representatives before losing her seat in the 2024 election, is a familiar figure in Korean-American political circles and previously advocated for legislation addressing family separations caused by the 1950–53 Korean War. The nomination comes after the Seoul ambassadorship has sat vacant for over a year, as the two allies navigate shared priorities including alliance modernisation, North Korean threats, and broader regional security challenges.