U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Sung Kim has praised the successes of Korean-Americans working in various fields, saying he has high hopes for the future of U.S.-Korea relations.
Kim, who was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. in the 1970s, took office last November as the first Korean-born U.S. ambassador to Seoul.
In a blog posting last week, he said the recent rise to fame of Taiwanese-American NBA player Jeremy Lin reminded him of the achievements of Korean-Americans in the U.S, including golfers Michelle Wie and Christina Kim.
He noted that Korean-Americans have also done well in the private sector, with one woman becoming one of six self-made billionaire women in the U.S. Other examples, he said, were actor Daniel Dae Kim, classical violinist Sarah Chang and novelist Chang-rae Lee.
"I am also thrilled that many have decided to give back and work in the public sector," Amb. Kim wrote. "Some great examples are Sukhee Kang, the mayor of the city of Irvine in Orange County, California; Legal Adviser of the Department of State Harold Hongju Koh; former chancellor of Washington, D.C. Public Schools, Michelle Rhee; and my close friend, Joseph Y. Yun, the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State."
The ambassador added that more than 30 Korean-Americans are serving at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
"I am so proud of all of these young, bright, hardworking Korean-Americans serving their country, as I am about all of our dedicated officers at the Embassy," he said. "We have some of the U.S. government's most talented officers in Seoul. With their commitment and hard work, I am confident that the future of U.S.-Korean relations is in great hands." (Yonhap)