Navy admiral to be tapped US ambassador to S. Korea

Adm. Harry Harris / AP

By Kim Bo-eun

U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris, who was formerly nominated as ambassador to Australia, may be re-nominated as the ambassador to South Korea, according to media reports, Wednesday.

The U.S. and South Korean governments have not confirmed the nomination, but Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop noted the change, Wednesday, after being informed by U.S. Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan a day earlier, according to an AP report.

“While we would have welcomed Admiral Harris here as the ambassador to Australia, we understand that there are significant challenges for the United States on the Korean Peninsula,” she was quoted as saying.

U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Harris to be ambassador to Australia in February.

Harris, 61, reportedly planned to retire this year, but decided to take the post as ambassador to Australia based on his deep interest in bilateral relations between the countries. He is known to have less experience in dealing with South Korea.

As the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, he has referred to North Korea as the largest threat in the region. Now he is set to be Trump’s representative in Seoul, as Washington steps up engagement with North and South Korea ahead of key summits.

He will undergo a new vetting process and confirmation hearing, but is expected to easily receive Senate confirmation, according to reports. Harris is referred to as a well-respected, experienced official with approval from senators of both parties.

The admiral was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and American father, who was part of the U.S. forces in Japan. His father participated in the Korean War and lived in Korea for two years after the war, as part of the U.S. Naval force.

Harris graduated from the United States Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He acquired a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.

He became the first Asian-American appointed to be an admiral in the U.S. Navy. Harris has spent 39 years in the Navy.

The position of U.S. ambassador to Seoul has been vacant for over a year and three months, since the last ambassador Mark Lippert left in January last year. Marc Knapper is the current charge d’affaires.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration dropped its pick for the post Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea chair for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, after the South Korean government approved the nomination.

The Washington Post reported that U.S. Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo pushed for Harris to take the post after he was pressured to fill the vacancy in Seoul in his confirmation hearing.