Jim Heller set to be deputy chief at US Embassy in Seoul

Jim Heller, a veteran U.S. diplomat with extensive experience in East Asia and multilateral affairs, is set to be named the new deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, according to sources Thursday. He will replace Joy Sakurai and is expected to take up the post by the end of the month.

Jim Heller, who reports say will be appointed deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Courtesy of U.S. State Department website

Heller, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as acting deputy assistant secretary for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands at the U.S. State Department.

In Washington, Heller has held key roles across a broad range of regional and functional offices, including the Office of Japanese Affairs; Office of Taiwan Coordination; Office of Korean Affairs; State Department Operations Center; Office of Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus Affairs; and Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs.

His overseas postings include two tours at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and assignments at the U.S. Embassies in Seoul and Kyiv, as well as service with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Erbil, Iraq. Known as a seasoned "Asia hand," Heller brings decades of institutional knowledge and regional expertise to the Seoul mission.

He holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul has been led by Charge d’Affaires ad interim Joseph Yun since January. Yun, appointed under the Biden administration, is expected to step down in the second half of the year.

Observers say Heller’s appointment reflects an effort by Washington to ensure continuity in diplomatic leadership and avoid a vacuum at a key U.S. post while the Trump administration’s nominee for ambassador to Korea remains pending. His arrival is also viewed as part of preparations to support the incoming ambassador, once appointed.

When contacted by The Korea Times, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said it does not comment on personnel matters.