New U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens will arrive in Seoul Tuesday to formally start work, her office said.
"Ambassador Stephens is scheduled to issue a brief introductory statement upon arrival at the Incheon International Airport Tuesday afternoon," an official at the U.S. Embassy was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.
She replaces Alexander Vershbow who served as Washington's top envoy in Seoul for three years. Vershbow flew back to the U.S. last week.
Stephens is known for her close personal ties to South Korea. She taught English in a rural town of southern South Korea for three years from 1975 as a Peace Corps volunteer. After joining the U.S. foreign service in 1978, she worked as principal officer at the consulate in Busan in 1987-1989 and as internal political unit chief in 1984-1987 at the embassy in Seoul. She has the Korean name "Shim Eun-kyoung."