On Nov. 11, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Michael DiSomber, 57, former ambassador to Thailand, as Deputy Minister in charge of practical matters regarding South Korea and North Korea at the State Department's East Asia and Pacific Bureau. The Deputy Minister oversees diplomatic operations related to South Korea, North Korea, China, and Japan, and must be confirmed by the Senate after a hearing before being officially appointed. DiSomber, a specialized lawyer in Asian trade, currently heads merger and acquisition (M&A) operations for Asia at the multinational law firm Sullivan & Cromwell in New York.
Trump expressed his delight through the social media platform he founded, Truth Social, saying, "I am pleased to announce that Ambassador DiSomber has been appointed as the next Deputy Minister of the State Department's East Asia and Pacific Bureau," and added, "During his first term, Michael served as ambassador to Thailand (2019-2021) and did a tremendous job." He continued, "DiSomber graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and received a bachelor's degree (in quantitative economics) and a master's degree (in East Asia) from Stanford University. His master's thesis was on "China's nuclear strategy." I am confident that Michael will work incredibly hard for our country."
DiSomber hails from Chicago, Illinois. He has worked as a lawyer in Hong Kong, and his spouse is Korean. DiSomber served as ambassador to Thailand from March 2020 until January 20 of the following year, when Trump's first term ended. During his time as ambassador to Thailand, he reportedly contributed opinion columns to the media in line with Trump’s agenda, criticizing the Chinese government over issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the South China Sea.
Sullivan & Cromwell introduced DiSomber on its website, stating, "Since relocating to Hong Kong in 1997, DiSomber has focused his work on public and private merger and acquisition transactions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, and direct investments in China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and other regions of Asia."