Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong has returned to Korea after completing his ambassadorship, leaving both Korea and the United States with their respective ambassador positions unfilled.
On the 12th (local time), Ambassador Cho is reported to have returned home after approximately 2 years and 3 months in office. He served as the 28th ambassador to the United States, beginning his term in April 2023 during the government of Yoon Suk-yeol, and was involved in former President Yoon's state visit to the U.S. in 2023 and the Camp David summit of the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Ambassador Cho's return appears to be linked to a unified departure order received recently for ambassadors to major countries including the United States, Japan, Russia, and France.
Meanwhile, the position of the U.S. ambassador to Korea remains vacant. Former U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg departed on January 7, just before the inauguration of the second term of the Trump administration, and the system has been maintained under Deputy Ambassador Joseph Yun for over six months.
The presidents inaugurated on the 4th of last month—President Yi and President Trump, who took office in January—have yet to announce the nominations for the new ambassadors to the United States and Korea.
Former National Diplomatic Academy Director Cho Byung-je and former Ministry of Foreign Affairs First Deputy Minister Im Sung-nam are mentioned as potential candidates for the next ambassador to the United States, while Jun-ho Lee, the Minister Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy, is expected to serve as the acting ambassador until the new ambassador is appointed.