President Trump’s original pick for U.S. ambassador to South Korea is no longer being considered after disagreements with the administration’s policy on North Korea were privately expressed.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday Victor D. Cha was set to become the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea in time for the Winter Olympics, but White House officials now say they have moved on to other potential candidates.
Cha, an academic with experience having served in the Bush administration, raised concerns over the National Security Council’s consideration of a limited strike on North Korea meant to send a message without starting a war, a concept referred to as a “bloody nose” strategy.
Cha also raised issues with the administration’s stance on trade, objecting to administration threats to leave a bilateral trade deal with South Korea that Trump claims is unfair to U.S. companies, according to the Washington Post. The South Korean government criticized a move by the Trump administration last week to apply tariffs on imports on washing machines and solar panels.
The White House had thoroughly vetted Cha for months, conducting security and background checks and acquiring the approval of South Korean officials.
Now a year into his presidency, Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea, a country that U.S. officials have had to work with frequently over the last year to quell heightened tensions on the peninsula as North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program.
“We have yet to nominate anyone for the post, but it is our intention to do so as soon as we can find the appropriate candidate,” said an official who spoke anonymously with the Washington Post.
