US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel shared news of her visit to Namdaemun Market on Saturday via her X account. [Screen capture from Steel's X account]
US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel shared news of her visit to Namdaemun Market on Saturday via her X account. [Screen capture from Steel's X account]

US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel has been drawing attention with a string of Korea-friendly gestures since her arrival. Observers say Steel — the second Korean American ambassador to Seoul after Sung Kim — is deliberately highlighting her emotional ties to the country.

Steel is expected to meet Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in the near future. Cho returned Monday after accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on an overseas trip. Newly arrived ambassadors formally begin their duties by submitting a copy of their credentials to the Foreign Ministry's chief of protocol, and Steel is expected to meet Cho during that visit.

Since arriving in South Korea, Steel has been actively touring Seoul and sharing updates on SNS. On Sunday, she and her husband, attorney Shawn Steel, attended a service at Youngnak Presbyterian Church in Jung-gu, Seoul. The church was founded by North Korean refugees during the Korean War. Steel's parents were among those who fled the North during the conflict, and she attended the church before emigrating to the United States.

On Saturday, she posted four photos on X from a visit to Namdaemun Market. In the images, Steel wore a white T-shirt marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and posed with her husband, the two making heart shapes with their hands. Another shot showed her holding hotteok — a sweet pancake regarded as one of the market's signature treats — and laughing alongside a vendor.

"Visiting Namdaemun Market again after so long brought back so many fond memories," Steel wrote. "Much has changed, but the warmth, energy and familiar sights were exactly as I remembered them."

On Friday afternoon, she posted a photo on X taken in front of the US Embassy building and the statue of King Sejong. "Passing the statue of King Sejong reminded me once again of Korea's remarkable legacy of innovation and leadership," she wrote. "I look forward to the journey we will build together. Join me."

Steel is expected to play a central role in a range of pending bilateral issues, including working-level consultations on a joint fact sheet and matters related to Coupang Inc.


moone@heraldcorp.com