The seasoned diplomat "will become chargé d'affaires in a few days," the outgoing ambassador said during a farewell press briefing at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday when asked if Yun would serve as the acting U.S. ambassador to Seoul.
His appointment, made just two weeks before incoming U.S. President Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, is seen as a departure from previous U.S. practices, where the deputy chief of mission would usually assume the role.
The move is largely interpreted as Washington's commitment to bilateral alliance without leaving a vacuum amid political turmoil in South Korea after President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle last month.
Yun, who played a key role in nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang, is expected to arrive in Seoul as early as this week and carry out his interim duties until a new U.S. envoy is appointed.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Michelle Park Steel, a Korean American and former Republican congresswoman, could be a strong candidate for the role under a second Trump administration.
Known for her "pro-Trump" stance, Stell immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 and was elected to Congress in California in 2021, serving two terms before losing her reelection bid last year. Trump once called her an "America First patriot.
Another potential candidate is Allison Hooker, who was involved in formulating North Korea policy during Trump's first term.
But it remains uncertain when and who will be appointed as the new ambassador under the incoming U.S. administration.
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