Trump eyeing reassignment of top envoy to PH Sung Kim to Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines – United States President Donald Trump is planning to nominate his top envoy to the Philippines as the new ambassador to Indonesia, a statement posted on the White House website said.

“Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration: Sung Y. Kim of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia,” the statement, dated July 10, read.

However, the White House has yet to name its next top envoy to the Philippines.

This announcement comes after reports said that US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Mina Chang would be Washington D.C.’s next ambassador to the Philippines.

The US Embassy in Manila has denied Chang’s supposed appointment.

READ: US Embassy denies report Mina Chang is next ambassador to PH  

The White House website said Kim “is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service [and] class of Career Minister.”

“Ambassador Kim’s extensive history of public service at the Department of State, including as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Special Envoy for the Six Party Talks, Director of the Office of Korean Affairs, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,” the White House said.

Kim also served as a political officer at the Embassies in Seoul, Republic of Korea; Tokyo, Japan and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it added.

Kim earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Law School, and Masters of Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“Ambassador Kim received the Presidential Meritorious Honor Award in 2018, and he speaks Korean and Japanese,” the White House further noted.

Meanwhile, Trump also announced his plan to nominate Adam Seth Boehler of California to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.

Boehler is the current Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. /gsg