(Eagle News) — The United States has chosen a new ambassador to the Philippines.
Korean-born diplomat Sung Kim, who previously served as the US ambassador to the Republic of Korea, was sworn in on Thursday, Nov. 3, by US Secretary of State John Kerry who stressed that the diplomat was the most qualified to serve as US ambassador to the Philippines at this time.
“The bottom line is – and this is the bottom line – there is no one better qualified than Sung Kim to represent the United States of America and to be our ambassador to the Philippines at this point in time. And I very much look forward to his taking up that post as soon as possible,” Kerry said during the swearing in ceremony of Ambassador Sung Kim.
US President Obama nominated Kim to replace former US ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg who had earlier irked Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte several times. This was for a criticism the US diplomat had made of the former Davao City mayor during his presidential election campaign.
The new US ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, said he was very excited in his new assignment.
“As the Secretary mentioned, I had the privilege of serving as the first Korean American U.S. ambassador to Korea. It was obviously deeply moving and meaningful to return to my country of birth and to one of our strongest allies. And now I’m thrilled to have the honor of representing our country in the Philippines, our oldest ally in Asia and one of our most special friends anywhere. The U.S. and the Philippines are and will continue to be close friends, partners, and allies,” Ambassador Kim said in his speech accepting his new post.
Kim even tried a Tagalog word, “Mabuhay,” when he made a speech, only to mispronounce the word, eliciting a correction and laughter from his audience.
“Mabuhay. (Laughter.) I need to pronounce that better. Sorry,” he said.
“I’m deeply honored to be following so many distinguished diplomats who preceded me in the Philippines, including Ambassadors Negroponte, Armacost, Bosworth, Hubbard, and of course, our brilliant counselor, Ambassador Kenny, and my immediate predecessor and friend, Phil Goldberg,” he said.
President Obama nominated Ambassador Kim to replace Goldberg on May 19, 2016, even before Duterte took office.
“When President Obama visited the Philippines in 2014, he talked about the spirit, the kalooban,that defines the extraordinary warmth, vitality, and strength of our relationship. That spirit is embodied in deep people-to-people ties between our two countries,” Kim said.
He then stressed how the 4 million Filipino Americans in the United States are “generous and committed to family and tradition.”
“Filipino Americans give back to their communities both here in the United States and in the Philippines. And together with the many Americans residing in and visiting the Philippines, they help build bonds that unite and strengthen both our countries,” he said.
For his part, US State Secretary Kerry said the United States continues to recognize the “ironclad commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and security of the Philippines.”
“And we will continue to cooperate in efforts to maintain peace and stability, and to promote shared prosperity in the Asia Pacific region,” he said.
Kerry described Ambassador Kim as having the steady nerves needed in difficult situations.
“At the risk of giving him a swelled head – (laughter) – I will add that no one is better at getting to the heart of an issue or establishing commonsense priorities. And no one, frankly, has steadier nerves when faced with a difficult situation. It has even been said of him: I don’t know how he does it; he goes into difficult meeting after difficult meeting, looking as if he had just gotten out of the lotus position,” he said.
He said Ambassador Kim has the full backing of President Obama when he travels to the Philippines to assume his post.
Ambassador Kim called his assignment an “exciting challenge” and said he was “eager to get started.”
“I have to say as a longtime basketball fan, I’m particularly excited about our two people’s shared love for the most exciting game in sports. This year, as we mark the 70th anniversary of formal U.S.-Philippines relations, we celebrate and reaffirm our common history of shared sacrifice, values, and interests, and of course, an ironclad mutual defense treaty,” he said.
“For many years, the United States has been among the Philippines’ top trading partners and its larger foreign investor. I very much look forward to continuing our robust economic engagement and to reinforcing the good work USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation have done to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.”
“So, ladies and gentlemen, there’s a lot of important work ahead for our two countries. I’m eager to get started. And as I embark on this exciting challenge, I hope I can continue to count on all of your support and encouragement,” the new US Ambassador to the Philippines said.
(Eagle News Service)
