(Eagle News)– New United States ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim arrived in Manila on Thursday (December 1) night and expressed his optimism on the relation between the two countries.
“I’m very eager to get started, very much looking forward to meeting as many Filipinos as possible and visiting many beautiful places in the Philippines. And I know that my staff at the embassy has arranged a very busy schedule for me,” Kim told reporters upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Kim took his oath for his new diplomatic assignment before US Secretary of State John Kerry on November 3 in Washington D.C.
He is the first US ambassador to the Philippines who has an Asian heritage.
Malacañang gladly received new United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim a day after he arrived in Manila Thursday (December 1) night.
-Palace welcomes arrival of new US ambassador –
“We welcome the new Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines and sana po mas maganda ang pag-uusap at pakikipag-negosasyon natin, pakikipag-diplomasya, pakikipag-palitan natin ng diplomasya with the US dahil Asian ang ating counterpart from the US,” Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said in a press briefing Friday (December 2).
Kim arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 10 p.m. on Thursday.
Kim met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. on his first day of ambassadorship.
Before he was assigned to Manila, Kim was the Special Representative for North Korea Policy.
Kim has been assigned to various diplomatic posts in Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.
Prior to Kim’s appointment, President Rodrigo Duterte has blasted the US a few times and made controversial comments against former US Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
