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Trump nominates former U.S. ambassador to Thailand as assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Pacific

Published: 12 Mar. 2025, 15:48

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Michael DeSombre, a former U.S. ambassador to Thailand. [YONHAP]

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will nominate a former ambassador to Thailand as the next assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, a post that deals with a broad range of regional issues, including those on the Korean Peninsula.

In a social media post, Trump made the announcement on his plan to nominate Michael DeSombre for the State Department post, voicing confidence that DeSombre will “work incredibly hard” for the United States.

“I am pleased to announce that Ambassador Michael George DeSombre will be nominated as the next United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “During my First Term, Michael served as my Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, and did a great job!”

As a partner at Sullivan Cromwell, a New York-based law firm, DeSombre leads affairs related to mergers and acquisitions in Asia as well as Korea and Southeast Asia practices. He joined the firm in 2021 after serving as the ambassador to Thailand from 2020-2021.

DeSombre is reportedly fluent in Chinese and capable of speaking Korean as well.

During his swearing-in ceremony as U.S. Ambassador to Thailand in March 2020, DeSombre mentioned his wife Jean, who is of Korean descent, saying she couldn't attend due to her obligations running a multinational health care business in Japan and Korea.

Jean DeSombre, center, member of the Atlantic Council, and wife of Michael George DeSombre, pose for a picture with her family. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

He has a bachelor's degree in quantitative economics and a master's degree in East Asian studies from Stanford University. He is also a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Yonhap

BY YONHAP, KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]