U.S. Senate confirm‍s nomination of new envoy to S. Korea

The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Mark Lippert as new U.S. ambassador to South Korea on Thursday (local time). Lippert`s nomination passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June but had been stuck in the Senate as Republicans refused to vote on his nomination, claiming he was a "political nominee."

Lippert plans to immediately start preparing to proceed to his post in Seoul. As a long-time adviser to President Barack Obama, he is reputed to be an expert in Asia affairs. He served as the White House`s deputy national security director, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs and chief of staff to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. After his nomination, he said he would actively pursue three-nation cooperation among the United States, South Korea and Japan.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in Washington said that the Republicans cooperated in confirming Lippert`s nomination sooner than expected in part because of his wife`s pregnancy. As his wife is five months pregnant, a delayed confirmation would prevent her from going to Seoul together with her husband. One diplomatic source said there was probably a consensus that at a time when the Korean Peninsula policy line should be reorganized quickly, Lippert should be with his wife and their new baby so that he can perform his duty with stability.