Trump Nominates Admiral Harry Harris as Ambassador to Seoul

                by David Parmer / Tokyo

On May 18 Admiral Harry B. Harris was nominated to be US ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Harris was slated to become US ambassador to Australia, but Korea apparently took precedence in the mind of the Trump administration and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Admiral Harris, a 1978 graduate of the US Naval Academy, has had a long and distinguished career as both a sailor and an aviator. His last command was head of the Pacific Command, a job that he turned over to Admiral Phil Davidson. Harris was said to be a hawk on China, and his successor, Davidson, is thought to be the same.

The post of ambassador to Korea has been vacant since 2017, as have many diplomatic jobs. Whether this is a strategy of the Trump administration or simply their inability to get qualified people to fill important jobs is unclear. It has been reported that Republican senator Bob Corker turned down the Australia job citing work still to be done in the senate. Corker is slated to retire in the near future, and perhaps he does not want to sully his reputation by working for the present administration.

It is unlikely that any “smoking gun” will be found in Harris’ background by congress, and it is likely that he will be confirmed as ambassador. Once again, the undisciplined Donald Trump has nominated a disciplined military man to an important post. Admiral Harris will bring intelligence, experience, and leadership to the job. Let’s hope that Admiral Harris can serve out his term as ambassador in one of the world’s hottest hot spots without suffering damage to his sterling reputation.

 

 

Photo: US Pacific Fleet via flickr