The United States has not had an official ambassador to South Korea for 16 months... since the end of the Obama administration.
Reports say Admiral Harry Harris is going to fill the post.
It's a last minute switch... since Admiral Harris was already approved to serve as ambassador to Australia.
Park Ji-won has more.
Several major media outlets including the Washington Post, Reuters, and CNN,... have reported,... quoting unnamed U.S. government sources,... that U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris is likely to be named as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea.
The top U.S. military official was initially tapped as ambassador to Australia in February,... but the confirmation hearing on that matter, which was originally slated for Tuesday this week,... was postponed.
The Senate Foreign Relations spokesperson told to CNN that the hearing was postponed until early May at the request of the administration.
Reports claim that current CIA Director and nominee for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked the U.S. Navy Admiral to take up the post of ambassador to South Korea,... which has been vacant since the start of the Trump administration in January last year.
Harris himself has also reportedly confirmed to Pompeo that he is willing to take the post as the ambassador to South Korea.
Previously, well-known professor and expert on the Korean peninsula Victor Cha was considered by the Trump administration as the candidate for the ambassador role in South Korea,... but the White House said in February that it no longer considered him for the post,... as he had expressed concerns about the possible use of a preventive military strike on North Korea.
Charge d'Affaires Marc Knapper has been serving as the acting U.S. ambassador in Seoul,... since previous ambassador Mark Lippert departed at the end of the Obama administration.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.