According to sources in our country, the Joe Biden administration has finally settled on a new US ambassador to South Korea after more than a year of deliberation. To oversee the US mission in Seoul at this critical time on the Korean Peninsula, the White House will select Philip Goldberg, a career diplomat who is presently serving as the United States Ambassador to Colombia.

In the wake of Washington's selection, analysts are trying to figure out what it means for both the future of the 70-year alliance and its approaches to nuclear-armed North Korea, as well as how it views Seoul's role in its overarching strategy to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to reports, the United States has requested the South Korean government's official permission for its pick — a process known as "agreement" — with a formal announcement from the White House expected soon. It is likely that Goldberg will face a confirmation hearing in the Senate, followed by a full Senate vote, which may take at least two to three months. In light of the timeframe, it is less probable that the new ambassador will be in the United States before the March presidential election, if at all.

After retired navy admiral Harry Harris departed his role as ambassador to South Korea in January of last year when Biden was appointed vice president, the position in one of Washington's most important partner countries has been vacant for over two years. For more than a year, charge d'affaires Christopher Del Corso has been in charge of the organization's foreign affairs.

In Korea, the apparent delays in nomination have prompted questions about Washington's foreign policy priorities as well as the strength of bilateral relations, especially given that the United States recently named ambassadors to South Korea's neighbors China and Japan months after the nominations were announced.

Goldberg holds the position of Career Ambassador, the highest diplomatic rank in the United States foreign service, which is awarded to only around 60 diplomats for their meritorious service. Since 2019, he has served as Ambassador to Colombia, having been appointed by former President Donald Trump to the position. Prior to that, the 65-year-old served as ambassador to a number of countries, including Cuba, the Philippines, and Bolivia. As assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, he also had a diverse range of responsibilities.

Many in this country, however, are paying particular attention to Goldberg's tenure as coordinator for the implementation of United Nations sanctions on North Korea from 2009 to 2010. President Barack Obama charged Goldberg with leading the interagency team tasked with implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1874, which punishes Pyongyang for its underground nuclear test on May 25, 2009.

During that period, Goldberg has called on member states of the United Nations to work together to execute sanctions against North Korea with "a unity of view and a singleness of purpose." His remarks have also emphasized the need of implementing sanctions in order to achieve the broader aim of disarmament and non-proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

Observers believe that because of his previous experience as a sanction enforcer, the United States will take a tougher line and impose additional sanctions on North Korea, which has rejected calls for dialogue and instead has continued saber-rattling, conducting six nuclear weapons tests this month.

Earlier this month, the United States imposed economic penalties on five North Koreans in reaction to Pyongyang's two missile launches in quick succession, marking the Biden administration's first economic retaliation against the regime's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Washington has been pressuring the United Nations Security Council to impose further sanctions against Pyongyang, despite the opposition of Beijing and Moscow to the idea.

If Pyongyang continues to raise the stakes, Washington will almost certainly increase sanctions, and the nomination of Goldberg might be factored into that calculation, according to some.

Although some analysts believe that the nomination would signal Washington's hard-line approach toward Pyongyang, others caution against making such a quick judgment. Despite the fact that dealing with North Korea is a significant part of the job description for Washington's top diplomat in Seoul, they assert that it is not the only one and that there are other other considerations that go into the choice.

Ewha Womans University professor Park Won-gon said Goldberg is a "bigwig" in Washington's diplomatic circle because of his long career as an ambassador. "The fact that the United States is sending such a veteran here is remarkable," said Park, who teaches North Korean studies.

"When it comes to his diplomatic career, Goldberg brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from a variety of fields, notably war zones, as well as a thorough understanding of essential aspects of US foreign policy. Biden's selection takes into account concerns with North Korea, but in the larger scheme of things, it might be consistent with the administration's desire to strengthen an alliance to confront China."

According to Park, the United States is attempting to establish stronger connections with South Korea through Goldgerg's nomination, despite Seoul's "strategic ambiguity" approach, which involves managing relations with both its security ally, the United States, and its major trading partner, China. In addition, he stated, "His task will likely be to further enhance the South Korea-US alliance, as well as to expand trilateral cooperation with Japan in order to effectively control China."