Our Man in Korea

I’ve googled around for some intel on Christopher Hill, the new U.S. ambassador in Korea. 

His official bio doesn’t tell you much, other than the fact that he has Korea experience.  The CNN version is of little help, either.  This Seoul Times piece has a few hints behind a great deal of very diplomatic words for his new hosts.  One is his support for the Iraq war, which was unpopular with many in the State Department establishment.

Ambassador Hill worked with Richard Holbrooke as a negotiator during the Kosovo crisis.  Although the Clinton Administration in general will go down in history as soft and gooey on foreign policy, Holbrooke was the one figure to emerge from those years as an effective diplomat–one who understood the value of negotiating from a position of strength.  The fact that Holbrooke brought him along is another good sign.