Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on Thursday, May 8, 2018, after the South Korean government announced that President Donald Trump will meet with Kim Jong-un:
“I have consistently called for a diplomatic process to de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Tonight’s announcement is an encouraging sign, but the president has left the State Department without the full complement of diplomatic personnel necessary for these talks to be successful. I renew my call for the president to appoint an American ambassador to South Korea and a new top diplomat for North Korea issues as soon as possible.”
In a January, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Hirono questioned experts on the Korean Peninsula on the importance of naming an ambassador to South Korea. Last year, Sen. Hirono wrote to the president to urge him to fill the ambassadorship, and several other positions that are critical to finding a diplomatic solution to de-escalate tensions with North Korea.
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