You would do a double-take if you saw the name and his official designation together. More so, if you would see him in person. And you would probably think that he was the top diplomat of South Korea to the Philippines.
But His Excellency Sung Y. Kim, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of the Philippines, is every bit American as, say, apple pie and, yes, Donald Trump. In fact, a fellow top American official once described him as having a slight resemblance to actor George Clooney.
Ambassador Kim is the first US Ambassador with an Asian heritage. He succeeds Philip Goldberg, who has served well as Ambassador to our country since November 2013. Ambassador Kim presented his credentials to President Duterte last December 2016.
Prior to his assignment to the Philippines, Ambassador Kim was the Special Representative for North Korean Policy at the US State Department. He also served concurrently as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs.
Ambassador Kim’s life story is a page from stories we hear of the quest for the American dream. Countless of our countrymen have pursued that dream and are now making a mark in various professions and businesses across the Pacific. His father decided to move his family to Los Angeles, as is the case with most Asian immigrants, for a better life. Ambassador Kim was thirteen then. He reportedly became a US citizen when he turned twenty in 1980.
I had the honor and pleasure of getting to know Ambassador Kim a bit more on two occasions: One, at a dinner hosted by Special Envoy to the US Ambassador Joey Antonio and his gracious wife Hilda at their residence. Our Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto “Jun” Yasay was there, as well as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, businessman Noel Oñate, and Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr and his wife Louie. From the business sector, we had Ayala Group Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, BPI President Bong Consing, Phinma Chair and former Makati Business Club Chair Ramon del Rosario, the venerable Washington Sycip and SGV Chair Vic Noel.
The other occasion was at the Makati Business Club General Membership Meeting where the good Ambassador was the Guest of Honor and Speaker. In his talk , Ambassador Kim in no uncertain terms said that the Philippines is their oldest ally and one of their most special friends and partners. He further said that our military partnership remains as compelling as it was seventy years ago. “Indeed, there is wide recognition in Washington of the importance of this alliance, and that both sides must give great care and attention to its management.”
That intimate dinner at the Antonios and the MBC GMM showed that Ambassador Kim had a very clear grasp of realpolitik, history, law, and economics; anchored on academic discipline and honed through years of experience handling tough negotiations.
Truly, the toughness and ironclad resilience of this seasoned diplomat has been well-concealed beneath the veneer of his graciousness, his wit, his quick humor and his charm.
I was very pleased to find out that we both finished our Master of Laws (Ll.M.) at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It brought a smile to my good friend, UK Ambassador Asif Ahmad’s face when I whispered that to him in a dinner in former Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro’s residence. But I digress .
Ambassador Kim gave the assurance that the United States will continue to work with its partners in the Philippines to address current concerns while, at the same time, together looking for ways to increase foreign investments, reduce trade barriers, and streamline business regulations. He acknowledged that American companies were some of the biggest employers of Filipinos in this side of the globe.
Truly, the partnership we have with the United States of America remains strong, and having Ambassador Kim at the helm of American relations here ensures that strength.
I wish His Excellency Ambassador Kim much success.