Washington D.C. observers found the oath-taking of the newly-designated Ambassador of the United States, H. E. Sung Kim, quite “extraordinary.”
“This is quite unprecedented,” a friend from Foggy Bottom wrote me. “Usually, the swearing-in of a new ambassador is a quiet affair, held at the office of the Secretary of State, sometimes just an undersecretary. And usually, it is attended by the wife and family of the new ambassador,” he said.
It was reported by the US-Philippines Society, the leaders of which were invited to the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department to witness Mr. Kim’s oath-taking, “Fil-Am community leaders, Asian-American supporters, Washington dignitaries, the press corps and colleagues of the new ambassador” graced the affair. The ambassador brought along his wife, Jae and daughter Erin.
Another daughter, Erica was not present, being in the Philippines, which Secretary of State John Kerry jokingly described in his remarks, as “the advance party.”
Kerry reiterated the (usual) US commitment to the Philippines, stating that “the United States continues to place a high value on the close ties that exist between our countries.”
“We continue to recognize our ironclad commitment to the sovereignty, independence and security of the Philippines, and we will continue to cooperate in efforts to maintain peace and stability and to promote shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region,” Kerry continued.
Kerry was effusive in his description of the deep alliance and “special” relations of the two countries, reminiscing about the Pacific War, when the Filipino resistance (guerilla) movement supplied vital information that actually helped General MacArthur avoid a trap, landing in the right places, such as Leyte and Mindoro.
“These events…created the foundations for close people-to-people contacts…has made us close friends and close allies ever since,” he added.
And then his pledge to “continue to assist the Filipino people in the event of natural emergencies. I was personally there right after Typhoon Haiyan…and we will continue to consult openly and honestly on issues of impact to both our countries.”
Finally, Secretary Kerry said he hopes to visit the Philippines before his term of office ends on January 20, 2017, when the new American President, whoever he or she may be, takes the reins of power.
Kerry described Sung Kim in glowing terms, having “a reputation for sound judgment, for hard work, for great intelligence, and for deep humility.”
“There is no one better-qualified than Sung Kim to represent the US of A and be our ambassador to the Philippines at this point in time,” said he.
Ambassador Sung Kim used to represent the US in his homeland, South Korea, and was designated as special envoy to North Korea, a most difficult assignment where he had to inspect the hermit state’s nuclear reactors.
Kim was also a public prosecutor, which Kerry said was a very good experience, as he himself was once a public prosecutor. (President Rodrigo Duterte was once also a public prosecutor, by the way).
“No one is better at getting to the heart of an issue, or establishing common sense priorities. And no one, frankly, has steadier nerves when faced with a difficult situation,” Kerry described Kim.
In his acceptance, Kim said he was honored to be the representative of the US of A to “our oldest ally in Asia and one of our most special friends anywhere.”
Great words. Hopefully this would be a new beginning in our relationship with the mighty United States of America.
Sung Kim is an Oriental, and Kerry’s description of him as having “sound judgment, possessed of great intelligence and humility” are quite reassuring in these testy times of our weaning away from subservience towards an independent foreign policy.
His predecessors, sad to say, have probably been quite smug in the relationship between our two countries, taking us for granted. Ambassador Kim ought to have the sensibilities of a true Asian, who value candor but insist on propriety. He would have the sound judgment not to interfere through tactless remarks in the politics of our people, and the humility to remember that even as he represents the mighty US of A, he would treat every Filipino with due respect.
Welcome to the Philippines, Mr. Ambassador!