From Prosecutor to Ambassador...

[성김 대사]

I was reading about a leading Korean-American prosecutor in Los Angeles who recently visited Seoul, and it reminded me of my own time as a public prosecutor for that very same city.  You know, one of the questions I am asked most often is why I switched from the legal profession to diplomacy, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you.

My life journey: from prosecutor to Ambassador…          

When I joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office almost three decades ago, I was the only Korean-American public prosecutor in LA County.  Now I see that there is actually a Korean Prosecutors Association with more than 70 members in the LA area.  For me, it’s not surprising that the number of Korea-American prosecutors has grown so much over the years.  It’s a great job.  In fact, I very much enjoyed my time in the District Attorney’s Office; I did not make the switch to the Department of State because I was in any way dissatisfied with prosecutorial work.  I still think being a prosecutor is a great way to serve the public. 

But when the opportunity popped up to take the Foreign Service exam, I decided to give it a try because I had long been interested in foreign affairs and diplomacy and frankly I was also curious whether I could pass the difficult exam.  (Like the Korean Foreign Service test, the examination process to join the U.S. diplomatic service is quite challenging.)  As I luckily passed each stage (written, oral, security clearance, health exam), I thought more seriously about becoming a diplomat.  After all, serving as a Foreign Service officer gives you a wonderful opportunity to represent your country, promote your country’s foreign policy and interests, and work on important relationships.  The idea of living overseas and experiencing different cultures also appealed to me.  But when I decided to join the State Department, I really was not sure how long I would stay.  In fact, I always had it in the back of my mind that if I was not a good diplomat or did not enjoy the Foreign Service, I would return to the LA County District Attorney’s Office.

Fortunately I found that diplomatic work and the lifestyle suited me well.  I have been extremely lucky in getting assigned to some very interesting places.  I started my Foreign Service career in Hong Kong, and then moved on to Seoul and Washington.  After that came Kuala Lumpur, another stint in Washington, and then Tokyo.  I returned to Seoul, went back to Washington again, and now I’m back for a third time in Seoul.  As you can see, I have been quite partial to the Asia-Pacific region throughout my career.  For me, this dynamic region has some of the world’s most important countries, huge issues and challenges, fascinating cultures, rich history… and of course great food! 

Now here we are, 24 years down the road, and I am not sorry that I made the switch.  In diplomacy, I have learned that relationships are so important, and there are few relationships in the world as exciting and important as the U.S.-Korea alliance.  This is why, as I said many times, being here as the U.S. Ambassador to Korea is truly my dream job, and I am extremely grateful and proud to have this opportunity to strengthen the bond between our two countries.

As I look back on my career -- well, both careers -- one common theme stands out to me: public service.  I’m big on public service, and I often encourage young people to think about working in the public sector because there are many interesting and rewarding opportunities in public service.     

To those American readers out there, if you are interested in the Foreign Service, the test dates in Seoul are coming up!  Register now for the Foreign Service Officer Test, which will be held in Seoul October 4, 5 and 6, at http://www.careers.state.gov/.  Best of luck!