U.S. Senate unanimously approves Goldberg as new ambassador to S. Korea

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to approve the nomination of Philip Goldberg, a career diplomat, as new U.S. ambassador to South Korea.

The vote came one day after the Senate foreign relations committee voted to endorse Goldberg's nomination as the new chief of U.S. mission to Seoul.

As a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, the highest diplomatic rank in U.S. foreign service, Goldberg has served various posts at the U.S. Department of State, including the assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research.

He has also served as coordinator for Implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution on North Korea and as ambassador to the Philippines.

Goldberg has been serving as ambassador to Colombia since September 2019.

If appointed, Goldberg will replace Harry Harris, who stepped down early last year when President Joe Biden took office.