( EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 21 ) Nomination of US envoyHarris expected to beef up alliance with SeoulThe nomination of Admiral Harry Harris , commander of the U . S . Pacific Command , as Washington ' s ambassador to Seoul , is drawing much attention from South Korea . It came Friday , less than a month before a denuclearization summit between U . S . President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong - un to be held in Singapore on June 12 . Now the question is what role Harris will play , if confirmed by the Senate , at a critical juncture amid rapidly changing geopolitical circumstances on the Korean Peninsula . Needless to say , the ambassadorship to Seoul is required to play a more active role than ever before , given that Kim has offered an olive branch not only to the South but also the U . S . , promising denuclearization . The Seoul government under the leadership of President Moon Jae - in expects Harris to help boost the Korea - U . S . alliance and friendship . Welcoming the nomination of Harris , it promised to closely consult with the Trump administration to ensure the ambassador nominee can assume his post quickly . It would be better for him to begin his new job before the unprecedented Washington - Pyongyang summit . The appointment of a new ambassador has long been overdue since Mark Lippert ended his term in January last year after serving from 2014 to 2017 . This caused South Koreans to question why the U . S . continued to delay the appointment . Some critics even raised speculation that President Trump ' s " America first " policy may have triggered diplomatic friction , if not serious , between the two allies . Trump unnerved Seoul officials in February when he failed to formally nominate Victor Cha as his top envoy to Seoul . There were reports that the White House decided not to pick Cha for the post because he was against the Trump administration ' s " bloody nose " military strike on North Korea over its nuclear program . Cha once served on the White House National Security Council under the George W . Bush administration . Now it is necessary for Seoul and Washington to have closer coordination and consultations on various issues ranging from the upcoming Trump - Kim summit , the denuclearization of the North and bilateral trade . Therefore , both sides can have better communication through each other ' s ambassador . This is particularly important as Pyongyang threatened to cancel the summit last week , citing joint air drills and the " unilateral " U . S . push for immediate and complete denuclearization of the North . Despite expectations for Harris , we still cannot brush aside some concerns about him because he is seen as a hawk . His nomination came after Trump appointed two hard - liners : Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and John Bolton as national security adviser . At a congressional hearing in March , Harris expressed doubts about the prospects of the upcoming summit . Earlier he called for increasing economic and diplomatic sanctions on the North until the country dismantles its nuclear arsenal . Harris may find it difficult to stick to such a hard - line stance if he takes over the ambassadorship . He should tap his extensive knowledge , leadership and geopolitical expertise to be a good diplomat who can contribute to the alliance and partnership between the two countries . ( END )