US names Kim ASEAN ambassador after 18-month vacancy

The US has formally installed veteran diplomat Kevin Kim as ambassador to ASEAN after an 18-month vacancy, according to the website of the ASEAN Secretariat.

Kim presented his credentials to ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn at the bloc's Jakarta headquarters on June 11, marking the end of an 18-month vacancy in the post.

The position had been filled by a succession of temporary chargés d'affaires for a year and a half, causing frustration among the bloc's senior officials, who engage with ASEAN's dialogue partners.

"I am honored to serve as the new US Ambassador to ASEAN," Kim said in a statement aimed at reassuring regional partners. "Together, we will build a future that is safer, stronger and more prosperous for our combined 1 billion people."

During the formal ceremony, Kim sought to bridge any perceived distance, reaffirming Washington's unwavering support for "ASEAN centrality" — the regional doctrine that the 10-member bloc should remain the primary driver in navigating Southeast Asian affairs.

A veteran foreign policy official with deep roots in Asian affairs, Kim was sworn in by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on June 5 before arriving in Indonesia earlier this week.

His previous diplomatic assignments include serving as chargé d'affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in South Korea and as a senior bureau official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The US has maintained formal ties with ASEAN since 1977, but its permanent mission in Jakarta — established in 2009 — has frequently experienced prolonged vacancies during presidential transitions and contentious Senate confirmation battles.

Kim's appointment is expected to strengthen Washington's diplomatic engagement with Southeast Asia at a time when the region remains central to strategic competition among major powers and efforts to deepen economic and security cooperation.