Two Korean Americans have been appointed to Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) positions in the U.S. State Department and Defense Department, overseeing issues related to South Korea and North Korea under the Trump administration’s second term.
According to the Defense Department, John Noh was sworn in on January 20 as Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of Defense for East Asia.
Reporting to the Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, the DAS for East Asia is responsible for policies concerning South Korea, Japan, and other regional matters.
The role involves developing defense and security strategies for East Asia, promoting both bilateral and multilateral defense and military relations in the region, and facilitating interagency cooperation within the Department of Defense.
Noh, a Stanford Law School graduate, previously worked for the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party. He has also served as a federal prosecutor.
In the State Department, Kevin Kim, a former professional staff member for the Senate Armed Services Committee, has joined the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) as a DAS. Kim previously served as an aide to Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and worked in the State Department’s Office of the Special Representative for North Korea Policy from 2018 to 2020 during Trump’s first term.
Kim worked closely with Steve Biegun, former Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Policy, contributing to key initiatives such as U.S.-North Korea summits and diplomatic efforts related to North Korea. He is expected to oversee matters concerning South Korea, North Korea, and potentially other countries in the region.
The EAP Bureau has five DAS positions, with Robert Koepcke, a career diplomat, traditionally handling policies for South Korea and Japan. Last November, President Trump appointed Alex Wong, a former deputy special representative for North Korea policy who played a key role in negotiations during Trump’s first term, as Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor.
These appointments highlight a strong focus on Korean Peninsula affairs as the administration continues its engagement in East Asian policy.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
