Jakarta (TDI): Kevin Kim presented his Letter of Credence to ASEAN Secretary-General, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, as the new United States ambassador to the bloc.
Ambassador Kim was sworn in by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 5 in Washington, D.C., and arrived in Jakarta on June 9; a swift transition that signals Washington’s intent to keep its engagement with the ten-nation bloc moving without pause.
In remarks following the credentialing ceremony, Kim reaffirmed US support for ASEAN centrality and outlined three shared priorities: strengthening regional security including efforts to counter transnational crime; advancing economic connectivity and prosperity; and expanding digital cooperation.
On 11 June 2026, The Ambassador of the United States of America to ASEAN, H.E. Kevin Kim, presented his Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Ambassador Kim… pic.twitter.com/8EOqYjVrjM
— ASEAN (@ASEAN) June 13, 2026
“I am honored to serve as the new U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN,” Kim said. “Together, we will build a future that is safer, stronger, and more prosperous for our combined 1 billion people.”
The appointment comes as US-ASEAN ties operate under the framework of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, elevated to that status in 2022.
Kim’s posting is seen as a signal that the Trump administration intends to maintain active institutional engagement with the bloc even as it pursues a more transactional foreign policy posture globally.
He previously served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, as Senior Bureau Official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he is currently a doctoral candidate in International Relations. The United States has partnered with ASEAN since 1977 and established its dedicated mission in Jakarta in 2009.
