About the Author: Hannah Bae serves as a Public Affairs Assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, the Republic of Korea.

Here in Seoul, we are quite familiar with hosting U.S. Secretaries of State. South Korea is one of the United States’ closest allies, which means our two countries engage in a great deal of close cooperation and coordination. This year we celebrate “Sixty Years of Partnership and Shared Prosperity,” as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty, and the launch of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, among other key events.

For this Secretary-level visit, however, there were a number of new variables. New Republic of Korea President Park Geun-hye, in office a few short months, was meeting new U.S. Secretary of State… more »