The Secretary expressed confidence in Amb Kim's qualities as one of America's finest diplomats, with "a reputation for sound judgment, for hard work, for great intelligence, and for deep humility. There is no one better qualified than Sung Kim to represent the United States of America and to be our ambassador to the Philippines at this point in time."

Full Text of Secretary Kerry's Speech

In attendance at the swearing-in ceremony held at the Benjamin Franklin Room, State Department, were members of his family, including wife Jae. Also present were Filipino-American community leaders, Asian-American supporters, Washington dignitaries, the press corps, and colleagues from the State Department, "his home for the past 28 years."

Ambassador Kim, an Asian American, had the privilege of serving as the first Korean American U.S. Ambassador to Korea (2011-2014). On his return to Washington DC, he continued diplomacy work in the East Asia region, including travels to Japan and Republic of Korea to discuss North Korea policy, bilateral issues and regional security. During his confirmation hearing, Ambassador Kim stated that "if confirmed, I will work with Philippine President Duterte and his new administration to ensure our security cooperation remains strong and effective. This includes supporting Philippine efforts to peacefully reduce tensions in the South China Sea and help the Philippine Armed Forces better monitor the seas off their shore."

At the swearing-in ceremony, he told guests, "I'm thrilled to have the honor of representing our country in the Philippines, our oldest ally in Asia and special friend. The U.S. and the Philippines are and will continue to be close partners and allies."

Full text of Ambassador Sung Kim's Speech

Ambassador Sung Kim delivers his remarks

US-Philippines Society President Ambassador John F. Maisto and Executive Director Hank Hendrickson congratulated Sung Kim on his appointment as the next American Ambassador to the Philippines following his swearing-in ceremony. Ambassador Maisto observed that Ambassador Kim was gratified by the large turnout that included leading members of the Fil-Am community, the US-Philippines Society, and our program partners.