U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Says Her Parents Came to South Korea Thanks to War Veterans... Opens Up the Residence and Says, "Please Join Us"

[Financial News] Michelle Park Steel, the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, on the 21st introducing the U.S. ambassador's residence in Seoul, known as Habib House.

Ambassador Steel emphasized, "Freedom is never free," adding, "Thanks to the courage and sacrifice of the war veterans laid to rest at the National Cemetery, my parents were able to begin a new life in Seoul despite the chaos of war. Through that, I learned how important the bonds between nations are."
She said, "I keep that lesson in mind every day as I work to strengthen our steadfast security alliance, deepen economic ties, and continue expanding people-to-people exchanges," and added, "It is the honor of a lifetime to represent the United States and help advance the special partnership between our two countries."
She also released two photos showing her parents' life in Seoul after they fled North Korea during the Korean War. She further shared a family photo taken with her parents on June 15, 1994, reflecting on their lives and her own roots.

While explaining the history of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, Ambassador Steel also introduced the story of her mother, Jeong Ok-hee, who enrolled at Ewha Womans University, founded by American missionary Mary F. Scranton, and later earned a late graduation 53 years after entering the school.
Jeong entered the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Ewha Womans University in 1951, but she was unable to finish her studies because of the Korean War and emigrated to the United States, where she worked as an essayist. Later, when Ewha Womans University abolished its ban on marriage during enrollment, known as the "no-marriage rule," in 2003, she returned to the school at age 74. After completing the required semesters, Jeong received her diploma in February 2004, 53 years after she first enrolled.
As she closed the 2-minute and 27-second video introducing the residence, Ambassador Steel emphasized efforts to strengthen the ROK-US Alliance in Korean and asked viewers to "Please join us."
Earlier, shortly after taking office on the 1st, Ambassador Steel visited Namdaemun Market and shared a photo of herself eating hotteok, highlighting her ties to Korea. At the time, she said, "Old memories came flooding back as I returned to Namdaemun Market after a long time."

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