Department of State Officials

Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Christopher R. Hill
Former U.S. Ambassador to Korea (July 2004 ~ April 2005)

The Oath of Office is administered to Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher R. Hill

On April 8, 2005, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Christopher R. Hill was sworn-in as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. The ceremony took place at Habib House, the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Seoul, Korea.

BIOGRAPHY

Christopher R. Hill was sworn-in as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs on April 8, 2005. Ambassador Hill is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service whose most recent assignment was as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. On February 14, 2005, he was named as the Head of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. Previously he has served as U.S. Ambassador to Poland (2000-2004), Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia (1996-1999) and Special Envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999). He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Southeast European Affairs in the National Security Council. Earlier in his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Hill served tours in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul and Tirana, and on the Department of State's Policy Planning staff and in the Department’s Operation Center. While on a fellowship with the American Political Science Association he served as a staff member for Congressman Stephen Solarz working on Eastern European issues. He also served as the Department of State's Senior Country Officer for Poland. Ambassador Hill received the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions as a member of the U.S. negotiating team in the Bosnia peace settlement, and was a recipient of the Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations for his work on the Kosovo crisis. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Hill served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. Ambassador Hill graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine with a B.A. in Economics. He received a Master's degree from the Naval War College in 1994. He speaks Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian and Albanian. Ambassador Hill is married to the former Patricia Whitelaw and has three children, Nathaniel, Amy, and Clara.

 

Speeches and Transcripts

1. Ambassador and Mrs. Hill visit the May 18 Cemetery (Sep 17, 2005)
2. Remarks by U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Christopher R. Hill On the occasion of the Busan American Corner One-Year Anniversary (February 23, 2005)
3. Ambassador Hill Speech at Korea Press Center Speech at Korea Press Center (February 18, 2005)
4. Opening Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill at the U.S.-Korea Business Climate Round Table (February 1, 2005)
5. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Keynote Speech at U.S.-Korea IPR Roundtable (November 12, 2004)
6. Remarks by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill U.S. Embassy Election Celebration (November 3, 2004)
7. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Speech to Korea University (November 1, 2004)
8. Remarks by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill to The Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation Westin Chosun Hotel, Seoul, Republic of Korea (October 25, 2004)
9. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Remarks to the Korea America Friendship Society Shilla Hotel (October 14, 2004)
10. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill "Changes in U.S.-ROK Relations" Speech to the Kwanhun Club and Q&A Session Following Korea Press Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea (October 7, 2004)
11. Remarks by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill American Chamber of Commerce General Membership Meeting (October 5, 2004, 11:30 a.m.)
12. Strengthening the ROK-U.S. Alliance to Meet New Challenges Remarks by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (September 24, 2004)
13. The United States and Korea: A History of Achievement and a Future of Promise Remarks by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Korean American Association Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, Republic of Korea (September 22, 2004)
14. The Honorable Christopher R. Hill U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Arrival Statement at Incheon International Airport (August 12, 2004)