Diplomat Julie Chung was appointed the new US Ambassador to Sri Lanka on Thursday (Feb. 10).

She was sworn in by Deputy Secretary of State In front of Wendy R.Sherman.

Announcing the appointment of a new US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Sherman said in a Twitter message that Chung’s prestigious career in the State Department and her outstanding leadership would make her the best choice to represent the American people and advance the US-Sri Lanka partnership.

She was born in Seoul, South Korea, fluent in Korean, Japanese, Spanish and Khmer, Chung was previously director of the State Department’s Office for Japanese Affairs. She has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and as Economic Adviser at the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

Chung also served as the Transitional Coordinating Chief of Staff at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. She has also served at the U.S. Embassies in Colombia, Vietnam and Japan, and at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, China. She is also a Pickering Fellow. Chung holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Masters degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.