At the end of World War II, U.S. forces accepted Japan's surrender in southern Korea, and Soviet forces accepted the surrender of the Japanese in northern Korea. Talks to agree upon a unity government for Korea failed, and in 1948, two separate Korean states were created: the
Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The United States established diplomatic relations with the new South Korean government, but did not recognize North Korea. Other countries, like the Soviet Union, recognized the
Pyongyang government in North Korea, but did not initially establish relations with the South Korean government in Seoul. The United States has maintained constant diplomatic relations with South Korea since 1948, with formal recognition of the Republic of Korea on 1 January 1949. The American special representative,
John J. Muccio, became the first Ambassador to the Republic of Korea on March 1, 1949. The
Embassy of the United States in Seoul has jurisdiction over
APP Busan.
Ambassador ==See also==