Marc Knapper

Marc Knapper
United States Ambassador to Vietnam
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 11, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byDaniel Kritenbrink
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of South Korea
In office
January 20, 2017 – July 7, 2018
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byMark Lippert
Succeeded byHarry B. Harris Jr.
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
EducationPrinceton University (BA)
Army War College (MA)

Marc Evans Knapper is an American diplomat who has served as the United States Ambassador to Vietnam since February 2022.

Education

Knapper earned his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and his Master of Arts from the Army War College.[1]

Career

Knapper is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. He previously served as the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea and, prior to that, was the embassy’s deputy chief of mission. Earlier, Knapper was director of the State Department’s Office of India Affairs and director of the State Department’s office of Japanese Affairs.[1] From 2004 to 2007, he was political affairs counselor at the U.S. embassy in Hanoi.[2] His other assignments include leadership positions in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.[3] From August 1, 2018 until July 12, 2021, Knapper served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan.[4]

Ambassador to Vietnam

Knapper with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in January 2022

On April 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Knapper to be the next United States Ambassador to Vietnam.[5] Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination on July 13, 2021. The committee favorably reported his nomination to the Senate floor on August 4, 2021. Knapper was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote on December 18, 2021.[6] He was sworn into office on January 3, 2022.[7]

Knapper presented his credentials to president Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on February 11, 2022.[8]

Recognition

Knapper is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service award, the State Department’s Linguist of the Year award, and a Presidential Rank award.[1]

Personal life

Knapper speaks Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.[1] He and his wife, Suzuko, have a son, Alexander.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Nine Career Members of the Senior Foreign Service as Ambassadors" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. April 15, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ VnExpress. "US names new ambassador to Vietnam - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  3. ^ House, The White (2021-04-15). "President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Nine Career Members of the Senior Foreign Service as Ambassadors". The White House. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  4. ^ "Marc Knapper". The United States Department of State. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  5. ^ "Biden Nominates Career Diplomat Knapper as Ambassador to Vietnam". Bloomberg.com. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  6. ^ PN380 — Marc Evans Knapper — Department of State
  7. ^ Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs [@USAsiaPacific] (January 3, 2022). "Congratulations to Ambassador Marc Knapper on his swearing-in as the new United States Ambassador to Vietnam! The United States supports a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam" (Tweet). Retweeted by Marc Knapper. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "President welcomes new ambassadors of US, Mexico". VietnamPlus. February 11, 2022.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Vietnam
2022–present 		Incumbent