Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
{{Short description|U.S. government position}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = March 2019}}
{{Infobox Political post
| post = United States
Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
| body =
| insignia = U.S. Department of State official seal.svg
| insigniasize = 120px
| insigniacaption = Seal of the United States Department of State
| imagesize =
| image =
| incumbent = Sean O'Neill
| acting = yes
| incumbentsince = January 20, 2025
| style =
| residence =
| termlength =
| reports_to = Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
| nominator = President of the United States
| formation = 1949
| inaugural = William Walton Butterworth
| website = [https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-east-asian-and-pacific-affairs/ Official website]
| flag = Flag of the United States Assistant Secretary of State.svg
| flagcaption = Flag of an Assistant Secretary of State
}}
The assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs is the head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the United States Department of State. The assistant secretary guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and advises the secretary of state and the under secretary for political affairs on matters relating to the area.
The Department of State established the position of assistant secretary of state for Far Eastern affairs in 1949, after the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of Government recommended that certain offices be upgraded to bureau level and after Congress increased the number of Assistant Secretaries of State from six to ten. On November 1, 1966, the department by administrative action changed the incumbent's designation to assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs. The Division of Far Eastern Affairs, established in 1908, was the first geographical division to be established in the Department of State.{{cite web|title=Assistant Secretaries of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/12046.htm |access-date=September 21, 2007 }}
List of assistant secretaries of state for Far Eastern affairs, 1949–1966
| class="wikitable"
!# !Image !Name !Assumed office !Left office !President served under |
| 1
|60px |William Walton ButterworthButterworth was initially appointed as "Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs." On March 20, 1950, his title was changed to "Assistant Secretary of State for Japanese Affairs." |September 29, 1949 |July 4, 1950 |
| 2
|60px |March 28, 1950 |December 9, 1951 |
| 3
| |February 1, 1952 |April 7, 1953 |
| 4
| |April 8, 1953 |June 30, 1959 |
| 5
|60px |July 1, 1959 |March 30, 1961 |
| 6
|60px |April 24, 1961 |December 3, 1961 |
| 7
|60px |December 4, 1961Initially commissioned during a recess of the Senate. He was later confirmed and re-commissioned on March 5, 1962. |April 3, 1963 |
| 8
|60px |May 9, 1963 |March 15, 1964 |
List of assistant secretaries of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, 1966–present
| class="wikitable"
!# !Image !Name !Assumed office !Left office !President served under |
| 9
|60px |March 16, 1964 |May 4, 1969 |
| 10
| |May 5, 1969 |May 10, 1973 |
| -
| | |
| 11
|60px |January 8, 1974 |July 9, 1974 |
| 12
|60px |September 27, 1974 |June 30, 1976 |
| 13
|60px |July 12, 1976 |March 14, 1977 |
| 14
|60px |March 31, 1977 |January 13, 1981 |
| 15
|60px |May 28, 1981 |
| 16
|60px |December 22, 1982 |March 12, 1986 |
| 17
|60px |March 12, 1986 |February 21, 1989 |
| -
|60px | |
| 18
|60px |June 23, 1989 |July 10, 1992 |
| 19
| |July 10, 1992 |April 23, 1993 |
| 20
|60px |April 23, 1993 |February 18, 1997 |
| 21
|60px |August 5, 1997 |January 20, 2001 |
| 22
|60px |May 1, 2001 |January 31, 2005 |
| -
| |Evans J.R. Revere (acting) |February 1, 2005 |April 8, 2005{{Cite web |title=BIOGRAPHY: Revere, Evans J.R. Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs |url=http://www.state.gov/outofdate/bios/r/42807.htm |publisher=U. S. Department of State |date=2005-02-28 |archiveurl= https://archive.today/20050827133117/http://www.state.gov/outofdate/bios/r/42807.htm |archivedate=2005-08-27 |accessdate=2005-08-27}} |
| 23
|60px |April 8, 2005 |April 21, 2009 |
| 24
|60px |June 2, 2009 |February 8, 2013 |
| 25
|60px |July 12, 2013 |March 8, 2017 |Barack Obama and Donald Trump |
| -
|60px |Susan Thornton (acting) |March 9, 2017 |
| -
|60px |W. Patrick Murphy (acting) |July 2018 |June 2019 |
| 26
|60px |June 20, 2019 |January 20, 2021 |
| -
|60px |Sung Kim (acting) |January 20, 2021 |June 4, 2021{{citation|url=https://www.state.gov/biographies/sung-kim/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210618045033/https://www.state.gov/biographies/sung-kim/ |url-status= |archive-date=2021-06-18 |publisher=U.S. Department of State|title= Sung Kim, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs }} |
| -
|60px |Kin W. Moy (acting) |June 15, 2021 |September 24, 2021 |
| 27
|60px |January 20, 2025 |
| -
| |Sean O'Neill (acting) |January 20, 2025 |Incumbent |
References
{{reflist}}
{{United States Assistant Secretaries of State}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assistant Secretary Of State For East Asian And Pacific Affairs}}
Category:East Asia-United States relations