Richard Lee Sneider has served as the Ambassador to Korea since 1974. Previously, Mr. Sneider served as deputy assistant secretary in the bureau of East Asian-Pacific affairs in the State Department, deputy chief mission minister for Okinawa Reversion Negotiations in Tokyo, and was a senior staff member in the National Security Council. Mr. Sneider began his career as a foreign affairs officer in the State Department before becoming the officer in charge of Japanese affairs in the State Department. He also worked at the National War College, was a political counselor in the embassy in Karachi, Pakistan and country director of Japan.