U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Sung Kim, U.S. special envoy to the six-party nuclear talks, as the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea.

Announcing the nomination Friday Washington time, Obama said the dedicated and competent officials joining his administration to serve the people give him confidence.

The Senate is expected to confirm Kim's nomination before it goes into recess in August. Kim will likely take office in Korea some time that month.

If his nomination is confirmed, he will be the first ethnic Korean serving as U.S. ambassador to Seoul in 129 years of bilateral relations. Seoul and Washington forged diplomatic ties in 1882.