Participant Biographies

Joy M. Sakurai

Joy M. Sakurai

Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Seoul
Congratulatory Remarks

Ms. Joy M. Sakurai began her assignment as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in January 2023. Ms. Sakurai’s most recent overseas assignment was as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos. She has also served as the Principal Officer in Fukuoka, Japan, in addition to Jakarta, Indonesia, on two occasions, in Tokyo, Japan and in Islamabad, Pakistan. In Washington, she served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Bureau of East Asian & Pacific Affairs. Ms. Sakurai is from Hawaii and is a 2020 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College as well as the recipient of the college’s Theodore Roosevelt Award for scholarship and leadership. She received her undergraduate degree from Lake Forest College.