Samuel David Berger (December 11, 1911 – February 12, 1980) was an American diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Korea from 1961 to 1964.
At the time of his nomination as United States Ambassador to Korea, in April 1961, he was serving in Greece.[5] Confirmed by the Senate on June 12,[6] he arrived in Seoul on June 24, in the immediate aftermath of May 16 coup, noting that the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea remained strong;[7] a theme that he echoed when he presented his diplomatic credentials to Yun Posun, referring only to a "period of transition".[8] Though he would try to prevail upon Park Chung-hee to hold elections, the efforts came to naught.[3]
Whilst ambassador, he was promoted to the rank of career minister in July 1962.[9] As ambassador, Berger cultivated a reticent attitude toward the media, as evinced by his moniker, "Silent Sam."[3] All the same, he contributed to a rapprochement between Korea and Japan, and laid the groundwork for the future prosperity of Korea.[2] In 1964, he was replaced by Winthrop G. Brown.[10]
After his service as ambassador, Berger (like his predecessor as ambassador, William S. B. Lacy) served as a deputy commandant of the National War College, before returning to the State Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs.[11]
In January 1969, he married the widow of Admiral George Pressey in Hong Kong.[14]
In 1972, he left South Vietnam, believing the Communists would not win,[15] and returned to the United States,[2] where he worked at the Foreign Service Institute before he retired in 1974.[3]
After his death from cancer in 1980,[3] his brother, Graenum Berger, wrote a book about his service.[16]
^Daum, Paul S.; Rogers, B. J. (2011). Tucker, Spencer C. (ed.). The encyclopedia of the Vietnam War : a political, social, and military history (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 102. ISBN9781851099603. OCLC729629958.