Prior to serving as president of the Korea Society, Ambassador Minton had a distinguished 32 year career as a Foreign Service Officer, serving as U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia from 2006-2009, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. He also served as country director for Korea, deputy country director for Japan, as well as other positions at the State Department in various diplomatic posts in Japan as well as a Pearson fellow with the United States Senate at the US Mission to the UN.