Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman Speaks at House Meeting
On the 6th (local time), a U.S. federal House representative criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law in the plenary session and praised the Korean people who nullified it.
Democratic Representative Brad Sherman utilized his 30-minute speaking opportunity at the House plenary session held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., stating, "I want to commend the Korean people and lawmakers. They inspired the world when faced with the absurd declaration of martial law."
Representative Sherman pointed out to President Yoon, "The declaration of martial law was completely outrageous and an insult to Korean democracy as well as to global efforts for democracy and the rule of law."
He added, "It was fortunate that it was lifted within hours, but it did not help strengthen South Korea's national security; rather, it undermined it."
He said, "There are two pillars to South Korea's national security. The first is the unity of Koreans regarding their commitment to democracy and the rule of law," and stated, "President Yoon undermined that."
He continued, "The second is the relationship between the ROK-U.S. alliance and the peoples of both countries," emphasizing, "The U.S. security commitment to South Korea is not a remnant of fighting together in the 1950s, but rather because of our shared commitment to democracy."
Representative Sherman said, "President Yoon overlooked that," and added, "I applaud the Korean people and lawmakers who caused the failure of the martial law declaration."
Representative Sherman is a senior member of the U.S. House with 15 terms and has supported reconciliation and cooperation between North and South Korea, including sponsoring the Korea Peace Act. He has also maintained steady exchanges with Korean lawmakers, mainly from the Democratic Party of Korea.
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