On the Detention of Korean Workers in Georgia:
"We Hope It Will Not Happen Again"
U.S. Lawmakers: "Efforts to Improve Visa Policies Will Help the Passage of the 'Partner with Korea Act' in Congress"
"We Support President Lee's Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue and Achieve Peace on the Korean Peninsula"
President Lee Jaemyung, who is visiting the United States to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, met with four members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee in New York on the 22nd (local time). During the meeting, they exchanged views on strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance, expanding economic cooperation between the two countries, and issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. President Lee expressed his hope that incidents such as the recent detention of Korean workers in Georgia would not recur. He also stated that he expects the stalled South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations can be resolved based on "commercial rationality."
President Lee stated, "Last month's successful summit with President Trump laid the foundation for the South Korea-U.S. alliance to evolve into a 'future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance' encompassing security, the economy, and advanced technology." He requested the continued interest and support of the U.S. Congress to further develop forward-looking cooperation between the two countries.
In response, the U.S. lawmakers noted that the delegation visiting President Lee was composed of both Senate and House members, as well as both Republicans and Democrats, which demonstrates the strong support of the U.S. Congress for the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance. They also pledged that, following the successful summit last month, Congress would spare no effort to support further industrial and technological cooperation between the two countries, especially in sectors such as shipbuilding, biotechnology, and defense.
President Lee reiterated his hope that incidents like the recent detention of Korean professionals in Georgia would not happen again. The U.S. lawmakers agreed on the need to improve the visa system and responded that the two governments' efforts to enhance visa policies would also help the passage of the "Partner with Korea Act" in Congress.
The two sides also shared their thoughts on the stalled South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. President Lee remarked, "There are concerns that the tariff negotiations between South Korea and the United States could cause instability in Korea's foreign exchange market, but I believe both sides can ultimately find a solution that ensures commercial rationality."
Additionally, regarding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Lee stated, "As I emphasized to President Donald Trump during the press conference at last month's summit, if it helps resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula, we welcome the United States taking a leading role as a 'peacemaker.' As a 'pacemaker,' we will actively support this effort and work closely with President Trump to resume North Korea-U.S. dialogue and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula." He also requested the continued interest and cooperation of the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. lawmakers expressed their support for President Lee's efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula. They said they hope the Korean government's efforts will bear fruit and pledged active cooperation from the U.S. Congress as well.
Meanwhile, those present at the meeting included Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (Republican, California); Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Democrat, New Hampshire); Chris Coons, U.S. Senator (Democrat, Delaware); and Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Democrat, New York).
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