President Park met with U.S. Congressman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and members of his delegation at Cheong Wa Dae on February 18 to discuss Korea-U.S. relations and issues involving the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

President Park welcomed the delegation’s visit to Korea and highly valued Chairman Royce’s contribution to the Seoul-Washington alliance. The president said that many Koreans were touched by his visit to a statue of a young Korean girl in Glendale, California, to pay his respects to victims who were abducted by Japanese soldiers and forced into sexual slavery during World War Ⅱ. She also mentioned his contributions in urging the U.S. Congress to pass the Japanese Comfort Women Resolution. The president said that the issue of sexual slavery should not be seen as a historical issue but also as a matter of female human rights during a time of war. She said that the issue needs to be solved urgently for the remaining 55 surviving victims.



Chairman Royce said that Korea and the United States have been maintaining a firm alliance and face a good, historic moment of opportunity to deal with key issues related to the Korea-U.S. alliance and with North Korean issues under the stable leadership of President Park.

Members of the delegation mentioned that the Seoul-Washington alliance has been playing an important role in maintaining peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and across Northeast Asia. They also highly valued the implementation of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) and the passage of a bill extending the Korea-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement. Delegation members said that they hoped to further strengthen bilateral collaboration in these areas and to cooperate on easing tension in the region.

President Park said that the issue of a higher visa quota for Korean professionals, together with the KORUS FTA, would bring benefits to the Korean people and she urged the U.S. Congress to take an interest in and to support these issues.

In regard to the issue of North Korean human rights, Chairman Royce said that President Park’s vision of unification will, “give opportunities for North Koreans which they have been deprived of in the past, and will offer a good chance to lead cooperation with the international community.”

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
arete@korea.kr