[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 61 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING THE U.S.-KOREA FRIENDSHIP AND ALLIANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DIANE E. WATSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 2008

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, it has been my privilege to represent 
California's 33rd Congressional District with the largest number of 
Korean American constituents in the Nation. The Korean Americans who 
live in my district and other neighborhoods in Los Angeles--and, for 
that matter, across the country--have made incalculable contributions 
to American life and society.
  My purpose in mentioning the Korean American community--which now 
numbers more than 2 million people nationwide--stems from the arrival 
this week of President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea, who 
comes to Washington to meet with President Bush, our congressional 
leadership, senior government officials, business executives, and 
Korean American leaders. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome 
President Lee and wish him well as he makes his first official overseas 
trip.
  The United States and the Republic of Korea have shared a long and 
successful alliance. South Korea is a key partner in the Six-Party 
Talks aimed at assuring that North Korea does not develop and deploy 
nuclear weapons that could create a strategic imbalance in northeast 
Asia. The people of South Korea know better than anyone what the 
consequences of a nuclear-armed North Korea could be.
  South Korea and the United States have also been political, 
diplomatic, and economic partners since the founding of the alliance 
125 years ago. While our two countries were brought dramatically 
together through the Korean War, which ended in an armistice 55 years 
ago, we have worked together consistently in a much less dramatic way 
since then.
  For instance, South Korea and the United States are close business 
partners with over $80 billion in annual bilateral trade volume. In 
fact, South Korea is the seventh largest trading partner of the United 
States. Goods and services move between our two countries on a daily 
basis.
  The pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement will not bring with it 
just economic benefits, many of which were described in a recent study 
released by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but also positive 
geopolitical and geostrategic consequences.
  Approving the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement will strengthen our 
relationship with one of our most important and indispensable allies in 
Asia and give the United States a permanent economic foothold in the 
most dynamic and fastest growing region in the world. This agreement 
will also provide a counterbalance to China's emergence as a dominant 
market player in that region and worldwide.
  The Free Trade Agreement will complement the likely admission of the 
Republic of Korea into the Visa Waiver Program, making it easier for 
Korean travelers to visit the United States as tourists or as students, 
or for business or family purposes. I can attest that many of my 
constituents are looking forward eagerly to Korea's inclusion in the 
Visa Waiver Program, which will bring with it many economic benefits 
aside from--and in addition to--those benefits that will accrue from 
the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
  Madam Speaker, I have just barely touched on the many important 
issues that will be discussed this week while President Lee is in 
Washington. The South Korean President's visit gives us a special 
reason to address these topics, but it does not mean that the 
conversation will end when he returns home. I know from experience that 
my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Asia, 
the Pacific, and the Global Environment will be exploring these issues 
in depth in the weeks and months to come.
  We welcome the opportunity to hear directly from President Lee his 
own views and the views of his government on these matters that affect 
both South Korea and the United States.

                          ____________________