[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1644-E1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INCHEON LANDING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER J. ROSKAM

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 2010

  Mr. ROSKAM. Madam Speaker, we have occasion today to mark the deep 
and sustained friendship between our Nation and the great Republic of 
Korea.
  Today, September 15th, marks the 60th anniversary of the daring 
amphibious landing at Incheon by United Nations forces under the 
leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. British military historian 
Anthony Farrar-Hockley called the landing ``a stroke of genius'' 
because of the way it caught the North Korean enemy by surprise and put 
them off-balance.
  As the son of a Korean War veteran, I value the history and deep 
sacrifices the people of both our countries have shared over the years. 
My father took great pride in service, appreciating the important work 
of the Korean War for the preservation of liberty and for the 
advancement of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in 
Northeast Asia and the world as a whole.
  Indeed, the strategic importance of the Republic of Korea as an ally 
of ours in that region cannot be overstated.
  Our friendship with and commitment to Korea does not only rest on the 
experiences shared in the Korean War six decades ago. No, the United 
States and the Republic of

[[Page E1645]]

Korea remain partners dedicated to peace, freedom, democracy, and 
global stability.
  The relationship between the United States and Korea is a 
comprehensive and dynamic one. We are major trading partners, with 
investment ties deep among our countries.
  However, we have not even come close to realizing the full potential 
of this relationship. In 2007 our two countries signed a Free Trade 
Agreement that, by every estimate, will improve the lives of people in 
both Korea and the United States by creating jobs, reducing prices of 
products and services, and expanding consumer choices. This agreement 
when implemented will remove 95 percent of the bilateral tariffs 
between our countries that are currently holding back what could be 
tremendous growth for both sides.
  Unfortunately, the agreement has not yet been brought to Congress for 
a vote. I hope that, in the coming months, my colleagues will recognize 
the economic boost that ratifying this agreement will generate.
  As a co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-Korea Free Trade Working Group, 
I will be working to ensure that we can meet President Obama's stated 
goal of being able to resolve outstanding issues by November so that we 
can once and for all remove this impediment to an increasingly 
productive economic relationship.
  I look forward to a vigorous discussion of the merits of the 
agreement as ratification would further consolidate the longstanding 
friendship between the United States and Korea, an alliance forged in 
battle and sharpened through six decades of business, cultural, and 
political exchanges.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering the 
success of the Incheon Landing on its 60th anniversary, saluting the 
veterans of the Korean War, and recognizing the bright future ahead for 
our two countries when we can finally realize the mutual benefits of 
the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

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