[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 36480-36481]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              CONGRATULATING PRESIDENT-ELECT LEE MYUNG-BAK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2007

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, today America's great 
ally, the Republic of Korea, elected a new President. To provide 
congratulations and in recognition of the achievement of President-
Elect Lee Myung-bak, I wish to submit the following article from the 
Associated Press regarding today's presidential election in South 
Korea.

                 Lee Claims Win in South Korea Election

                            (By Burt Herman)

       Seoul, South Korea (AP)--Former Hyundai CEO Lee Myung-bak 
     claimed victory Wednesday in South Korea's presidential 
     election, as voters overlooked fraud allegations in hopes he 
     will revive the economy.
       Lee's two main rivals both conceded defeat after returns 
     and exit polls showed him winning nearly double the votes of 
     his closest competitor.
       ``Today, the people gave me absolute support. I'm well 
     aware of the people's wishes,'' said Lee, of the conservative 
     Grand National Party. ``I will serve the people in a very 
     humble way. According to the people's wishes, I will save the 
     nation's economy that faces a crisis.''
       The National Election Commission said Lee had 48.6 percent 
     of the vote with 98 percent of ballots counted. Liberal Chung 
     Dong-young was a distant second with 26.2 percent. The 
     victory margin was by far the largest in any South Korean 
     presidential election.

[[Page 36481]]

       Lee, a former Seoul mayor who turned 66 on election day, 
     has led the race for months. His victory ends a decade of 
     liberal rule in the South, during which the country embarked 
     on unprecedented reconciliation with rival North Korea that 
     has led to restored trade and travel across the heavily armed 
     frontier dividing the peninsula.
       ``I humbly accept the people's choice,'' Chung told 
     reporters late Wednesday. ``I hope (president)-elect Lee 
     Myung-bak will do a good job for the country.''
       Candidate Lee Hoi-chang, who was trailing in third with 
     15.7 percent of the vote, congratulated Lee Myung-bak on his 
     win.
       ``I hope he would uphold the people's yearning for a change 
     in government and correct what the outgoing government has 
     done wrong in the past,'' he told reporters.
       The office of liberal President Roh Moo-hyun congratulated 
     Lee.
       ``We respect the people's choice shown in this election,'' 
     presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said in a statement.
       Hundreds of supporters watching results on a giant TV in 
     front of the Grand National Party's headquarters burst into 
     song Wednesday evening as returns showed Lee winning.
       Lee has pledged to take a more critical view of Seoul's 
     engagement with North Korea and seek closer U.S. ties. 
     Efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions stand 
     at a critical juncture, with the communist country set to 
     disclose all its programs for eventual dismantlement by a 
     year-end deadline.
       State Department spokesman Tom Casey congratulated Lee on 
     his victory.
       ``We have a long history of cooperation and friendship with 
     South Korea and fully expect that'll continue with this new 
     government,'' he said. ``Certainly, we've got a number of 
     important issues on our bilateral agenda including our mutual 
     cooperation in the six-party talks.''

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