[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      WELCOMING THE KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TO WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 4, 2015

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome Mr. Chung Ui-Hwa, 
Speaker of the Korean National Assembly, to Washington. Speaker Chung--
a neurosurgeon by training--is a distinguished member of the National 
Assembly, having served five consecutive terms since 1996. Last year, 
in his capacity as President of the Korea-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary 
Council, he led a delegation and paid a visit to the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, where I hosted a legislative exchange. I'm honored 
to welcome him back to Washington and in his new capacity as Speaker.
  For over 60 years, the U.S.-South Korea relationship has been a 
linchpin of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2013, I 
welcomed President Park Geun-hye, the Republic of Korea's first female 
president, to Southern California where she addressed the Korean-
American community to discuss the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-South 
Korean alliance. As a former Chairman of the U.S.-Republic of Korea 
Inter-Parliamentary Exchange, I have been proud to help enhance the 
alliance, including by upgrading Korea's Foreign Military Sales status 
to NATO+4, passing the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement and securing an 
extension of the U.S.-Korea Civilian Nuclear Energy Agreement.
  As North Korea continues to threaten the United States and our close 
allies with its nuclear, missile, and now cyber capabilities, I 
introduced legislation, together with Ranking Member Eliot Engel, to 
step up the targeting of those financial institutions in Asia and 
beyond that are supporting this brutal and dangerous regime. By 
shutting down North Korea's illicit activities, we deprive the Kim 
regime of the money it needs to pay the generals and to conduct nuclear 
weapons research. I appreciate that humanitarian groups around the 
world are strongly supporting this bipartisan legislation.
  The United States and the Republic of Korea are strengthening their 
combined defense posture on the Korean Peninsula. Together, we are 
working toward a shared goal of a Korean Peninsula that is free of 
nuclear weapons and peacefully reunited on the basis of democratic and 
market principles and as articulated in President Park's Dresden 
address last year.
  Mr. Speaker, I am again pleased to welcome my friend, Speaker Chung 
Ui-Hwa, to Washington and to the Congress. We are at critical juncture 
in the U.S.-Korea alliance, but our relationship has never been better. 
I look forward to working with Speaker Chung on the issues of mutual 
concern. I further urge my colleagues to do the same and to offer their 
own expressions of best wishes and support.

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