[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9911]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             WELCOME TO SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT MOON JAE-IN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 26, 2017

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, thank you (Kam sa ham ne da).
  I rise today as a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea and 
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to extend to President 
Moon Jae-In, the President of the Republic of Korea, a warm welcome 
from the House of Representatives on the occasion of his first visit to 
the United States.
  The U.S. and R.O.K. share an alliance forged in blood. Yesterday, 
June 25 marked 67 years since the outbreak of conflict on the Korean 
Peninsula.
  Out of the ashes of the Korean War emerged a partnership that endures 
to this day, and it is one of the true success stories of U.S. 
collaboration in the Asia-Pacific.
  The R.O.K. is an economic juggernaut with a vibrant democracy, and 
the U.S. considers it the lynchpin of U.S. foreign policy in the 
region.
  During his visit, I think he will be glad to find that Korean-
Americans are as engaged as ever in community activism and civic 
leadership, and that Korean pop-culture, food, and entertainment are 
further enriching American culture.
  Alliances are often defined by economic ties or military ties, but 
the U.S.-R.O.K. alliance runs even deeper . . .
  We have family ties, and I and my fellow members of the Congressional 
Caucus on Korea are proud to contribute to that bond.
  I wish President Moon well and look forward to a successful trip and 
working with him going forward.

                          ____________________