The Korea Caucus, a group of U.S. congressional members supportive of Korea, released a statement congratulating President Lee Jae-myung on his election and inauguration, emphasizing the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance.
On the 4th (local time), the co-chairs of the Korea Caucus, including Democratic Representatives Ami Bera (California) and Marilyn Strickland (Washington) and Republican Representatives Joe Wilson (South Carolina) and Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania), stated, “We sincerely congratulate President Lee Jae-myung.”
They added, “We hope that President Lee and his administration can overcome the many challenges faced in Korea and beyond and lead Korea, a critical and essential ally of the United States, as prepared.”
They stated, “As co-chairs of the Korea Caucus, we are unwavering in our commitment to defend, strengthen, and expand the robust Korea-U.S. alliance.”
They also assessed, “This year marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, and our relationship has been forged on the battlefield and now forms a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Furthermore, they noted, “Through the values we share and our unshakeable bonds, we will continue to ensure peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” adding, “We hope that recognition is given to the approximately 2 million Koreans across the United States as essential to maintaining a strong Korea-U.S. relationship.”
The Korea Caucus is a bipartisan group within the U.S. Congress, established in 2003 for the House of Representatives, which reorganizes its leadership every session to continue its active endeavors. The Senate also formed the Korea Caucus in 2023 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance.
In addition, Korean-American Democratic Senator Andy Kim (New Jersey) and Korean-American Republican Chairperson Young Kim (California), who is the chairperson of the East Asia-Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with senior Democratic Senator Chris Coons (Delaware) and House Representative Tom Suozzi (New York), who introduced a resolution to strengthen Korea-U.S. relations, conveyed congratulatory messages via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).