Young Oak Kim: “the Korean peninsula remains one of the world's most heavily militarized regions, a hot spot of potential confrontation…”

“the Korean peninsula remains one of the world's most heavily militarized regions, a hot spot of potential confrontation that has endured for more than 40 years. The mortar attacks and exchange of gunfire between the North and South Korean forces that occurred on July 17, 1997, highlight the extremely tense situation that exists every day along the so-called Demilitarized Zone. As demonstrated by the presence of 37,000 American troops on the Korean peninsula, the United States is formally committed to maintaining stability and security in the region. Our strong support for the four-party talks is a further proof that the United States Government wants to see improved relations between North and South Korea, which will hopefully bring a final and lasting peace to the peninsula. House Concurrent Resolution 74 also, quite properly, recognizes our South Korean allies for their good-faith efforts at achieving peace. I fully support the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 74 and commend the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] for his leadership in authorizing this resolution.”