On the recordJune 29, 2017
It is my pleasure today to rise to welcome Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to the United States on the occasion of his first visit as President. The United States and the Republic of Korea share a longstanding pivotal defense alliance, and we are bound together as fellow democracies who share common values. The U.S.-Korea relationship has been a growing partnership, and now they are the United State's sixth largest trading partner. It is Florida's third largest export market, and we have over 1,700 Korean Americans in my district. Korea is one of only five U.S. mutual defense allies in Asia, one of only three nations in the region to have completed a bilateral trade agreement with the United States, and hosts a U.S. military presence of nearly 38,000 Americans. The Republic of Korea is our foundational partner in facing the gravest threats to the world's peace and security, and that is the rogue nuclear regime of Kim Jong-un. We will continue to stand together to address this grave threat and maintain our close bilateral relationship. I give my most sincere congratulations to President Moon Jae-in on his first electoral victory, and I welcome him warmly to Washington during such an important time. ____________________
Source
govinfo.gov




