Benjamin Gilman: “I am proud to have been able to introduce this resolution commemorating 50 years of relations between our Nation and the…”

“I am proud to have been able to introduce this resolution commemorating 50 years of relations between our Nation and the Republic of Korea. It is only fitting that the House makes note of this special relationship that the United States and the Republic of Korea have shared since 1948, nearly half a century. The United States has important strategic, economic and political interests at stake in Northeast Asia, and maintaining stability remains an overriding U.S. security concern in that region. South Korean soldiers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops on the battlefields of Korea and Vietnam in order to protect and advance these mutual interests. Today, South Korea remains an important partner and ally in guarding the peace and maintaining stability in Northeast Asia. To support these objectives, 37,000 American servicemen and women are stationed in South Korea protecting freedom and democracy, which is threatened on a daily basis by the communist government and armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The United States is pleased with the flourishing of democracy in South Korea.”