Moon seeks US Congress support in addressing North Korea issue

US lawmakers table Peace on Korean Peninsula Act

By Nam Hyun-woo, Joint Press Corps

SEOUL/WASHINGTON ― President Moon Jae-in stressed the part played by the U.S. Congress in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula, Thursday (local time), adding that the Seoul-Washington alliance has played a pivotal role in regional peace. Moon made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., the day before his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.

“I expect the dialogue between South Korea and the U.S., which will begin with today's meeting, will be an opportunity for deepening bilateral cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula, overcoming the challenges from COVID-19, boosting economic recovery and coming up with responses to climate change,” Moon said at the start of the meeting.

Moon noted that the Seoul-Washington alliance was “the world's most exemplary” and the two sides “will continue to go together in the same direction,” according to Chung Man-ho, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communications. Chung added that Moon sought the continued support of the U.S. Congress for progress in the alliance and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

While welcoming Moon, Pelosi said the meeting would be an opportunity to share ideas on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, climate issues, the fight against the pandemic and technological innovation. She added that she hopes for brisk exchanges between not only Seoul and Washington, but also North and South Korea.

Democrat Rep. Gregory Meeks noted that the Biden administration invited Moon to visit the U.S. during the early stages of its leadership, and this showed the importance of the Seoul-Washington alliance, which serves as the “linchpin of peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region.”

The meeting came hours after a bill aimed at seeking a formal end to the Korean War was tabled in the House of Representatives.

Democrat Rep. Brad Sherman introduced the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act, which calls for “serious, urgent diplomatic engagement in pursuit of a binding peace agreement constituting a formal end to the Korean War.”

The bill also requires a report from the secretary of state that includes a clear roadmap for achieving a permanent peace agreement on the peninsula.

The Korean War ended with an armistice signed in 1953 by the U.S.-led United Nations Command, China and North Korea, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. Due to this, Moon has been championing the idea of declaring an end to the war, saying it would open the door for inter-Korean peace.

Along with ending the war, the act also states the secretary of state should seek to enter into negotiations with North Korea to establish liaison offices in Washington and Pyongyang, as well as conduct a review of restrictions barring U.S. nationals from traveling to North Korea.

The act was joined by Democratic Party Reps. Andy Kim, Ro Khanna and Grace Meng. Kim, a son of Korean immigrants to the U.S., attended the meeting with Moon and said South Korea by itself was a very important strategic partner for the U.S., not only because of geopolitical relations with China and North Korea.

Meanwhile, Pelosi mentioned the issue of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean and other Asian women before and during World War II. She said the House of Representative passed a resolution calling for Japan's apology for the slavery in 2007, and she had talked about this issue multiple times during prior meetings with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

She was quoted as saying that she wants to see “justice being realized.”

Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been at the center of history conflicts between South Korea and Japan. Pelosi is known for her contribution to the 2007 resolution, demanding an apology for the atrocity.