Korean American lawmakers stress commitment to deepening partnerships with Korea

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) speaks at an event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, in Washington, June 23. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — Two Korean American lawmakers on Tuesday highlighted their commitment to strengthening economic and other partnerships with South Korea, as Seoul and Washington seek to deepen cooperation on shipbuilding, trade and security, to name a few.

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) participated in an event that the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, hosted in Washington to honor prominent members of the Korean American community.

Kim, the first Korean American member of the Senate, pointed out some challenges facing the Seoul-Washington relationship, including lingering tariff tensions, but offered a sanguine outlook for its future trajectory.

"I still believe the relationship between the U.S. and South Korea is very strong," he said, noting that the Trump administration's tariffs hindered efforts to maximize economic partnerships between the two countries.

"But I am going to continue to try to strengthen this (relationship) and push forward."

He particularly touched on South Korea's growing investment in the U.S. shipbuilding industry, referring to the Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which was acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha in late 2024.

"I was just at the Philly Shipyard a couple of weeks ago, seeing the incredible investment that Hanwha has made. We continue to see that growth on so many fronts," he said.

"I still think that there's a lot of opportunity for this relationship to grow even stronger, and I am going to do everything I humanly can as a Korean American U.S. senator to bring that about."

Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) speaks at an event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, in Washington, June 23. Yonhap

Congresswoman Kim, who chairs the subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific affairs under the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed her expectations for the role of incoming U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel, describing her as "the right person at the right time in our critical U.S.-South Korea relations."

"I have a lot of faith in her and a lot of optimism," she said.

Sen. Kim, however, accused Steel of making what he described as racist remarks against Asian Americans who were running for office and had served in the U.S. military. He called on her to apologize for those comments.

Last week, the Senate confirmed Steel, a former two-term Korean American congresswoman, clearing the way for her to assume the ambassadorship.

Rep. Kim anticipated that Steel will play a "big" role in handling political, economic and other matters, including the issue of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, noting Steel's past congressional activities supporting the separated families.

Commenting on the importance of South Korea's direct investment in the United States, the congresswoman underscored her push for a bill, titled the "Partner with Korea Act," that seeks to create an allotment of 15,000 E-4 highly skilled work visas for South Koreans with specialized expertise.

She noted that the bill has taken on greater importance following a U.S. immigration raid at a South Korean battery plant construction site in Georgia last September, which led to the detention of more than 300 Korean workers.

"My hope is that the bill will be passed during this Congress," she said.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) speaks at an event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, in Washington, June 23. Yonhap

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) also participated in the event, praising the Korean American community as one that has shown the "power of immigrants." He also voiced hopes that the U.S. will see more people of Korean descent in elected office, the legislature and other sectors of the country.

"My hope is (that) for our democracy to survive and thrive, we urgently need more Koreans to enter the political realm and the leadership realm in American politics," he said.

Rep. Kim looked back on her journey of life to reach the congressional post, casting America as a land of opportunities where diversity is a feature of national power.

"I am so proud to be an American. Only in America, we can come not to change America, but to be part of this fabric of America that makes America great," she said.

Kim also encouraged young Korean Americans to strive hard to grab the opportunities that America presents.

"We are going to continue to be a very integral part of the American community, and make sure that we stay here as long as we can, as far as we can go," she said.