Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Press Event Following Bilateral Meeting with Speaker Kim Jin-pyo of the National Assembly of Korea

Seoul, South Korea – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Speaker Kim Jin-pyo of the National Assembly of Korea for a press event following a bilateral meeting. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. I'll begin our meeting by congratulating [Speaker] Kim on his election to Speaker on the Fourth of July, where he took great pride in the significance of that date.

Mr. Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity for us to engage in interparliamentary discussion about some of the issues of concern. My friends who – we have come and travel as a delegation – are three known pillars of security, economics and governance. And [in] all three of those areas, the U.S.-South Korea, the U.S.-Korea relationship is very strong, and we learn from each other. And [on] our trip to come and talk about security – and we thank our women in uniform for the contribution they make to security.

We also say to you that friendship and the relationship that began from urgency and security, many years ago, has become the warmest of friendships. So we want to advance security, economy and governance in an interparliamentary way. Our President, who you acknowledged, was here in Korea in May, and he has had a lot of analysis about the good Asian Pacific initiative, the IPEF – Asian Pacific economic framework. We want to be able to work together for all of the purposes I mentioned, but to do so listening to our friends in South Korea, who have come here today.

The Speaker gave a very clear presentation of what our augmented discussion was about. And I wanted to take some time just to say how we will honor the suggestions, so we say, the priorities that the Speaker gave.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Gregory Meeks of New York, he made a commitment to pass a resolution on the anniversary – the 70th anniversary of our 1952. And he talked about the VALOR Act, and our Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee – the Veterans Affairs Committee has a greater commitment in that regard as well.

When we talk to them – economics: we were blessed to have the private sector experience as well as the leadership of the Vice Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Suzan DelBene of Washington state. We were also blessed with contributions to the discussion from Raja Krishnamoorthi from Chicago, Illinois. That is the district – Raja, as we call him, said he, his name – with everybody – it's a first name basis. Raja was closing our meeting by commending Korea for the actions they took condemning Russia for their cruel invasion of Ukraine.

And then with great pride, a Korean American Member of Congress: Andy Kim. Andy Kim is a Members on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee. We are glad for the key role he plays, and we were very informed by his participation and his commitment to work together.

So this is special for us, because the U.S.-Republic of Korea relationship is special to us. And we work all the time – I've been here before, met with Members of Parliament in the past. And we want to strengthen that interparliamentary role as we work together as countries.

I do want to say that it is a matter of special pride to us in the Congress, in my previous visit before COVID in 2015, we were able to take pride in passing legislation in the Congress relating to comfort women. It was – you know it had its, and it had some boundaries in what he and I could get about that.

I just mentioned that when we talk about security, and when we talk about economics, when we talk about governance, it's the same thing. It's about fighting the pandemic, its about saving the planet. So many things to discuss, so much opportunity better served by, especially, in an interparliamentary way. But it is – I told my colleagues when we landed that we are going to my favorite places in the world for a lunch hosted by the Speaker.