Washington, DC — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) gave the following speech today from the floor of the U.S. House, advocating for a stronger and deeper relationship with the Republic of Korea:
BY CONGRESSMAN CHARLES DJOU – Yesterday, the United States Navy began conducting war game operations off the coast of Korea. Many of the sailors and ships come from Pearl Harbor, located in my district. Yesterday I also had the opportunity to sit down and meet with the Korean Ambassador to the United States, who is also the former Prime Minister of South Korea.
These are important developments. It is important for our nation to strengthen and deepen our ties with Korea with the troubling times we have in the Korean Peninsula.
I want to state and strongly urge this House to most expeditiously move the free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea to make sure that what happened 60 years ago on the Korean Peninsula doesn’t happen again.”
I met with Ambassador Han Duk-soo, the current ambassador to the United States and former prime minister of the Republic of Korea yesterday.
It was an honor to speak with South Korean Ambassador Han. We discussed the need for greater cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Korea, jointly stressed the importance of vigilance with regard to North Korea, and agreed that a free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea should be enacted as soon as possible.
In my first floor speech, I urged Congress to pass a free trade agreement with South Korea. At the G20 Summit in Toronto, President Obama agreed to push for an FTA with South Korea to be enacted this fall.
Watch the speech HERE:
Congressman Charles Djou, R-HI, represents Hawaii’s first district in the US House