1. During her visit to the US, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha visited the US Congress on March 15 for a meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan of the House of Representatives and another with leading members of the Senate and the House. In those meetings, the two sides exchanged views on matters of mutual concern, including the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral issues concerning economy, trade and alliance.

※ The participants in the meeting were:

- Five members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations -- Chairman Cory Gardner of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy; Ranking Member of the Subcommittee Ed Markey; and Senators Jim Risch, Jeff Merkley and John Barrasso.

- Seven Representatives -- Chairman Ed Royce of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Chairman Ted Yoho of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific; Ranking Member of the Subcommittee Brad Sherman; and Representatives Ami Bera, Norma Torres, Dana Rohrabacher and David Cicilline.

2. Minister Kang shared with the members of the US Congress an assessment of the outcome of the visits to North Korea and the US by a special ROK delegation and other recent positive changes in the situation on the Korean Peninsula. She went on to mention that the ROK and US governments will continue close coordination with each other in order to make a success of the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit talks, which will become significant milestones in terms of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and thereby to expedite the denuclearization and the establishment of a lasting peace on the Peninsula. On that note, she particularly asked that the US Congress, as it had done by passing a number of Korean Peninsula-related bills and adopting a resolution in support of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, remain attentive to and supportive on Korean Peninsula-related issues.

* The number of the Korean Peninsula-related bills tabled by the US Congress in 2017 stood at about 20, double that of 2015 and 2016.

° The US Congresspeople, noting with appreciation that close, watertight coordination under the ROK-US alliance had brought about the recent, positive changes in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, cautiously expressed hope for further advances. They went on to voice hope that based on the past negotiation experiences, and with the principle of denuclearization, sanctions and pressure remaining firmly upheld, meaningful progress and a breakthrough will be achieved toward the denuclearization of North Korea and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

3. Minister Kang expressed hope that the currently ongoing negotiations on the proposed revision of the KORUS (Korea-US) FTA will be concluded with mutually beneficial results. Commenting that the recent US imposition of tariffs on steel imports could have unintended negative ramifications on not only the gradually growing economic and trade ties but also the closer- and stronger-than-ever overall alliance between the ROK and the US, she requested that the US Congress cooperate actively toward the ROK’s exemption from the tariffs.

° In response, the US lawmakers, calling the close economic and trade cooperation between the ROK and the US in interest of both countries, mentioned that advice will be offered to the US administration to seek a possible solution regarding its restriction on steel imports. Some of the lawmakers, commenting that the US move is posing difficulty for its allies, mentioned that attention will be brought to the need to focus on unfair trade practices.

4. Minister Kang, sharing with the US side the ROK’s strong contribution to its alliance with the US, which has grown into a model alliance, voiced hope that the negotiations on sharing military costs, which had started in early March, will produce a reasonable and mutually beneficial agreement regarding the bilateral alliance.

° The US side, extending appreciation to the ROK government for its contribution to the bilateral alliance, expressed hope that those negotiations will be concluded in a way that helps to beef up the bilateral alliance and strengthen the combined defense posture.

5. Minister Kang pointed out that numerous Korean adoptees in the US, having failed to obtain US citizenship due to their adoptive parents’ mistakes or remissness toward their obligations, are living with insecurity over possible deportation. On that note, she asked the US Congress to cooperate in expediting the enactment of the Adoptee Citizen Act, which had been tabled by both the Senate and House on March 8 calling for granting citizenship to adoptees automatically on humanitarian grounds.

6. Minister Kang’s visit to the US Congress for meetings with No. 1 Congressman, Chairman Ryan, and other leading members of the Congress served as an opportunity for the US Congress to reaffirm its keen attention to and support for the ROK government’s major foreign and security policies, including those for a stronger alliance and a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue; and for the ROK side to articulate and enhance the US’ understanding on its position on the full range of economic and trade issues.

° Minister Kang extended to Chairman Ryan an invitation to visit the ROK in the near future, in response to which the latter expressed appreciation, saying that he will seek an opportunity to visit the country.

※ Chairman Ryan visited the ROK as part of the House delegation in April 2014.

* unofficial translation