By Anna Kim   

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with a delegation of U.S. House of Representatives on July 31 to exchange opinions on the Korea-U.S. alliance, economic cooperation between the two countries, and regional and international issues.

The delegation of U.S. congressmen led by Jason Smith, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, visited South Korea on the first leg of their four-nation tour of East Asia, Lee Do-woon, a spokesman for the president's office, said in a written briefing.

Welcoming the delegation's visit, President Yoon said, "I hope that both countries closely cooperate to continue demonstrating global leadership together under an alliance of cutting-edge technology and values."

Yoon also thanked the U.S. Congress for showing bipartisan support for and interest in the strategic importance of the bilateral alliance and close cooperation, saying, "We look forward to the unwavering support and encouragement of the visiting congressional delegation for the development of Korea-U.S. relations."

President Yoon added, "Brisk investment and exchange between companies of both countries are contributing to boosting the recovery and stability of bilateral supply chains. So that related bills promoted by the Congress can further stimulate collaboration and lead the shared growth of both economies.”

Rep. Smith said the delegation visited Korea during Congress' summer recess first to directly confirm the bilateral alliance, which he called stronger and sturdier than ever before, as well as actively boost bilateral economic cooperation.

Noting that the Congress places high importance on the continuous strengthening and development of the alliance, he added, “We will continue support both sides to cooperate more closely as reliable allies in times of complex crises such as supply chain restructuring, energy and food problems, and competition in state-of-the-art technology.”

Among the Congress members were Reps. Smith, Ritchie Torres (Democrat-New York), Morgan McGarvey (Democrat-Kentucky), Gregory Murphy (Republican-North Carolina), Michelle Steel (Republican-California), Nicole Malliotakis (Republican-New York), Amata Coleman Radewagen (Republican-American Samoa) and Nathaniel Moran (Texas-Republican).