"Help North Korean Defectors in China," US Lawmaker Requests... Moon Jae-in "Support for North Korean Defectors' Settlement in Korea"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in responded to U.S. Representative Young Kim's request to help two Christian North Korean defector families in China by stating, "The government has been supporting North Korean defectors to settle in Korean society."

On the morning of the 9th, President Moon met with a delegation from the U.S. Congressional Korea Study Group (CSGK), consisting of eight U.S. federal House representatives including Ami Bera, Chair of the Asia-Pacific Subcommittee, and Representative Young Kim, who are currently visiting Korea, to discuss Korea-U.S. relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and global cooperation.

During her remarks, Representative Kim asked for attention regarding two Christian North Korean defector families detained in China and requested, "I hope the South Korean government will contact the Chinese government to help these families come to South Korea."

President Moon replied, "There are currently about 34,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea, and the government has been supporting them to settle in Korean society."

Following the opening remarks, Representative Diana DeGette proposed discussions on global vaccine distribution plans, and Representative Brendan Boyle urged joint Korea-U.S. efforts to restore democracy.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, Representative Darren Soto expressed his desire to invite President Moon to his district in Florida and emphasized the need to expand Korea-U.S. cooperation in semiconductors, vaccines, military equipment, space industry, and satellites. Representative Tony Gonzalez called for Korea-U.S. cooperation in cybersecurity, and Representative Peter Meijer said, "Based on the development over the past 70 years, I hope the bilateral relationship will continue to advance."

In response, President Moon stated, "Both Korea and the U.S. share a firm recognition that the Korea-U.S. alliance is the linchpin of world peace and prosperity," adding, "Since the inauguration of the Biden administration, our governments have communicated more closely than any previous administrations and maintained a strong relationship, culminating in the best outcomes at the Korea-U.S. summit in May."

He continued, "We have agreed to further strengthen security and peace cooperation between Korea and the U.S. while expanding the scope and depth of cooperation across a wide range of fields including economy, technology, health and vaccines, and climate change response," and added, "Spending extended time with President Biden during my visit to the U.S. helped solidify mutual trust and bonds, which is a significant achievement."

Regarding the enhancement of bilateral parliamentary cooperation proposed by Speaker Pelosi, he said, "We will support the promotion of Korea-U.S. parliamentary diplomacy," and expressed gratitude for the one million doses of the Janssen vaccine provided by the U.S.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Representative DeGette's mention of vaccines, President Moon said, "South Korea is contributing to expanding vaccine supply in two ways: first, through COVAX, and second, as the world's second-largest vaccine-producing country, currently producing four types of vaccines."

He also fully agreed with Representative Soto's proposal for cooperation in the space industry, stating, "With the termination of the missile guidelines, South Korea is now free to develop space launch vehicle platforms, enabling co-growth in various fields related to launch vehicles such as satellite development and satellite information utilization."

President Moon also requested the expansion of professional visa quotas from the U.S. lawmakers. He said, "To strengthen Korea-U.S. cooperation in advanced technology, nurturing and exchange of professionals is important. Considering there are about 50,000 Korean students in the U.S., the annual issuance of professional visas, which is about 1,000 to 2,000 cases, is quite insufficient," adding, "Since bills to secure professional visa quotas for Koreans have been reintroduced in both the U.S. House and Senate recently, I ask for active interest and support."

Finally, President Moon said, "When the U.S. delegation visits the Joint Security Area (JSA) and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tomorrow, they will feel how desperately and importantly peace is to the Korean people," and requested, "I ask for the continuous support of the U.S. Congress for the development of the Korea-U.S. alliance, peace on the Korean Peninsula, and mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.