Washington, DC— Rep. Watson was part of a special congressional delegation invited by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive the president of South Korea. Rep. Watson gave the following remarks on the visit of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak:

"It has been my privilege to represent California’s 33rd congressional district with the largest number of Korean American constituents in the nation. The Korean Americans who live in my district and other neighborhoods in Los Angeles – and, for that matter, across the country – have made incalculable contributions to American life and society. 

"My purpose in mentioning the Korean American community – which now numbers more than two million people nationwide – stems from the arrival this week of President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea, who comes to Washington to meet with President Bush, our congressional leadership, senior government officials, business executives, and Korean American leaders. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome President Lee and wish him well as he makes his first official overseas trip.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea have shared a long and successful alliance. South Korea is a key partner in the Six-Party Talks aimed at assuring that North Korea does not develop and deploy nuclear weapons that could create a strategic imbalance in Northeast Asia. The people of South Korea know better than anyone what the consequences of a nuclear-armed North Korea could be.

"South Korea and the United States have also been political, diplomatic, and economic partners since the founding of the alliance 125 years ago. While our two countries were brought dramatically together through the Korean War, which ended in an armistice 55 years ago, we have worked together consistently in a much less dramatic way since then.

"For instance, South Korea and the United States are close business partners with over $80 billion in annual bilateral trade volume. In fact, South Korea is the 7th-largest trading partner of the United States. Goods and services move between our two countries on a daily basis.

"The pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement will not bring with it just economic benefits, many of which were described in a recent study released by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but also positive geopolitical and geostrategic consequences.

"Approving the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement will strengthen our relationship with one of our most important and indispensable allies in Asia and give the United States a permanent economic foothold in the most dynamic and fastest growing region in the world. This agreement will also provide a counterbalance to China’s emergence as a dominant market player in that region and worldwide.

"The Free Trade Agreement will complement the likely admission of the Republic of Korea into the Visa Waiver Program, making it easier for Korean travelers to visit the United States as tourists or as students, or for business or family purposes. I can attest that many of my constituents are looking forward eagerly to Korea’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, which will bring with it many economic benefits aside from – and in addition to – those benefits that will accrue from the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

"Madam Speaker, I have just barely touched on the many important issues that will be discussed this week while President Lee is in Washington. The South Korean President’s visit gives us a special reason to address these topics, but it does not mean that the conversation will end when he returns home. I know from experience that my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment will be exploring these issues in depth in the weeks and months to come. 

"We welcome the opportunity to hear directly from President Lee his own views and the views of his government on these matters that affect both South Korea and the United States."