MEDIA RELEASE

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard attended a joint session Wednesday of the United States Congress held to welcome President Park Geun-Hye of the Republic of Korea. The session was led by Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Gabbard released the following statement:

“The United States-Korea relationship is critically important now more than ever. The strength of this friendship demonstrates our dedication to peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, and in the Asia-Pacific region. President Park stated strongly that the Republic of Korea remains firmly committed to our ‘precious alliance.’ United, we must address and take seriously the aggressive threats from North Korea. This is not a threat that will go away. In order to ensure stability, we must make the appropriate investments now in ballistic missile defense and other regional assets, so we can stand ready to prevent and respond to an attack.

“Our partnership also benefits from opening our doors to economic cooperation, which will be further enhanced by increasing the number of H1-B visas for Korean professionals. This is just one step that we can take toward expanding our economic, educational, and cultural exchange opportunities, as we continue to honor the historic bond between the American and Korean people.”