OPINION:
The relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, an alliance forged in blood, over seventy years ago, remains one of the foremost strategic alliances today. In 1950, nearly two million Americans, and NATO allies from Trkiye to the United Kingdom to Norway, arrived in unfamiliar lands to help liberate Korea from the scourge of communism and its oppressive hand.
The sacrifices made to secure the victory over communism on the Korean Peninsula will never be forgotten, and our relationship, rooted in shared values, will endure and grow.
July 27 marked the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, ending the Korean War. Yet we will never forget that millions of Koreans in the north still live under absolute tyranny and poverty.
Contrast the per capita income in the Republic of Korea, over $30,000 per year, compared with the impoverished north, at just $1,000.
As the only member of Congress still serving to have been on a delegation to North Korea, I know firsthand the contrast between these two civilizations. There could not be a more obvious difference between freedom and the tyranny of communism.
As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Korea Congressional Caucus, I have visited South Korea several times, most recently in January of 2024. I know the Korean people to have a deep and unwavering affection for America. They revere the American military and are honored to host our troops today, helping to maintain Peace through Strength.
The people of South Korea are well aware of the threats across the lines of the 38th parallel. Kim Jong-un’s regime gains tactical and technical battlefield experience in Ukraine, supplying war criminal Putin with cannon fodder and cheap weapons in exchange for nuclearization materials and technological assistance.
Today, we are in a conflict we did not choose, of dictators who rule by gun, invading democracies who rule by law.
The economic relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea is mutually beneficial and advances the supply chain resilience agenda of President Donald Trump.
In my home state of South Carolina, South Korea-based Samsung Group, established the company’s first U.S.-based home appliance manufacturing facility, Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America, creating hundreds of jobs.
Over 800 American companies are registered with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, and Korean foreign direct investment in the United States continues to grow.
I am grateful for the unwavering U.S.-South Korea relationship.
• Rep. Joe Wilson is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving South Carolina’s 2nd District.
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