Lee calls for comprehensive security and economic cooperation with U.S. in meeting with visiting senators

President Lee Jae Myung called for comprehensive cooperation in security and economic matters to a delegation of U.S. senators visiting the presidential office in Seoul on Monday.

President Lee Jae Myung, front row center, poses for a photo after a meeting with U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, front row left, and Sen. Andy Kim, front row right, at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Aug. 18. They are joined by Joseph Yun, acting U.S. ambassador to Korea, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and other aides and officials. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Lee Jae Myung called for comprehensive cooperation in security and economic matters between Seoul and Washington to a delegation of U.S. senators visiting the presidential office in Seoul Monday as the United States eyes ways to tap into shipbuilding industry expertise from its allies.

In his meeting with Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat of New Jersey, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat of Illinois, Lee said that the bilateral "blood alliance" should continue to develop into a "future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance" not only in security but also in economic and advanced science and technology sectors, the presidential office said in a statement.

Lee asked Congress to play a key role in advancing such efforts, and the senators reaffirmed bipartisan congressional support for an ironclad bilateral alliance, the office said.

The senators began on Sunday an East Asia tour, which will also take them to Japan. The trip is expected to include meetings with top shipbuilders in the region as the United States takes on China's shipbuilding prowess.

The visit comes a week before Lee's planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump next Monday, an occasion to follow up on the details of the trade agreement and also discuss security and defense matters shaping the future of the alliance.

Lee conveyed his anticipation for the upcoming visit to the United States and his first meeting with Trump, expressing hopes that it will lead to "practical outcomes" in areas including shipbuilding cooperation.

The senators shared that there are high expectations in the United States for cooperation with Korea as a global economic powerhouse and leader in advanced technology innovation, Lee's office said, and stressed that Congress will do its part to help achieve tangible results in various sectors going forward.

They also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region, and agreed on the importance of continued dialogue and engagement, based on a strong alliance and close coordination.

The senators, during their visit, are set to meet with Korean officials, lawmakers and industry leaders to seek ways to strengthen shipbuilding cooperation to boost U.S. capabilities and discuss other alliance and security matters.

Kim, who has previously served on the White House National Security Council, became the first Korean American elected to the Senate in November last year.

Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both legs while serving in Iraq as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, is on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back, left, speaks with U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth at the Defense Ministry in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Aug. 18. [DEFENSE MINISTRY]

Earlier Monday, Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met with Sen. Duckworth at the Defense Ministry in Yongsan District, central Seoul, and the two sides agreed that Korea and the United States should further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in shipbuilding, MRO, or maintenance, repair and overhaul, and the defense industry.

Ahn asked for the Congress's continued interest in "further strengthening the combined defense posture and enhancing extended deterrence capabilities," Seoul's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

Duckworth reaffirmed Washington's commitment to American troops stationed in Korea, noting that the U.S. Forces Korea remains a "cornerstone of deterrence" against North Korea and of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said, and pledged active support to sustain their role here.

In a separate meeting, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik asked Sen. Kim for his assistance in ensuring the success of the first Korea-U.S. summit since the Lee administration took office.

Woo's office said that the U.S. lawmakers were visiting Korea to elaborate on plans for cooperation between the Korean and U.S. shipbuilding industries.

The speaker emphasized the need to ensure the stable operations of Korean companies operating in the United States, in conjunction with the bilateral tariff negotiations, his office said.

"While bilateral tariff negotiations have concluded, and much uncertainty has been alleviated, I ask for the U.S. Congress's continued support to ensure our companies can operate more stably," Woo said at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.

Kim, in turn, pledged to support the holding of a successful first summit between Lee and Trump, calling it crucial for comprehensive global economic security, the speaker's office said.

Kim went on to stress that the security partnership between the two countries is stronger than ever, calling for continued investment in security commitments amid global challenges.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, right, shakes hands with U.S. Sen. Andy Kim at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Aug. 18. [YONHAP]

Korea has pushed for a $150 billion shipbuilding initiative dubbed MASGA, or "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," through its latest trade agreement with the United States. Seoul credits the project, meant to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, as a major factor that led to the two countries finalizing a tariff deal ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, in turn leading to the first Lee-Trump summit.

The United States agreed to lower the reciprocal tariff from the proposed 25 percent to 15 percent in return for Korea's $350 billion investments, including the shipbuilding industry, in a comprehensive project encompassing the construction of new shipyards in the United States, personnel training, vessel construction and maintenance, repair and operations.

The senators are looking to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to U.S. shipyards, the AP reported Sunday.

Duckworth told the AP that the United States has "fewer capacity now" than it did during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, noting that its remaining capacity is "aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix" and calling to "rebuild the capacity."

Trump, in turn, has been keen on reviving U.S. shipyards through cooperation with allied countries. The Pentagon seeks to allocate $47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual budget.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]