Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) speaks at an event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, in Washington, June 23. Yonhap
WASHINGTON — Two Korean American lawmakers on Tuesday highlighted their commitment to strengthening economic and other partnerships with South Korea, as Seoul and Washington seek to deepen cooperation on shipbuilding, trade and security, to name a few.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) participated in an event that the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, hosted in Washington to honor prominent members of the Korean American community.
Kim, the first Korean American member of the Senate, pointed out some challenges facing the Seoul-Washington relationship, including lingering tariff tensions, but offered a sanguine outlook for its future trajectory.
"I still believe the relationship between the U.S. and South Korea is very strong," he said, noting that the Trump administration's tariffs hindered efforts to maximize economic partnerships between the two countries.
"But I am going to continue to try to strengthen this (relationship) and push forward."
He particularly touched on South Korea's growing investment in the U.S. shipbuilding industry, referring to the Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which was acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha in late 2024.
"I was just at the Philly Shipyard a couple of weeks ago, seeing the incredible investment that Hanwha has made. We continue to see that growth on so many fronts," he said.
"I still think that there's a lot of opportunity for this relationship to grow even stronger, and I am going to do everything I humanly can as a Korean American U.S. senator to bring that about."
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) speaks at an event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a network of Korean American voters, in Washington, June 23. Yonhap
Source: Korea Times News
