President Lee Jae-myung met with U.S. Senators Andy Kim (Democrat-New Jersey) and Tammy Duckworth (Democrat-Illinois), who are visiting Korea, at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 18th.
On the 25th (local time), as a summit meeting between President Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled in Washington, D.C., it was reported by Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung through a written briefing that discussions on industrial cooperation between the two countries, including shipbuilding, took place on that day.
Senator Duckworth, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with Senator Kim, is expected to meet with domestic shipbuilding company officials during their visit to Korea to explore the possibility of joint construction of non-combat vessels for the U.S. Navy.
President Lee expressed hope during the meeting, stating, "I wish for results from this Korea-U.S. summit" and added, "I hope this will be an opportunity to achieve tangible outcomes in various fields, including shipbuilding cooperation."
He also remarked, "As blood allies, the Korea-U.S. alliance aims to develop into a 'future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance' encompassing not only security but also economy and advanced science and technology in various fields" and requested, "I hope the U.S. Congress will play a key role in this process."
U.S. lawmakers responded, saying, "There are high expectations for cooperation with Korea, a global economic powerhouse and leader in advanced technology innovation" and added, "We will do our part at the U.S. Congress level to ensure tangible results are achieved."
Meanwhile, ahead of his visit to the U.S., President Lee mentioned regarding his upcoming summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Japan, "I will demonstrate a strong commitment to further strengthen Korea-Japan relations and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation and enhance Korea's high status and role on the international stage," Spokesperson Kang conveyed.