Rep. Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has been elected as the new co-chair of the National Assembly's Korea-US Parliamentary Union, succeeding Rep. Chung Dong-young, who stepped down from the post upon his appointment as unification minister.
“The Korea-US Parliamentary Union, formed through bipartisan participation, will further develop the Korea-US alliance through expanded cooperation with the US Congress,” Cho said during the union’s general meeting on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Seoul.
The Korea-US Parliamentary Union is an internal body within the National Assembly aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with the US at the legislative level. It currently includes 168 lawmakers from across party lines.
Cho, a six-term lawmaker, will serve as co-chair alongside Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, also a six-term lawmaker, from the main opposition People Power Party.
At the meeting, the union agreed to send a joint letter to key members of the US Congress, urging swift action on visa-related issues following the recent detention of South Koreans at the construction site of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery plant in Georgia.
The union also discussed plans to host a series of policy seminars and roundtables through the end of the year, including a conference on Korea-US relations featuring leading experts and officials. A delegation visit to the US is planned for December.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
