U.S. lawmakers voice bipartisan support for cooperation between Seoul and Washington

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- A delegation of U.S. lawmakers visiting Seoul on Monday voiced their Congress' bipartisan support for cooperation with South Korea in diverse areas including diplomacy and military affairs, the foreign ministry said.

The delegation consisting of five lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives held a breakfast meeting with South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam on Monday, according to the ministry. They all came from the Democratic Party.

The ministry quoted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who is leading the delegation, as saying that the U.S. Congress is sending "bipartisan" support for cooperation with South Korea in areas ranging from diplomacy and military matters, to economic issues and culture.

The senator also "welcomed" the decision recently announced by the two allies to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interception system in South Korea, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Vice Foreign Minister Lim asked the visiting U.S. lawmakers to make more efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Seoul and Washington and lend support to critical issues that the Seoul government is pushing forward.

Lim also said that it is important to keep pressing North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions, mentioning that the latest resolution adopted by the U.N. Security Council in the wake of Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test earlier this year is the right step to take, according to the ministry.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)