Pelosi says her trip to S. Korea reaffirmed strong U.S.-S. Korea relationship

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, highlighted the strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance on Thursday, wrapping her two-day visit to Seoul.

She said the visit by her and other members of U.S. Congress reaffirmed the "strong bond" between Seoul and Washington.

"The United States and South Korea share a strong bond formed for security and forged by decades of warm friendship," said Pelosi in a released statement.

"Our Congressional delegation traveled to Seoul to reaffirm our treasured ties and our shared commitment to advancing security and stability, economic growth and democratic governance," she added.

Pelosi is the first U.S. House speaker to visit Seoul since 2002.

She is currently leading a six-member delegation on an Asia trip that earlier took them to Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Pelosi said she was pleased to hold a phone meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during her stay in Seoul.

"On the call, we thanked the President for Korea's hospitality of 28,000 U.S. service members and their families," she said.

While mentioning her visit to the Demilitarized Zone that sits along the inter-Korean border, the U.S. House speaker also praised U.S. and South Korean troops.

"We conveyed the gratitude of the Congress and the country for the patriotic service of our service members, who stand as sentinels of democracy on the Korean Peninsula," she said.

"Our members also greeted members of the Korean Honor Guard, whose devoted service is crucial to defending the Korean people," she added.

Pelosi and other members of the delegation arrived in Japan on Thursday (Seoul time), the final leg of their trip.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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