US must honor partnership with S. Korea not just in defense, but in opportunity, fairness

My father was a small boy living near Incheon Port when, on the dawn of Sept. 15, 1950, the sea and sky were lit by flashes of the Incheon Landing Operation, through which South Korean and US troops retook territory from the North. He fled 20 kilometers inland with his family to escape the fighting. The operation -- once deemed impossible due to the extreme tides and said to have only a 1 in 5,000 chance of success -- liberated South Korea from the grip of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Today, I serve as the elected representative of that very region.

On the same date this year, I marched beside a veteran of the Korean War in a wheelchair at the commemorative parade on the beach once known by its military code name, "Red Beach." There, Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, reminded the crowd that the US-Korea alliance is "ironclad."

As a former officer stationed at Osan Air Base, I could not agree more. Without American forces, it would be difficult to defend our nation against the continental powers to our north.

But today, that alliance faces a serious test.

Recently, more than 300 Korean workers who were setting up a battery factory in the US state of Georgia were chained, arrested and detained. To see American helicopters and armored vehicles -- symbols of our liberation 75 years ago -- used against Korean nationals was deeply shocking.

At the same time, during ongoing tariff negotiations, the US reportedly demanded that South Korea pay $350 billion up front in exchange for lowering tariffs on Korean goods to 15 percent. A recent poll found that over 80 percent of South Koreans view the deal as unfair. That sum represents one-fifth of Korea's gross domestic product and about 85 percent of its foreign exchange reserves. Even apart from the fairness of the deal, such a demand evokes painful memories of the 1997 financial crisis, when our nation faced mass layoffs and economic collapse due to dollar shortages.

I am a member of the opposition People Power Party, which has a long history of building trust with Washington. The current South Korean administration, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, deserves harsh criticism for its mishandling of diplomacy with Washington and failure to protect Korean citizens abroad. Yet, apart from partisan differences, I must express two urgent concerns to the US.

The first concerns US visa policy. South Korea is one of America's largest investors. It has made nearly $300 billion in cumulative investment, supporting 830,000 jobs across 14 states. Most of those workers are American. But the engineers, planners and executives who build and manage those plants need appropriate professional visas.

Compared to allies like Australia, Singapore and Chile, Korean professionals face far greater difficulty obtaining the appropriate visas. Since 2013, the Partner With Korea Act has been introduced in every session of Congress, but has yet to pass. This bill would authorize up to 15,000 E-4 professional work visas annually for qualified Koreans. If we are to drink from the same well, we must also dig it together.

The second concerns trade and investment. The Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2007 and renegotiated during the first Trump presidency, remains a fair and balanced framework.

Yes, Korea currently runs a trade surplus, but that is the natural outcome of market dynamics -- not manipulation. Japan and the European Union have agreed to make financial commitments to the US, but their circumstances differ fundamentally from ours. Tokyo's $550 billion pledge equals 13 percent of its gross domestic product, while the yen is also a key currency and Japan has unlimited dollar-swap access. The EU's contribution, about 3 percent of its GDP, is structured as private-sector investment, not direct government payment.

In Incheon, one of our largest exporters is General Motors Korea, producing 500,000 vehicles annually -- 90 percent of them compact cars shipped to the US. Previously, these exports were tariff-free under the Korea-US trade agreement. Now, under new tariff rules, they are subject to a 25 percent duty. Though GM insists it will stay, there are growing fears it could eventually relocate production to other countries with more favorable trade terms. For Incheon, where over 3,000 local suppliers depend on the automotive industry, such uncertainty is deeply troubling.

During my recent visit to Washington and US congressional visits to Seoul, I spoke with US lawmakers from both parties. Many expressed concern about South Korea's current administration and its perceived tilt toward China. Some questioned whether Seoul could truly stand as a trusted ally if it relies on America for security while giving economic advantages to Beijing.

The Republic of Korea stands at the edge of the Eurasian continent, defending liberal democracy shoulder to shoulder with the United States.

There is an old saying: "When the shield falls, the sword strikes." North Korea has made it unmistakably clear that it has no intention of abandoning its nuclear ambitions. Its intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to have an effective range of over 13,000 kilometers -- while the distance between Pyongyang and Washington is about 11,000 km. Whether those missiles can successfully reenter the atmosphere remains the critical question that would determine the level of threat.

Economically as well, South Korea is now one of the largest investors in the United States. Washington has been earnestly seeking Korea's cooperation in semiconductors and shipbuilding -- industries vital to America's economic and energy security. This is part of a broader effort to build secure and resilient supply chains through trusted alliances.

When I met with members of the US Congress, I told them: A friend in need is a friend indeed. That was true 75 years ago and it remains true today.

The Korea-US alliance has always been one of courage, trust and shared sacrifice.

[Contribution] US Congress must pass Partner With Korea Act