U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Kim Jin Pyo, speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, vowed on Thursday to boost efforts in achieving the denuclearization of North Korea, while stressing their legislatures' pivotal roles in it.
Pelosi, who has infuriated China by visiting Taiwan to meet with its leader during her Asia trip, also held phone talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, agreeing to enhance U.S.-South Korean relations to address global and regional challenges. Yoon is currently on holiday, according to the presidential office.
Pelosi, the third-highest-ranking U.S. official after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, was also expected to visit the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjeom before departing for Japan later in the day.
"We have expressed concerns over the seriousness of the deepening level of threats posed by North Korea and agreed to step up efforts for substantial progress on denuclearization," Kim said during a joint press conference with Pelosi held after their meeting.
Kim added they also agreed to work with the international community to achieve a peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula and engage in diplomacy as part of efforts to further strengthen deterrence against the North.
Pelosi, visiting South Korea for a two-day trip through Thursday, also shared with her legislative counterpart the need to advance and strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation to tackle a host of global security and economic challenges.
"This is special for us, because the U.S.-Republic of Korea relationship is special to us...and we want to strengthen that inter-parliamentary role as we work together as countries," Pelosi said at the press conference.
"It's shared values, it's about fighting the pandemic, it's about saving the planet. So many things to discuss. So much opportunity better served by our discussion in an inter-parliamentary way," she added.
To boost bilateral ties, Kim said he and Pelosi also agreed to review a resolution marking the 70th anniversary of their nations' alliance next year.
During his phone conversation with Pelosi, President Yoon asked for her continuous support to improve the alliance between South Korea and the United States, the presidential office said in a statement.
Pelosi responded by saying the importance of the U.S-South Korea alliance has grown bigger, and that the U.S. Congress will make efforts to improve the partnership, according to the presidential office.
Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this week heightened tensions between the United States and China. Beijing had warned against such a trip as it regards the self-ruled democratic island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
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