Seoul, KOREA— Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is part of a bipartisan delegation, led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, to Seoul, South Korea, where Members of Congress participated in bilateral meetings held by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and other prominent Korean government officials focused on U.S.-Korea economic relations. 

In the meeting with ROK President Yoon, Amata mentioned former Dongwon Group Chairman Jae-cheol Kim who started out as a fisherman working on a fishing boat out of American Samoa, rising to become the highly successful founder of the company that today owns StarKist Samoa.  

Kim often spoke fondly of his younger days in American Samoa. (When Amata was in South Korea previously in 2019, she spoke to Chairman Kim by phone and he referred to his good memories of American Samoa.) President Yoon replied that during his own younger school days he too had heard and read about Chairman Kim’s time as a young man working on a fishing vessel out of American Samoa.

The delegation discussed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) negotiations that the Biden Administration currently is conducting with Korea and twelve other economies throughout the Indo-Pacific region. They expressed strong support for U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, as Chairman Smith emphasized that lawful trade agreements must have the support of Congress and cannot be unilaterally negotiated by the White House. 

 “Maintaining a clear U.S. commitment in the Pacific region is more important than ever,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Working closely within our alliances benefits everyone with stability, security and economic growth. I appreciate Chairman Smith’s leadership on these issues in Congress.”

Members of Congress discussed the U.S.–Korea free trade agreement (KORUS), America’s second largest trade agreement behind the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and shared support for maintaining an open dialogue between the two nations about ways to address bilateral trade challenges, with a focus on promoting supply chain resilience and reducing economic dependence on China. 

After the delegation’s meetings with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and cabinet ministers, Chairman Smith said, “Enduring and successful trade policy between the U.S. and South Korea must include input and support from both the Executive Branch and Congress, which is why this engagement was so critically important. The United States will always be a steadfast ally of Korea, and we look forward to a durable and mutually beneficial continued partnership between our nations.”

The eight-member bipartisan delegation includes Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY).