Yoon calls for US lawmakers' support for S. Korean firms

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday called on a group of US lawmakers to support South Korean companies operating in the world's largest economy, the presidential office said.

Yoon made the request to the visiting US delegation in Seoul while discussing measures to strengthen bilateral ties in a wide range of areas from security, economy and technology to culture and space, according to his office.

"Active investment and economic cooperation between South Korea and the United States have been bringing practical benefits people in both nations can feel, such as an increase in trade and job creation and an expansion of human exchanges," Yoon said, calling for a bigger interest in South Korean companies operating in the US.

Yoon asked the lawmakers for their support in passing pending legislation aimed at expanding the visa quota for professional workers through the US Congress.

The presidential office said the US delegation noted that Seoul-Washington relations have reached an all-time high following a summit between Yoon and US President Joe Biden last year.

The delegation showed respect to Yoon for working to improve the South Korea-US-Japan relationship despite political risk, saying they will play a role in upgrading the Seoul-Washington alliance and economic cooperation between the two countries, according to the office.

The delegation also said the alliance has worked to maintain "peace" and "stability" on the Korean Peninsula against North Korea's threats, noting they support Yoon's efforts to help boost freedom and human rights in the North, according to the office.