27th Parliamentary-Intelligence Security Forum – The Korean Peninsula
Rep. Young Kim welcomed the international delegation to Washington, D.C., noting the annual nature of the forum and its rotation across global venues. She shared that California finalizes election results a month after Election Day due to ballot curing and extended counting procedures, and announced her reelection to a third term representing Orange County. With Republicans maintaining the House majority, she expressed hope to continue serving as Chair of the Indo Pacific Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, while also serving on the House Financial Services Committee as Vice Chair of the National Security and Illicit Finance Subcommittee. She also reflected on her 21 years working for former Congressman Ed Royce, calling it an honor to now represent the same district.
Rep. Kim emphasized the importance of interparliamentary engagement, especially with over 60 countries represented at the forum. She highlighted close cooperation with partners including South Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Israel, and stressed that such exchanges strengthen alliances and shared priorities. Addressing geopolitical challenges, she warned of what she described as an “unholy alliance” among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, citing North Korea’s military support to Russia and deepening authoritarian cooperation. She underscored the Indo-Pacific as the priority theater for U.S China competition, noting growing Chinese naval aggression, particularly in the South China Sea. Drawing from her visit to the Philippines, she described witnessing harassment of Philippine vessels and reaffirmed U.S. commitments under the Mutual Defense Treaty.
She outlined three priorities for the next Congress: deepening security cooperation with frameworks such as the Quad, AUKUS, Five Eyes, and the U.S. Japan ROK trilateral partnership; continuing joint maritime awareness and exercises like RIMPAC; and delivering on U.S. commitments, including clearing the defense backlog for Taiwan. Rep. Kim also emphasized economic engagement, expressing support for stronger trade ties in the region, U.S. engagement in the CPTPP, continuation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and expanding bilateral trade agreements such as KORUS. She mentioned legislation she introduced to strengthen U.S. South Korea ties, including visa parity measures. She concluded by reaffirming that sustained U.S. presence and engagement are essential to preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific and encouraged ongoing dialogue and cooperation with international partners.
