Curt Weldon |

Curt Weldon, North Korea

Curt Weldon, North Korea

As the Vice-Chair of the Armed Services Committee and a member of the Congressional Korea Caucus, Congressman Curt Weldon takes keen interest in the Korean Peninsula. One of the last military stand-offs from the 20^th century is still in force- United States and Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea(North Korea) are still engaged in a stand off that is the result of the 1950-153 Korean War. Both nations remain tactically at war, and only a truce has been signed by both states to end war half a century ago. DPRK remains one of the last closed societies on the globe, with plenty of evidence emerging about its failed state and economy. Unlike Libya, DPRK maintains its adversarial stance towards the United States and continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology. While it has been isolated by the international community, it shared this technology with states like Iran.

Since 2002, Congressman Weldon attempted to develop and strengthen the dialogue between the United States, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the other nations involved in the six party talks(Russia, China and Japan) aimed at demilitarizing the Korean Peninsula and at establishing normal relations between our countries. He traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, with his fellow Members in 2003 and 2005, in order to facilitate dialogue between US and North Korean governments. As a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Weldon believes it is in our mutual interest to change the dynamic of U.S. – North Korean relations. He has continually briefed former Secretary Powell and others within the State Department and National Security Council on the North-South Korean issues. Congressman Weldon also had discussions with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Throughout this endeavor, he has visited Ambassador Han Song-ryol, North Korea’s representative to the United Nations in New York. It is Congressman’s hope that by initiating a dialogue, while supporting President Bush’s policy to resolve U.S. concerns over North Korea’s nuclear programs, and encourage continued participation in six-party discussions, we can identify areas of common ground and work together on common interests and convince the DPRK leadership to abandon their nuclear weapons program.

In view of the recent tension between the DPRK and the U.S., Congressman believes it is in beneficial to have a friendly channel of dialogue to discuss sensitive issues in a timely manner. He firmly believes that there is an opportunity to initiate discussions and find a way to end the current stand-off over the nuclear issue. The past Congressional Delegations that Congressman led to both North and South Korea led were a significant step in the right direction. The Congress attaches great importance to inter-parliamentary dialogues to improve relations with other nations and enhance the well being of their citizens.

On October 27, 2005, Congressman Weldon and several dozen House Members from both parties hosted a historical congressional luncheon for the North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, Han Song-ryol, during his first visit to the U.S. House of Representatives. The luncheon gave a rare opportunity for American lawmakers to have candid discussion with the DPRK Ambassador on the state of US-DPRK relations.

On November 2, 2005, Congressman Weldon spoke at the Georgetown University, delivering a welcoming remark at the conference “The New Korean World View.”