hankyoreh

Both the House and Senate of the U.S. Congress are seeking resolutions reaffirming the country's bilateral alliance with South Korea and congratulating President-elect Lee Myung-bak.

Reps. Diane Watson (D-California) and Edward Royce (R-California) co-authored a resolution submitted Friday, recognizing the bilateral relations built through parliamentary and civilian exchanges and deep cultural and personal ties. The resolution also cites the contributions of Korean-Americans and strong trade relations, an official at Royce's office said.

A similar resolution is expected to be submitted at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by committee chairman Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware).

The House version congratulates Lee Myung-bak on his election as South Korea's new president, and wishes him well through the transition and his Feb. 25 inauguration.

The resolution will go directly to the House floor and is expected to be passed next week.

Lee, a former Seoul mayor and CEO of Hyundai, was elected president in December's race as a candidate representing the conservative party.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), a co-sponsor of the resolution, welcomed it.

"The people of South Korea and the United States are inextricably linked by our common sacrifice in the quest for freedom and democracy," she said in a statement.

"We in the Congress look forward to working with President-elect Lee in the years ahead to achieve his stated purpose of a strengthened alliance between the two countries."

Kim Eun-suk, minister-counselor at the South Korean embassy in Washington, noted the significance of the resolutions.

"They symbolize the desire in the U.S. that the bilateral ties will grow stronger under the new South Korean administration," he said.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Yonhap)