Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, this morning made the following statement on South Korea’s decision to conditionally suspend the termination of the Japan-South Korea General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA):

“I commend President Moon Jae-in on his decision to continue the military information-sharing pact between Seoul and Tokyo. This decision took courageous leadership from both Prime Minister Abe and President Moon, and I appreciate the efforts of both governments to preserve this important agreement that benefits our shared security in Northeast Asia.

“As a firm believer in the importance of America’s alliances and partnerships around the world, I am also extremely pleased that our close friends—Japan and South Korea—will take steps to constructively address their differences on the trade and export control matters.

“The trilateral cooperation among our three countries has helped preserve our mutual interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in East Asia, and I look forward to engaging with South Korea and Japan to further strengthen our relations.”

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