(LEAD) Lee meets delegation of U.S. lawmakers, emphasizes alliance with Washington

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (C) poses for a photo with a delegation of U.S. House lawmakers before their talks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 31, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-US lawmakers

(LEAD) Lee meets delegation of U.S. lawmakers, emphasizes alliance with Washington

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, photo; UPDATES throughout)

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung met with a delegation of U.S. House lawmakers Tuesday during which he stressed an alliance with Washington amid the war in the Middle East, officials said.

During the meeting, Lee pledged that South Korea would make its utmost efforts for the U.S. to revitalize its manufacturing industry, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a stable alliance between the two nations.

"As is the case for many other countries in the world, we are also facing various challenges due to the ongoing war in the Middle East," he told the U.S. lawmakers, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee said relations between South Korea and the U.S. "have developed in a much more broader and deeper way than before following the two summit meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump last year."

"We expect the U.S. government and Trump to play a key role in ensuring peace and stability in North East Asia," Lee told the U.S. lawmakers, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

At the meeting were six U.S. lawmakers, comprising Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Patrick Harrigan (R-NC).

The talks marked Lee's third meeting with U.S. lawmakers since taking office.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved