A report on South Korea-US relations published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), one of the four major legislative support agencies of the Federal Congress, on the 12th has been criticized for being written from a left-leaning perspective.

The report introduces that "In June 2025, the citizens of the Republic of Korea elected Lee Jae-myung as president" and that "Lee Jae-myung's left-center Democratic Party controls the National Assembly."

This presents a stark contrast to the analysis by conservative figures in the US, who describe the current South Korean government and ruling party as pro-China and pro-North Korea leftists, and who point to the June 3rd snap election as a result of electoral fraud.

The report states, "Despite the positive atmosphere of the first Trump-Lee summit, challenges may remain in US-South Korea relations." It further adds, "As reports emerge of the Trump administration considering redeploying some US Forces Korea troops to focus on China, President Lee Jae-myung's desire, expressed during his campaign, to 'not unnecessarily provoke China' could become complicated."

This passage even gives the impression that a favorable view of Lee Jae-myung takes precedence over US national interests. The bilateral meeting between Trump and Lee Jae-myung, in particular, was controversial from the start as Lee Jae-myung was seen leaving alone without Trump's escort, and it was a failed meeting with no announcements or agreements made.

Additionally, the report analyzes that the incident in September where over 300 Korean workers were arrested and detained by US immigration authorities at the construction site of a joint battery plant between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia is negatively impacting US-South Korea relations.

"This has also raised questions about whether US immigration policy may conflict with America's goal of expanding manufacturing jobs through foreign investment," it added.

This explanation omits the original point that Korean companies had hindered the creation of American jobs through illegal employment, and it is even dangerous in that it leads to a distorted perception as if Trump's policies have failed.

The report then presents House Bill HR 4687, sponsored by Representative Young Kim (Republican, California), which "could provide high-skilled visas for Korean nationals."

This bill, reintroduced in the 119th Congress, aims to issue up to 15,000 Korean professional employment visas (E-4) annually.

It is known that this bill was initially proposed reflecting the positions of Korean companies, which were conveyed to Representative Kim by former President Yoon Suk-yeol during his visit to South Korea. It was previously introduced as HR 2827 in the 118th Congress in 2023 and received support from 42 House members.

The report also mentions the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) and points out that "some recent US tariff measures, which are currently pending litigation in federal courts, could be a violation of US obligations under the KORUS FTA."

This analysis is also difficult to avoid being seen as a negative narrative about Trump's tariff policies, which has been repeatedly echoed by left-leaning media outlets in the US.

One of the three authors of this report is Liana Wong, who appears to be a woman of Chinese descent.

The problem is that such reports are used as reference materials for policy-making by congressional members.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has confessed in an opinion piece for The Washington Times that he had been told that South Korea was being taken over by pro-China, pro-North Korea leftists, and he had believed those statements, but now his views have changed.

Given that inaccurate information is being disseminated to the Washington political arena through the Federal Congress, questions arise as to whether legislative policies towards South Korea can maintain the right direction.

By Hong Sung-goo, Editor-in-Chief, NNP US / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com