Dozens of U.S. congressmen sent a joint letter to South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday, expressing sympathy over the massive outbreak of MERS and understanding of her decision to postpone a visit to Washington.

"We wish to convey our deepest sympathies to all those who have been affected by the outbreak of MERS-related illnesses in the Republic of Korea," the 38 congressmen said in the letter to Park, including Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"We recognize that this is a time of national urgency in Korea and fully understand that the difficult decision to postpone your visit to Washington was made due to the unavoidable situation surrounding the MERS outbreak," they said in the letter.

Calling Korea a "strong and resilient nation," the lawmakers said they believe the country will overcome the spread of MERS, and that they look forward to welcoming Park to Congress later this year.

The other congressmen included Peter Roskam (R-IL), Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Charles Rangel.

Park had planned to visit Washington this week for summit talks with U.S. President Barack Obama. But she postponed the trip at the last minute to focus on overseeing the government's handling of the massive outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

After the decision, the White House said Obama looks forward to welcoming Park at a mutually convenient time. Obama also called Park and expressed his understanding, and the two leaders agreed to reschedule the visit for the earliest possible date. (Yonhap)