[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 279 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 279
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the 125th anniversary of
the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between the
Kingdom of Chosun (Korea) and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 24, 2007
Mr. Lugar (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Webb, and Mr.
Isakson) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the 125th anniversary of
the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between the
Kingdom of Chosun (Korea) and the United States.
Whereas both the Republic of Korea and the United States are fully democratic
states with a common commitment to human rights and the rule of law;
Whereas 2007 marks the 125th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce
and Navigation between the Kingdom of Chosun (Korea) and the United
States, concluded May 22, 1882, which was a seminal moment in relations
between the United States and Korea;
Whereas the treaty contemplates ``everlasting amity and friendship between the
two peoples'', a tradition that both state signatories have worked to
achieve during the past 125 years;
Whereas 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty of
Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, with Protocol, signed at Seoul
November 28, 1956 (8 UST 2217), between the United States and the
Republic of Korea;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea share a mutual interest in
the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula;
Whereas nearly 40,000 citizens of the United States gave their lives during the
Korean War with the hope that the Republic of Korea would remain free
and independent;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty, signed at Washington October 1, 1953 (5 UST
2368), between the United States and the Republic of Korea, has led to
more than 50 years of effective deterrence against attack by the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea;
Whereas 29,000 troops from the United States remain stationed in the Republic of
Korea as a tangible sign of the commitment of the United States to the
security of the Republic of Korea;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is the fourth largest contributor of troops to the
peacekeeping effort in Iraq and continues its tradition of supporting
the United States in key armed struggles;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is making a significant military and financial
contribution to building lasting stability in Afghanistan;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea continuously work to
modernize their security relationship through annual Security
Consultative Meetings between their defense ministers, the Strategic
Consultation for Allied Partnership Dialogue, and various lower-level
forums;
Whereas the economic partnership between the United States and the Republic of
Korea has contributed to significant economic growth for both countries;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is the seventh largest trading partner of the
United States, and the United States is the third largest trading
partner of the Republic of Korea;
Whereas the Free Trade Agreement between the United States of America and the
Republic of Korea, done at Washington June 30, 2007, is the first free
trade agreement between the United States and a Northeast Asian nation,
paving the way for greater economic efficiency and consumer benefits in
both countries;
Whereas nearly 2,000,000 Korean-Americans contribute to the fabric of life in
the United States and link the United States to Korea on a personal
basis;
Whereas the Republic of Korea sends more international students to the United
States than any other country; and
Whereas the strong relationship between the United States and the Republic of
Korea across many fronts has proven beneficial for both countries: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the strength and endurance of the alliance between the
United States and the Republic of Korea should be acknowledged
and celebrated;
(2) the Free Trade Agreement between the United States of
America and the Republic of Korea, done at Washington June 30,
2007, highlights the vibrancy and diversity of the common
interests of the United States and the Republic of Korea and
should be fully implemented by both countries;
(3) the United States should sustain substantive dialogue
with both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, with the expectation of the eventual
unification of the Korean peninsula, as it was at the signing
of the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between
the Kingdom of Chosun (Korea) and the United States, concluded
May 22, 1882;
(4) working with the Republic of Korea to foster greater
regional cooperation in East Asia should be a priority of the
United States, as such cooperation brings long and short term
benefits to all those involved; and
(5) the United States and the Republic of Korea should
strive to develop further a more global perspective in their
partnership, with the goal of addressing international
priorities such as the fight against terrorism, the promotion
of human rights, the enhancement of democracy, and support for
peacekeeping.
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