[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 545

 Recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among the United 
                    States, Japan, and South Korea.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 8 (legislative day, February 7), 2024

 Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Merkley, 
 Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Young, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among the United 
                    States, Japan, and South Korea.

Whereas, in 2023, South Korea and Japan restarted bilateral summitry for the 
        first time since 2019 with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister 
        Kishida Fumio meeting seven times;
Whereas the two sides have made efforts to address longstanding historical 
        grievances, including the issue of South Koreans forced to work for 
        Japanese companies during World War II;
Whereas the Governments of Japan and South Korea restored normal economic ties, 
        which had been strained since 2019, by reinstating each other on their 
        respective ``white lists'' of preferential trade partners, with Japan 
        lifting export controls on South Korea related to three materials needed 
        to produce semiconductors and South Korea dropping its case before the 
        World Trade Organization related to those export controls;
Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea have restarted trilateral 
        summitry, holding five trilateral meetings among President Biden, Prime 
        Minister Kishida, and President Yoon since June 2022;
Whereas, on August 18, 2023, the United States, Japan, and South Korea held the 
        first standalone trilateral leaders summit at Camp David;
Whereas the three allies issued a trilateral commitment to consult with one 
        another trilaterally ``in an expeditious manner to coordinate our 
        responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting 
        our collective interests and security'';
Whereas the three allies improved deterrence and defense capabilities against 
        the growing security threat posed by North Korea by resuming military 
        exercises in 2022;
Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea expanded and developed a 
        multi-year schedule for trilateral military exercises and conducted the 
        first United States-Japan-South Korea aerial exercise in October 2023;
Whereas the three allies have activated a 2022 agreement to exchange real-time 
        missile warning data focused on North Korean missile launches;
Whereas, in December 2022, South Korea and Japan published national security 
        documents that closely mirrored those of the United States, setting the 
        stage for greater policy alignment and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific;
Whereas the three allies announced plans for expanded and more regular summits, 
        including agreeing to hold annual trilateral summit meetings, agreeing 
        to hold annual trilateral meetings among cabinet-level officials, 
        specifically the three countries' foreign ministers, defense ministers, 
        commerce and industry ministers, and national security advisors, and 
        agreeing to hold the first trilateral meeting among finance ministers;
Whereas the three allies announced a trilateral initiative to synchronize their 
        efforts to build the maritime capabilities of Southeast Asian and 
        Pacific Island countries;
Whereas South Korea and Japan have resumed cabinet- and subcabinet-level 
        bilateral consultations, including holding a Security Dialogue and a 
        Strategic Dialogue;
Whereas the Governments of Japan and South Korea announced a new bilateral 
        science and technology cooperative arrangement, including a hydrogen and 
        ammonia global value chain initiative, which includes raising funds for 
        joint projects, and a quantum technology research and development 
        initiative between the two countries' government-affiliated research 
        institutes;
Whereas South Korea and Japan cooperated to evacuate Japanese and South Korean 
        nationals from Sudan after the eruption of civil conflict in April 2023 
        and from Israel after Hamas' attack in October 2023;
Whereas South Korea arranged for the experts dispatched to the Fukushima Daiichi 
        Nuclear Power Station to monitor TEPCO's release of treated water into 
        the Pacific Ocean;
Whereas, in December 2023, the United States, Japan, and South Korea held the 
        inaugural meeting of the trilateral Working Group on DPRK Cyber 
        Activities;
Whereas the three allies have held trilateral dialogues on space security 
        (November 2023) and Indo-Pacific policies (January 2024); and
Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea announced trilateral economic 
        and technology cooperation initiatives, including a supply chain early 
        warning system pilot program, a partnership program among the three 
        countries' national laboratories: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the extraordinary leadership of President of 
        South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister of Japan Kishida 
        Fumio in taking initiative to repair relations between their 
        two countries;
            (2) acknowledges that strengthening relations between Japan 
        and South Korea has enabled greater ambition in trilateral 
        cooperation involving the United States;
            (3) encourages ever greater cooperation between South Korea 
        and Japan and trilateral cooperation across diplomatic, 
        economic, security, and informational domains;
            (4) welcomes ever greater levels of trilateral strategic 
        coordination among the United States, Japan, and South Korea as 
        a stabilizing influence on the Western Pacific region and 
        global order more broadly;
            (5) celebrates the shared democratic, liberal values that 
        are the bedrock of the enduring ties among the United States, 
        Japan, and South Korea; and
            (6) recognizes the critical importance to the interests of 
        the United States and the peace and security of the Western 
        Pacific of United States treaty alliances with South Korea and 
        Japan.
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