[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4707-H4709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK OF THE KOREAN WAR

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (S.J. Res. 32) recognizing the 60th anniversary of the 
outbreak of the Korean War and reaffirming the United States-Korea 
alliance.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 32

       Whereas on June 25, 1950, communist North Korea invaded the 
     Republic of Korea with approximately 135,000 troops, thereby 
     initiating the Korean War;
       Whereas on June 27, 1950, President Harry Truman ordered 
     the United States Armed Forces to help the Republic of Korea 
     defend itself against the North Korean invasion;
       Whereas the hostilities ended in a cease-fire marked by the 
     signing of the armistice at Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, and 
     the peninsula still technically remains in a state of war;
       Whereas during the Korean War, approximately 1,789,000 
     members of the United States Armed Forces served in theater 
     along with the forces of the Republic of Korea and 20 other 
     members of the United Nations to defend freedom and 
     democracy;
       Whereas casualties of the United States during the Korean 
     War included 54,246 dead (of whom 33,739 were battle deaths), 
     more than 103,284 wounded, and approximately 8,055 listed as 
     missing in action or prisoners of war;
       Whereas the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act (Public Law 
     111-41) was enacted on July 27, 2009, so that the honorable 
     service and noble sacrifice by members of the United States 
     Armed Forces in the Korean War will never be forgotten;
       Whereas President Barack Obama issued a proclamation to 
     designate July 27, 2009, as the National Korean War Veterans 
     Armistice Day and called upon Americans to display flags at 
     half-staff in memory of the Korean War veterans;
       Whereas since 1975, the Republic of Korea has invited 
     thousands of American Korean War veterans, including members 
     of the Korean War Veterans Association, to revisit Korea in 
     appreciation for their sacrifices;
       Whereas in the 60 years since the outbreak of the Korean 
     War, the Republic of Korea has emerged from a war-torn 
     economy into one of the major economies in the world and one 
     of the largest trading partners of the United States;
       Whereas the Republic of Korea is among the closest allies 
     of the United States, having contributed troops in support of 
     United States operations during the Vietnam war, Gulf war, 
     and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also supporting 
     numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions throughout the 
     world;
       Whereas since the end of the Korean War era, more than 
     28,500 members of the United States Armed Forces have served 
     annually in the United States Forces Korea to defend the 
     Republic of Korea against external aggression, and to promote 
     regional peace;
       Whereas North Korea's sinking of the South Korean naval 
     ship, Cheonan, on March 26, 2010, which resulted in the 
     killing of 46 sailors, necessitates a reaffirmation of the 
     United States-Korea alliance in safeguarding the stability of 
     the Korean Peninsula;
       Whereas from the ashes of war and the sharing of spilled 
     blood on the battlefield, the United States and the Republic 
     of Korea have continuously stood shoulder-to-shoulder to 
     promote and defend international peace and security, economic 
     prosperity, human rights, and the rule of law both on the 
     Korean Peninsula and beyond; and
       Whereas beginning in June 2010, various ceremonies are 
     being planned in the United States and the Republic of Korea 
     to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the 
     Korean War and to honor all Korean War veterans, including 
     the Korean War Veterans Appreciation Ceremony in the hometown 
     of President Harry S. Truman, which will express the 
     commitment of the United States to remember and honor all 
     veterans of the Korean War: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) recognizes the historical importance of the 60th 
     anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, which began on 
     June 25, 1950;
       (2) honors the noble service and sacrifice of the United 
     States Armed Forces and the armed forces of allied countries 
     that served in Korea since 1950 to the present;
       (3) encourages all Americans to participate in 
     commemorative activities to pay solemn tribute to, and to 
     never forget, the veterans of the Korean War; and
       (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to its 
     alliance with the Republic of Korea for the betterment of 
     peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, last week the House passed H.J. Res. 86, a joint 
resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. That 
resolution was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) 
and three other distinguished veterans of the Korean War: the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Johnson), 
and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  We had hoped that the Senate would take up and pass the House version 
of the joint resolution and then send it over to the President for his 
signature before tomorrow's Korean War commemoration in Statuary Hall. 
However, the other body made a number of technical corrections to their 
version of the joint resolution subsequent to last week's House action, 
and, as a result, the only viable means for us to get the joint 
resolution to the President in a timely fashion was for the House to 
take up and pass the Senate Joint Resolution, which is the legislation 
before us today.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), who is the ranking member 
on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I thank my good friend from Florida for 
yielding.
  I would just like to say that South Korea has been one of our 
greatest allies ever since the Korean War. We

[[Page H4708]]

worked together during the war, along with the United Nations, to stop 
the expansion of communism throughout that area. And ultimately, there 
was a resolution of the problem, although it's still kind of tenuous, 
when they divided Korea along the 38th parallel.
  I have been over there and I have seen what's happened in Korea since 
the Korean War, and I have to tell you that there has never been a 
clearer case of freedom and democracy as opposed to a totalitarian 
Communist government than in Korea. In Korea, North Korea is 
foundering. It's under a dictator. The Communist system has created 
famine and a huge loss of life. The tyranny there is unbelievable. And 
yet you just go south of the 38th parallel and you see a blossoming 
country, one that has done extremely well over the past 60 years 
because of freedom and democracy.
  I think that South Korea is one of the best allies that the United 
States has. And the one thing I would like to add to this little 
discussion today is the need for us to expand our trade relations with 
South Korea with a free trade agreement. That's been languishing for a 
long time. And I would just like to say to my colleagues that's one of 
the things that can enhance our relationship with South Korea, and we 
need to get that thing passed as quickly as possible.
  With that, I would just like to say one more time, South Korea is one 
of our best allies in that entire region and a perfect example of where 
freedom and democracy really works well.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I thank my good friend from Indiana. I 
wholeheartedly agree with his remarks.
  Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of this important resolution which honors, 
as the inscription at the Korean War Memorial reads, our ``sons and 
daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and 
a people they never met.''
  On a predawn Sunday morning in June 1950, while the world slept and 
the church bells of Seoul had yet to ring, North Korea launched a 
sudden, unprovoked military strike on the Republic of Korea. President 
Harry Truman, when he received the news, immediately returned to 
Washington and summoned his Cabinet. Within 48 hours, the President had 
directed General Douglas MacArthur to undertake a vigorous defense of 
South Korea and her people. The rest is history, history of what has 
come to be known as The Forgotten War.
  The conflict in Korea became the first test of the mettle of the West 
in confronting Communist aggression in the Cold War. Over 50,000 of the 
boys and young men and women of the summer of 1950 who left for Korea 
did not return, including over 33,000 who fell in combat. In the 
sweltering heat of that summer, in the monsoon rains, on the windswept 
expanse of the Yalu River, and in the bloody withdrawal from the icy 
Chosin Reservoir the following winter, they gave, in some cases, their 
last full measure of devotion.
  Names like Heartbreak Ridge, Pork Chop Hill, Gloucester Valley, where 
British, Belgian, and Philippine troops joined with their American 
comrades in arms, echo down to us in the slowly fading memories of 
aging warriors.
  Were their great sacrifices worth the cost, worth the blood, sweat, 
and tears of the boys of summer of 1950? One only has to look at the 
faces of those living in freedom in South Korea. One only has to look 
at the gleaming towers of the bright skyline of Seoul in contrast to 
the darkness, the impoverishment, and the fear that lies north of the 
38th parallel to say thank God for those brave men and women who risked 
all to save so many from Communist oppression.

                              {time}  1320

  However, we were unable to help save them all. One need only reflect 
on the huddled refugees, crossing the vastness of China on the 
underground ``Seoul train.''
  One need only think of the young North Korean women, escaping the 
hopelessness of sexual bondage in China for freedom in South Korea, to 
know that those who answered Harry Truman's call truly made a 
difference.
  I was a proud sponsor of the reauthorization of the North Korean 
Human Rights Act during the last Congress to help address some of those 
issues.
  Today, dark clouds hang once again over the Korean peninsula. The 
vibrant economy and flourishing democracy of a South Korea which had 
risen from the ashes of war is again under the threat of the tyrannical 
and belligerent north.
  In March, in a clear violation of the armistice agreement, North 
Korea launched another sudden, unprovoked attack, torpedoing a South 
Korean naval vessel and murdering 46 young South Korean sailors. And 
Pyongyang's provocation is not limited to military strikes. In actions 
which are clearly those of a state sponsor of terrorism, North Korea 
sent a hit squad of agents to Seoul to assassinate a leading dissident 
and attempted to ship weapons via Bangkok to designated terrorist 
organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.
  Madam Speaker, now is the time for our President to show some of the 
mettle that defined our Nation 60 years ago and stand up to the North 
Koreans by redesignating their country as a state sponsor of terrorism. 
Our South Korean, Japanese, and Israeli allies are depending on us to 
help shield them from North Korean provocations and weapons of mass 
destruction.
  In the crisis on the Korean peninsula, Beijing has played a cynical 
game, calling for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula on one hand, 
and shielding its North Korean cronies on the other hand. Beijing even 
had the audacity to publicly warn South Korea not to let the aircraft 
carrier USS George Washington enter waters lying between the Korean 
peninsula and China for a proposed joint U.S.-South Korean naval 
exercise.
  Well, we have news for Beijing: If you don't want the USS George 
Washington in your backyard, then you had better rein in the bullies in 
Pyongyang.
  Another sterling legacy of the Forgotten War is the vibrant Korean 
American community. Immigrants from Korea over the past six decades 
have contributed immeasurably to the American mosaic, impacting 
positively this Nation's economic, educational, scientific, and 
cultural life. Economic and trade ties have also boomed between our two 
countries in the decades since the war, ties which could be greatly 
invigorated by prompt congressional action on the proposed free trade 
agreement with South Korea.
  Thus, it is perfectly clear that the world is a better place because 
of the heroism in Korea of the Boys of Summer 60 years ago this month. 
The 60th anniversary of the outbreak of war in Korea is an appropriate 
time to demonstrate that we continue to stand with our South Korean 
allies. The people of South Korea should be assured that we stood with 
you in the summer of 1950; we stood with you during the recent Cheonan 
crisis; and we shall stand with you until the day of peaceful 
reunification with your abused and besieged brethren in the north.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly and enthusiastically urge my colleagues to 
support this joint resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her 
strong support and giving us the background for which this resolution 
was introduced.
  I have the largest Korean, South Korean, community in the United 
States in my district, all of Koreatown; and they are struggling with 
the challenge ahead of them. We are there behind them to support them, 
and I want you to know in August I will be going to Korea. I invite my 
colleague to go with us if she can spare the time. What we do, we 
spread good will and let the South Koreans know how appreciative we are 
with them coming here to America. And particularly in Los Angeles, with 
their stimulating and vigorous entrepreneurship, they have added so 
much to the culture, and that added value makes us a little stronger. I 
hope that we can return the favor to add value to South Korea.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, as the senior Republican on the Asia 
Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I rise in support 
of recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and reaffirming 
the U.S.-Korea alliance. During this time of anxiety on the Korean 
peninsula, it is critical that Congress sends a bipartisan message of 
solidarity with our friends in South Korea.
  The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korean 
forces crossed

[[Page H4709]]

the infamous 38th Parallel in the attempt to force South Korea to 
submit to their regime. The U.S. and other allied nations successfully 
stopped and reversed the invasion by pro-communist forces but at a high 
cost--over 54,000 American deaths. It led to a divided peninsula that 
is still with us today.
  However, the 1953 Armistice agreement allowed a pocket of freedom to 
bloom. South Korea is now a fully-fledged democracy, with competitive, 
freely held elections. In addition, South Korea is now the world's 14th 
largest economy. Three years ago, I had the honor of hosting the South 
Korean Ambassador in northern Illinois. I was impressed with his quest 
to personally thank and honor as many Korean War veterans as possible 
for their service and sacrifice.
  Unfortunately, South Korea is once again threatened with war from the 
North if the United Nations reprimands North Korea for sinking a South 
Korean warship. This is outrageous. The U.N. should not be intimated by 
such bellicose rhetoric. That is why this resolution is so important to 
reaffirm our commitment to the alliance with the Republic of Korea for 
the betterment of peace and prosperity in the Korean peninsula. I urge 
my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 32.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the joint resolution, S.J. Res. 32.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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