[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 107 (Thursday, June 22, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3735-S3736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 200--WELCOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA 
 ON HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AND CELEBRATING THE UNITED 
     STATES-REPUBLIC OF KOREA RELATIONSHIP, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Reed, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Mr. Kaine, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Coons, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Isakson, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Risch, and Mr. Perdue) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 200

       Whereas the Government and people of the United States and 
     of the Republic of Korea share a comprehensive alliance, a 
     dynamic partnership, and a personal friendship rooted in the 
     common values of freedom, democracy, and a free market 
     economy;
       Whereas the alliance between the United States and the 
     Republic of Korea is a linchpin of regional stability in 
     Asia, including against the threats posed by the regime in 
     Pyongyang;
       Whereas cooperation between our nations spans across the 
     economic, energy, diplomatic, security, and cultural spheres;
       Whereas the relationship between the people of the United 
     States and of the Republic of Korea stretches back to Korea's 
     Chosun Dynasty, when the United States and Korea established 
     diplomatic relations under the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, 
     Commerce, and Navigation;
       Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea alliance was 
     forged in blood, with military casualties of the United 
     States during the Korean War of approximately 36,574 deaths 
     and more than 103,284 wounded, and casualties of the Republic 
     of Korea of more than 217,000 soldiers killed, more than 
     291,000 wounded, and over 1,000,000 civilians killed or 
     missing;
       Whereas the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act (Public Law 
     111-41) was enacted on July 27, 2009, and President Barack 
     Obama issued a proclamation to designate the date as the 
     National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day and called upon 
     the people of the United States to display flags at half-
     staff in memory of the Korean War veterans;
       Whereas the Republic of Korea and the United States have 
     also stood alongside each other in the 4 major wars the 
     United States has fought outside Korea since World War II--in 
     Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
       Whereas, since the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty Between the 
     United States and the Republic of Korea, done at Washington 
     October 1, 1953, and ratified by the Senate on January 26, 
     1954, United States military personnel have maintained a 
     continuous presence on the Korean Peninsula, and currently 
     there are approximately 28,500 United States troops assigned 
     in the Republic of Korea;
       Whereas, in January 2014, the United States and the 
     Republic of Korea agreed upon a new 5-year Special Measures 
     Agreement (referred to in this preamble as ``SMA''), 
     establishing the framework for Republic of Korea 
     contributions to offset the costs associated with the 
     stationing of United States Forces Korea (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``USFK'') on the Korean Peninsula;
       Whereas the Democratic People's Republic of Korea continues 
     its dangerous incitements, including political 
     assassinations, conventional military provocations, ballistic 
     missile tests and the advancement of its nuclear programs;
       Whereas the United States continues to deploy advanced 
     military capabilities to the land, air and waters of South 
     Korea, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense 
     system (referred to in this preamble as ``THAAD'') to defend 
     against the growing threat from the ballistic missile and 
     nuclear weapons programs of the Democratic People's Republic 
     of Korea, and will continue to closely coordinate with the 
     Government of the Republic of Korea when evaluating the full 
     range of necessary defensive military policies;
       Whereas the new Government of the Republic of Korea has 
     announced that it has no intention to reverse commitments 
     made in the spirit of the United States-Republic of Korea 
     alliance, while it plans to implement the domestic procedures 
     to uphold democratic, legal, and procedural legitimacy and 
     transparency;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China has engaged in an 
     unprecedented campaign of economic pressure on the Republic 
     of Korea in retaliation for the decision by the United 
     States-Republic of Korea alliance to deploy THAAD, with the 
     goal of undermining the United States-Republic of Korea 
     alliance and causing significant damage to the South Korean 
     economy and South Korean people;
       Whereas the Government and people of the United States and 
     of the Republic of Korea share a deep commitment to 
     addressing the continued suffering of the people of the 
     Democratic People's Republic of Korea due to the appalling 
     human rights abuses and repression of the regime in 
     Pyongyang;
       Whereas, on March 15, 2012, the United States-Republic of 
     Korea Free Trade Agreement entered into force, which both 
     countries have committed to fully implement;
       Whereas the Republic of Korea is the United States sixth-
     largest trade partner, with United States goods and exports 
     to Korea reaching a level of $63,800,000,000 in 2016;
       Whereas United States foreign direct investment (referred 
     to in this preamble as ``FDI'') in Korea (in stock) was 
     $34,600,000,000 in 2015, a 3.3 percent increase from 2014 and 
     Korea's FDI in the United States (in stock) was 
     $40,100,000,000 in 2015, up 0.5 percent from 2014;
       Whereas, the Republic of Korea spends 2.6 percent of its 
     gross domestic product (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``GDP'') on defense and carries a significant portion of 
     United States operating costs for forces in South Korea;
       Whereas President Moon Jae-in has expressed his desire to 
     increase this spending to 3 percent of GDP during his tenure;
       Whereas the United States, the Republic of Korea, and the 
     Government of Japan have made great strides in promoting 
     trilateral cooperation and defense partnership, including 
     ministerial meetings, information sharing, and cooperation on 
     ballistic missile defense exercises to counter North Korean 
     provocations;
       Whereas, on May 7, 2013, the United States and the Republic 
     of Korea signed a Joint Declaration in Commemoration of the 
     60th Anniversary of the Alliance Between the Republic of 
     Korea and the United States;
       Whereas President Moon Jae-in stated during his inaugural 
     address on May 10, 2017: ``I will do everything in my power 
     to bring peace to the peninsula'';
       Whereas there are deep cultural and personal ties between 
     the people of the United States and of the Republic of Korea, 
     as exemplified by the large flow of visitors and exchanges 
     each year between the 2 countries, including Korean students 
     studying in United States colleges and universities;
       Whereas Korean-Americans have made invaluable contributions 
     to the security, prosperity, and diversity of our Nation;
       Whereas, from June 28, 2017, through July 1, 2017, 
     President Moon Jae-in will visit Washington for his first 
     official visit to the United States since his election as 
     President; and
       Whereas the United States Government looks forward to 
     continuing to deepen our enduring partnership with the 
     Republic of Korea on economic, security, and cultural issues, 
     as well as embracing new opportunities for new partnership 
     and cooperation on emerging regional and global challenges: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) welcomes His Excellency Moon Jae-in, the President of 
     the Republic of Korea, on his first official visit to the 
     United States;
       (2) reaffirms the importance of--
       (A) the alliance between the United States and the Republic 
     of Korea, as enshrined in the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1953, 
     which is vital to peace and security in Northeast Asia, and 
     the entire Asia-Pacific region; and
       (B) the commitment of the United States to defend the 
     Republic of Korea under Article III of the Mutual Defense 
     Treaty;
       (3) reinforces longstanding United States commitments to 
     provide extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum 
     of United States defense capabilities, to the Republic of 
     Korea;
       (4) welcomes opportunities to strengthen security 
     consultation, cooperation, and partnership between the United 
     States and the Republic of Korea on matters such as space, 
     cyber, and missile defense;
       (5) supports ongoing efforts--
       (A) to strengthen the United States-Republic of Korea 
     alliance;
       (B) to protect the approximately 28,500 members of the 
     United States Armed Forces stationed on the Korean Peninsula; 
     and
       (C) to defend the alliance against any and all provocations 
     committed by the regime of the Democratic People's Republic 
     of Korea;
       (6) urges the United States and the Republic of Korea to 
     work together with members of the United Nations Security 
     Council and other Member States to fully and effectively 
     enforce existing sanctions and consider the need to take 
     immediate action to pass additional and meaningful new 
     measures under Article 41 of the United Nations Charter;
       (7) supports efforts by the United States and the Republic 
     of Korea to peacefully achieve a Korean Peninsula free of 
     nuclear weapons through a diplomatic process;
       (8) urges the United States and the Republic of Korea to 
     work together to fully and fairly implement all aspects of 
     the United States-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement; and
       (9) encourages the United States Government and the 
     Government of the Republic of Korea to continue to broaden 
     and deepen the alliance by enhancing cooperation and building 
     new partnerships in the security, economic, energy, 
     scientific, health, education, and cultural spheres.

[[Page S3736]]

  

                          ____________________