[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 108 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2936-S2937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 615--RECOGNIZING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK 
  OF THE KOREAN WAR AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE UNITED STATES-SOUTH 
     KOREA ALLIANCE INTO A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP

  Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. Markey) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 615

       Whereas June 25, 2020, marks the 70th anniversary of the 
     outbreak of the Korean War, when the armed forces of the 
     Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) attacked 
     the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on June 25, 1950;
       Whereas the United Nations Security Council adopted 
     Resolution 83 on June 27, 1950, recommending ``Members of the 
     United

[[Page S2937]]

     Nations furnish assistance to the Republic of Korea'' and 
     Resolution 84 on July 7, 1950, recommending Members make 
     military forces and other assistance available ``to a unified 
     command under the United States of America'';
       Whereas, on July 27, 1953, an Armistice Agreement was 
     signed by United States Army Lieutenant General William 
     Harrison, Jr. representing the United Nations Command with 
     the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteer 
     Army to ``insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of 
     all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful 
     settlement is achieved'';
       Whereas the Armistice Agreement remains in force today and 
     by its terms has neither formally ended the Korean War nor 
     constituted a permanent settlement of peace on the Korean 
     Peninsula;
       Whereas, on October 1, 1953, a Mutual Defense Treaty 
     between the United States and South Korea was signed in 
     Washington, D.C. (5 UST 2368), with ratification advised by 
     and consented to by the Senate on January 26, 1954, and the 
     treaty remains in force today ``to strengthen their efforts 
     for collective defense for the preservation of peace and 
     security'';
       Whereas, during the Korean War, 1,789,000 United States 
     soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines served in theater, 
     36,574 paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in 
     defense of freedom in South Korea, and more than 7,500 
     members of the United States Armed Forces remain classified 
     by the Department of Defense as Missing in Action;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2016, H.R.1475, entitled the 
     ``Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act'' was 
     introduced in the 114th Congress by Representative Sam 
     Johnson of Texas and became Public Law 114-230;
       Whereas, according to House Report 114-433, the Korean War 
     Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act (Public Law 114-
     230) authorizes a Wall of Remembrance to be added to the 
     Korean War Veterans Memorial with the names of those that 
     died in theater, are listed as missing, or were prisoners of 
     war, and would also list the number of personnel that were 
     part of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army 
     (KATUSA) program;
       Whereas the Korean War is no longer ``The Forgotten War'' 
     but ``The Forgotten Victory'' and June 25, 1950, is 
     considered the symbolic start of the ironclad United States-
     South Korea alliance that was forged in blood;
       Whereas, in the 70 years since the outbreak of the Korean 
     War, the United States-South Korea alliance has transformed 
     itself from a security relationship into a comprehensive 
     global partnership;
       Whereas South Korea is considered one of the greatest post-
     World War II success stories, and its continued partnership 
     with the United States remains the linchpin of United States 
     foreign policy in Northeast Asia;
       Whereas the United States and South Korea have stood 
     shoulder to shoulder in all four major conflicts the United 
     States has faced since the Korean War, while maintaining 
     peace on the Korean Peninsula and contributing to global 
     prosperity through the shared values of democracy, human 
     rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy;
       Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States 
     to maintain its forward deployed presence in South Korea 
     through United States Forces Korea (USFK), a premier Joint 
     force that is ``well led, disciplined, trained and ready to 
     Fight Tonight and win'';
       Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public 
     Law 115-409) calls for the strengthening and broadening of 
     diplomatic, economic, and security ties between the United 
     States and South Korea;
       Whereas the 70-year transformation of the United States-
     South Korea alliance into a mutually beneficial partnership 
     has recently led to important coordination and cooperation in 
     confronting global pandemics, including H1N1 in 2009 and 
     COVID-19 in 2020;
       Whereas the Government of South Korea has made significant 
     contributions to the global community in combating COVID-19, 
     including the manufacture and export of Reverse Transcription 
     Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test kits to the United 
     States Government and various State governments, including 
     Colorado;
       Whereas, on May 8, 2020, the Government of South Korea 
     donated 500,000 masks to be distributed to Korean War 
     veterans throughout the United States, including the Navajo 
     Nation, in a gesture of gratitude and in commemoration of the 
     seventieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War; and
       Whereas, on May 10, 2020, the Government of South Korea 
     donated 2,000,000 masks to the United States to help fill 
     shortages in hospitals most impacted by COVID-19: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that the United States-South Korea alliance 
     serves as the linchpin of regional stability and mutual 
     security in Northeast Asia;
       (2) reiterates that the United States and South Korea share 
     an enduring interest in the continued strength of the 
     bilateral alliance, including deepening the military, 
     diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between the United 
     States and South Korea, as well as broadening alliance 
     cooperation to confront 21st century challenges, such as 
     global health, the environment, and energy security;
       (3) emphasizes that the United States-South Korea alliance 
     espouses shared democratic values and remains committed to 
     human rights, the rule of law, and free market principles and 
     therefore plays an expanding role in stability and security 
     far beyond the Korean Peninsula;
       (4) reaffirms that the Governments of the United States and 
     South Korea must pursue a coordinated policy of diplomatic 
     engagement, economic pressure, and military deterrence to 
     achieve peace and the denuclearization of North Korea;
       (5) emphasizes that United States Forces Korea (USFK) 
     remains prepared in presence and disposition to counter any 
     attempted third-party aggression or coercion, and relies on 
     the vital contributions of the dedicated Korean national 
     employees of USFK; and
       (6) reaffirms that the United States-South Korea alliance 
     is a critical force to uphold the post-World War II liberal 
     global order built by our two nations.

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