[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[May 22, 2000]
[Pages 1002-1003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress Transmitting the South Korea-United States
Social Security Agreement With Documentation
May 22, 2000

To the Congress of the United States:
    Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, as amended 
by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (Public Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C. 
433(e)(1)) (the ``Act''), I transmit herewith the Agreement Between the 
United States of America and the Republic of Korea on Social Security, 
which consists of two separate instruments: a principal agreement and an 
administrative arrangement. The Agreement was signed at Washington on 
March 13, 2000.
    The United States-Korean Agreement is similar in objective to the 
social security agreements already in force with Austria, Belgium, 
Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, 
the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the 
United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements provide for limited 
coordination between the

[[Page 1003]]

United States and foreign social security systems to eliminate dual 
social security coverage and taxation and to help prevent the loss of 
benefit protection that can occur when workers divide their careers 
between two countries. The United States-Korean Agreement contains all 
provisions mandated by section 233 and other provisions that I deem 
appropriate to carry out the purposes of section 233, pursuant to 
section 233(c)(4) of the Act.
    I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report 
prepared by the Social Security Administration explaining the key points 
of the Agreement, along with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the 
provisions of the principal agreement and the related administrative 
arrangement. Annexed to this report is the report required by section 
233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of the 
Agreement on income and expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program 
and the number of individuals affected by the Agreement. The Department 
of State and the Social Security Administration have recommended the 
Agreement and related documents to me.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,

May 22, 2000.