H. Res. 1149 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

December 11, 2018. 

Whereas the United States Armed Forces and South Korean 

troops fought together to defend the Korean peninsula 

from Communist aggression before the Korean Armistice 

Agreement was signed in 1953, and the United States of 

America and the Republic of Korea have continued this 

camaraderie since signing the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea that 

same year; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea is a model for alliance burden-sharing, currently hosting 28,500 American activeduty military personnel, funding fifty percent of the total 

non-personnel costs of the U.S. troop presence on the Korean peninsula, fielding the world’s seventh-largest military, and spending over 2.5 percent of its gross domestic 

product on defense; 

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 United States forces on the Korean Peninsula are 

critical not only to the security of the Republic of Korea 
2 

•HRES 1149 EH 

but also to protect against adversaries that threaten regional stability and the United States homeland; 

Whereas the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command is the 

most integrated and effective combined military command 

in the world and, taken together with the United Nations 

Command, has formed a structure that has provided effective defense and deterrence on the Korean Peninsula 

for decades; 

Whereas North Korea has the world’s fourth-largest military, 

in addition to potentially as many as 60 nuclear weapons 

and between 2,500 and 5,000 metric tons of chemical 

weapons; 

Whereas the United States supports the Republic of Korea’s 

efforts at peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula and recognizes the critical importance of close policy 

coordination between Washington and Seoul; 

Whereas in February 2017, a United Nations investigatory 

body confirmed that North Korea attempted to sell key 

materials for constructing miniaturized nuclear warheads, 

and found that ballistic missile cooperation between Iran 

and North Korea was ‘‘significant and meaningful’’; 

Whereas the United States and South Korea share a commitment to democracy, human rights, and free market principles, as laid out in the 2009 U.S.-ROK Joint Vision 

Statement as the foundation for a 21st century ‘‘strategic 

alliance’’ based on shared values; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea actively contributes to peacekeeping, cybersecurity, non-proliferation, overseas development assistance, climate change mitigation, counterterrorism, and post-conflict stabilization; 
3 

•HRES 1149 EH 

Whereas the Republic of Korea suffered economic retaliation 

from China for installing the United States Theater High 

Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense 

system, a measure necessitated by North Korea’s nuclear 

and ballistic missile belligerence; 

Whereas Korea is the world’s eleventh-largest economy and 

the sixth-largest goods trading partner of the United 

States, and creates bilateral trade and investment which 

supports 400,000 American jobs; 

Whereas the United States is the largest foreign direct investor in the Republic of Korea, and Korean investment in 

the United States is increasing; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea evolved from authoritarian 

governance to a vibrant, model democracy that embraces 

human rights and the rule of law in a region increasingly 

challenged by authoritarianism, which stands in stark 

contrast to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 

which commits human rights violations ‘‘that do not have 

any parallel in the contemporary world’’ according to a 

2014 United Nations report; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea has become a key stakeholder 

and an active and constructive participant in various 

international organizations, including the United Nations, 

G–20, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, 

International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World 

Trade Organization; 

Whereas Korean American Day commemorates the first arrival of Koreans to the United States in 1903 and honors 

the great contributions of Korean Americans across all 
4 

•HRES 1149 EH 

aspects of society, which will only continue to grow as 

this population now numbers nearly two million citizens 

and as Korean students constitute the third-largest 

source of foreign students in the United States; and 

Whereas the Korean-American community remains one of the 

most important bridges between the Republic of Korea 

and the United States and has helped foster deeper ties 

between the two nations: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) recognizes that the United States-Republic of 

Korea alliance serves as a linchpin of regional stability 

and bilateral security, and exemplifies the broad and 

deep military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties 

shared between the United States and the Republic of 

Korea; 

(2) reiterates that the Republic of Korea and the 

United States share an interest in the continued 

strength of the bilateral alliance, and in further deepening the bilateral relationship; 

(3) emphasizes that the United States-Republic of 

Korea alliance remains not only a bulwark for peace and 

stability in Northeast Asia, but also an exemplar of 

democratic values, free market principles, commitment 

to universal human rights, and the rule of law throughout the Indo-Pacific and globally; 

(4) reaffirms the need for the United States and 

the Republic of Korea to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in 
5 

•HRES 1149 EH 

continuing to apply the economic and financial pressure 

necessary to help peacefully end the Democratic People’s 

Republic of Korea’s dangerous nuclear and missile programs; and 

(5) emphasizes that, regardless of the outcome of 

attempted negotiations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the United States-Republic of Korea alliance will continue to deter, defend against, and defeat 

any outside aggressors, uphold the peace, and guard the 

prosperity built by our two nations. 

Attest: 

Clerk.