I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7234 

To strengthen the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and 

the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2020 

Mr. BERA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To strengthen the Mutual Defense Treaty between the 

United States and the Republic of Korea, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘We Go Together Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that— 

7 (1) with respect to the alliance between the 

8 United States and the Republic of Korea— 

9 (A) ‘‘we go together’’ or ‘‘katchi kapshida’’ 

10 is an enduring motto inspired by the shared 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 7234 IH

1 sacrifice of the United States and the Republic 

2 of Korea during the Korean War, reinforced by 

3 our shared values and reaffirmed each time the 

4 Republic of Korea has stood alongside the 

5 United States in the four major wars the 

6 United States has fought outside Korea since 

7 1945; 

8 (B) a transactional view of the alliance be9 tween the United States and the Republic of 

10 Korea is contrary to the spirit of ‘‘we go to11 gether’’; 

12 (C) 70 years since the start of the Korean 

13 War, as the People’s Republic of China esca14 lates its aggressive behavior in maritime and air 

15 domains and the Democratic People’s Republic 

16 of Korea continues to enhance and test weapons 

17 that threaten regional peace and security, a new 

18 strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region 

19 has reinforced the importance of the alliance 

20 between the United States and the Republic of 

21 Korea; 

22 (D) the 2018 National Defense Strategy 

23 states that ‘‘the willingness of rivals to abandon 

24 aggression will depend on their perception of 

25 . . . the vitality of our alliances and partnerVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:30 Jul 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7234.IH H7234

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 7234 IH

1 ships’’, and thus United States Government ac2 tions and public statements that undermine the 

3 United States relationship with the Republic of 

4 Korea harm United States national security 

5 and exacerbate risks to members of the Armed 

6 Forces and United States allies and partners; 

7 and 

8 (E) United States alliances and troop de9 ployments should be based on shared principles 

10 and goals, not on the profit motive; and 

11 (2) with respect to nationals of the Republic of 

12 Korea who are employees of United States Forces 

13 Korea— 

14 (A) the United States Government should 

15 endeavor to avoid actions that negatively affect 

16 the welfare or well-being of such individuals; 

17 (B) as stated by the Commander of United 

18 States Forces Korea on March 31, 2020, the 

19 partial furlough of such individuals was ‘‘heart20 breaking’’ and ‘‘in no way a reflection of their 

21 performance, dedication, or conduct’’; and 

22 (C) the United States Government should 

23 work with the Government of the Republic of 

24 Korea to ensure that such individuals do not 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 7234 IH

1 bear the burden of breakdowns in negotiations 

2 regarding defense cost-sharing. 

3 SEC. 3. STRENGTHENING THE MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President may not take any 

5 action to change United States policy with respect to the 

6 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and 

7 Republic of Korea signed on October 1, 1953, unless, not 

8 later than 120 days before the President takes such an 

9 action, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

10 State submit to the appropriate committees of Congress— 

11 (1) a detailed justification for such a change; 

12 and 

13 (2) a certification that— 

14 (A) such a change is in the national inter15 est of the United States; and 

16 (B) an alternative diplomatic agreement or 

17 measure has been devised to replace any lost 

18 capacity or benefits resulting from such a 

19 change, including— 

20 (i) the benefits to United States na21 tional security and regional security de22 rived from the presence of the United 

23 States Armed Forces in the Republic of 

24 Korea; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 7234 IH

1 (ii) the nuclear nonproliferation bene2 fits derived from extended deterrence en3 hanced by the stationing of members of the 

4 United States Armed Forces in the Repub5 lic of Korea; 

6 (iii) the contributions of the Republic 

7 of Korea in— 

8 (I) countering illegitimate coer9 cion and debt diplomacy; 

10 (II) promoting human rights; 

11 (III) promoting freedom of navi12 gation and maritime security; 

13 (IV) protecting the environment; 

14 (V) improving global health; and 

15 (VI) assisting the victims of con16 flict and disaster; 

17 (iv) the cooperation of the Republic of 

18 Korea with respect to United States efforts 

19 to enforce existing United Nations Security 

20 Council sanctions with respect to the 

21 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; 

22 (v) the diplomatic support of the Re23 public of Korea for negotiations to imple24 ment the commitments of the Democratic 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 7234 IH

1 People’s Republic of Korea at the 2018 

2 Singapore Summit; and 

3 (vi) the value of United States trade 

4 with the Republic of Korea. 

5 (b) FORM.—The justification and certification re6 quired by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified 

7 form, but may include a classified annex. 

8 (c) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE9 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit10 tees of Congress’’ means— 

11 (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the 

12 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 

13 (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the 

14 Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep15 resentatives. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS