III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 67 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the importance and vitality of the 

United States alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and 

our trilateral cooperation in the pursuit of shared interests. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2019 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. COONS) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

APRIL 4, 2019 

Reported by Mr. RISCH, without amendment and with an amendment to the 

preamble 

APRIL 10, 2019 

Considered and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the importance and 

vitality of the United States alliances with Japan and 

the Republic of Korea, and our trilateral cooperation 

in the pursuit of shared interests. 

Whereas the governments and the people of the United 

States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea share comprehensive and dynamic partnerships and personal 

friendships rooted in shared interests and the common 

values of freedom, democracy, and free market economies; 


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Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of 

Korea are all free societies committed to the principles of 

inclusive democracy, respect for human potential, and the 

belief that the peaceful spread of these principles will result in a safer and brighter future for all of mankind; 

Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of 

Korea are indispensable partners in tackling global challenges and have pledged significant support for efforts to 

counter violent extremism, combat the proliferation of 

weapons of mass destruction, prevent piracy, improve 

global health and energy security, promote human rights, 

address climate change, contribute to economic development around the world, and assist the victims of conflict 

and disaster worldwide; 

Whereas the governments and the people of the United 

States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea all share a 

commitment to free and open markets, high standards 

for the free flow of commerce and trade, and the establishment of an inclusive, transparent, and sustainable architecture for regional and global trade and development; 

Whereas the United States-Japan and the United States-Republic of Korea alliances are the foundation of regional 

stability in Asia, including against the threat posed by 

the regime in Pyongyang; 

Whereas cooperation between and among our nations spans 

economic, energy, diplomatic, security, and cultural 

spheres; 

Whereas the United States and Japan established diplomatic 

relations on March 31, 1854, with the signing of the 

Treaty of Peace and Amity; 


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Whereas the relationship between the peoples of the United 

States and 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 2019 marks the 74th anniversary of the end of 

World War II, a conflict in which the United States and 

Japan were enemies, and the strength of the United 

States-Japan alliance is a testament to the ability of 

great countries to overcome the past and to work together to create a more secure and prosperous future; 

Whereas the United States-Korea alliance was forged in 

blood, with United States military casualties during the 

Korean War of approximately 36,574 killed and more 

than 103,284 wounded, and with Republic of Korea casualties of more than 217,000 soldiers killed, more than 

429,000 soldiers wounded, and 1,000,000 civilians killed 

or missing; 

Whereas, for the past 70 years, the partnership between the 

United States and Japan has played a vital role, both in 

Asia and globally, in ensuring peace, stability, and economic development; 

Whereas, approximately 54,000 United States military personnel serve in Japan, along with some of the United 

States most advanced defense assets, including the 7th 

Fleet and the USS Ronald Reagan, the only United 

States aircraft carrier to be homeported outside the 

United States; 

Whereas, since the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the 

United States and the Republic of Korea, signed in 

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ate on January 26, 1954, United States military personnel have maintained a continuous presence on the Korean Peninsula, and approximately 28,500 United States 

troops are stationed in the Republic of Korea in 2019; 

Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea have 

stood alongside each other in the four major wars the 

United States has fought outside Korea since World War 

II—in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq; 

Whereas Japan is the fourth-largest United States trading 

partner and together with the United States represents 

30 percent of global Gross Domestic Product, and Japanese firms have invested approximately 

$498,000,000,000 in the United States; 

Whereas, the economic relationship between the United 

States and its sixth-largest trading partner, the Republic 

of Korea, has been facilitated by the United States-Korea 

Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), which entered into 

force on March 15, 2012, and was amended as of January 1, 2019, includes 358,000 jobs in the United States 

that are directly related to exports to the Republic of 

Korea, and has resulted in approximately 

$51,800,000,000 in investments by Korean firms in the 

United States; 

Whereas Japan and the Republic of Korea stand as strong 

partners of the United States in efforts to ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation, commerce, and 

overflight and to uphold respect for the rule of law and 

to oppose the use of coercion, intimidation, or force to 

change the regional or global status quo, including in the 

maritime domains of the Indo-Pacific, which are among 

the busiest waterways in the world; 


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Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of 

Korea are committed to working together towards a 

world where the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 

(in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘DPRK’’) does not 

threaten global peace and security with its weapons of 

mass destruction, missile proliferation, and illicit activities, and where the DPRK respects human rights and its 

people can live in freedom; 

Whereas section 211 of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9231; Public 

Law 114–122) expresses the sense of Congress that the 

President ‘‘should seek to strengthen high-level trilateral 

mechanisms for discussion and coordination of policy toward North Korea between the Government of the United 

States, the Government of South Korea, and the Government of Japan’’; 

Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public 

Law 115–409) underscores the importance of trilateral 

defense cooperation and enforcement of multilateral sanctions against North Korea and calls for regular consultation with Congress on the status of such efforts; 

Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of 

Korea 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 Japanese Americans and Korean Americans have 

made invaluable contributions to the security, prosperity, 

and diversity of our Nation, including service as our 

elected representatives in the Senate and in the House of 

Representatives; and 


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Whereas the United States Government looks forward to continuing to deepen our enduring partnerships with Japan 

and the Republic of Korea on economic, security, and cultural issues, as well as embracing new opportunities for 

bilateral and trilateral partnerships and cooperation on 

emerging regional and global challenges: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate reaffirms the importance 

2 of— 

3 (1) the vital role of the alliances between the 

4 United States and Japan and the United States and 

5 the Republic of Korea in promoting peace, stability, 

6 and security in the Indo-Pacific region, including 

7 through United States extended deterrence, and re8 affirms the commitment of the United States to de9 fend Japan, including all areas under the adminis10 tration of Japan, under Article V of the Treaty of 

11 Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the 

12 United States of America and Japan, and to defend 

13 the Republic of Korea under Article III of the Mu14 tual Defense Treaty Between the United States and 

15 the Republic of Korea; 

16 (2) a constructive and forward-looking relation17 ship between Japan and the Republic of Korea for 

18 United States diplomatic, economic, and security in19 terests and for open and inclusive architecture to 


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1 support the development of a secure, stable, and 

2 prosperous Indo-Pacific region; 

3 (3) strengthening and broadening diplomatic, 

4 economic, security, and people-to-people ties between 

5 and among the United States, Japan, and the Re6 public of Korea; 

7 (4) developing and implementing a strategy to 

8 deepen the trilateral diplomatic and security co9 operation between the United States, Japan, and the 

10 Republic of Korea, including through diplomatic en11 gagement, regional development, energy security, sci12 entific and health partnerships, educational and cul13 tural exchanges, missile defense, intelligence-sharing, 

14 space, cyber, and other diplomatic and defense-re15 lated initiatives; 

16 (5) trilateral cooperation with members of the 

17 United Nations Security Council and other Member 

18 States to fully and effectively enforce sanctions 

19 against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 

20 (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘DPRK’’) and 

21 evaluate additional and meaningful new measures to22 ward the DPRK under Article 41 of the United Na23 tions Charter; 

24 (6) trilateral cooperation to support and uphold 

25 a rules-based trade and economic order in the IndoVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:56 Apr 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR67.ATS SR67

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1 Pacific region, including the empowerment of 

2 women, which is vital for the prosperity of all our 

3 nations; 

4 (7) supporting the expansion of academic and 

5 cultural exchanges among the three nations, espe6 cially efforts to encourage Japanese and Korean stu7 dents to study at universities in the United States, 

8 and vice versa, to deepen people-to-people ties; and 

9 (8) continued cooperation among the govern10 ments of the United States, Japan, and the Republic 

11 of Korea to promote human rights. 

Æ 


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