III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 11, 2020 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. MARKEY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

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 Nations furnish assistance to the Republic of 

Korea’’ and Resolution 84 on July 7, 1950, recommending Members make military forces and other assistVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Jun 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR615.IS SR615

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ance 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, DC (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; 


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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 StatesSouth 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 postWorld 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 


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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 StatesSouth 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) recognizes that the United States-South 

2 Korea alliance serves as the linchpin of regional sta3 bility and mutual security in Northeast Asia; 

4 (2) reiterates that the United States and South 

5 Korea share an enduring interest in the continued 

6 strength of the bilateral alliance, including deep7 ening the military, diplomatic, economic, and cul8 tural ties between the United States and South 

9 Korea, as well as broadening alliance cooperation to 

10 confront 21st century challenges, such as global 

11 health, the environment, and energy security; 

12 (3) emphasizes that the United States-South 

13 Korea alliance espouses shared democratic values 

14 and remains committed to human rights, the rule of 

15 law, and free market principles and therefore plays 

16 an expanding role in stability and security far be17 yond the Korean Peninsula; 

18 (4) reaffirms that the Governments of the 

19 United States and South Korea must pursue a co20 ordinated policy of diplomatic engagement, economic 

21 pressure, and military deterrence to achieve peace 

22 and the denuclearization of North Korea; 

23 (5) emphasizes that United States Forces 

24 Korea (USFK) remains prepared in presence and 

25 disposition to counter any attempted third-party agVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Jun 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR615.IS SR615

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1 gression or coercion, and relies on the vital contribu2 tions of the dedicated Korean national employees of 

3 USFK; and 

4 (6) reaffirms that the United States-South 

5 Korea alliance is a critical force to uphold the post6 World War II liberal global order built by our two 

7 nations. 

Æ 


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