III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 545 

Recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among the United States, 

Japan, and South Korea. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 7), 2024 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

MERKLEY, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. YOUNG, and Ms. 

DUCKWORTH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among 

the United States, Japan, and South Korea. 

Whereas, in 2023, South Korea and Japan restarted bilateral 

summitry for the first time since 2019 with President 

Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meeting seven times; 

Whereas the two sides have made efforts to address longstanding historical grievances, including the issue of 

South Koreans forced to work for Japanese companies 

during World War II; 

Whereas the Governments of Japan and South Korea restored normal economic ties, which had been strained 

since 2019, by reinstating each other on their respective 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 545 IS 

‘‘white lists’’ of preferential trade partners, with Japan 

lifting export controls on South Korea related to three 

materials needed to produce semiconductors and South 

Korea dropping its case before the World Trade Organization related to those export controls; 

Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea have restarted trilateral summitry, holding five trilateral meetings among President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida, 

and President Yoon since June 2022; 

Whereas, on August 18, 2023, the United States, Japan, and 

South Korea held the first standalone trilateral leaders 

summit at Camp David; 

Whereas the three allies issued a trilateral commitment to 

consult with one another trilaterally ‘‘in an expeditious 

manner to coordinate our responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting our collective 

interests and security’’; 

Whereas the three allies improved deterrence and defense capabilities against the growing security threat posed by 

North Korea by resuming military exercises in 2022; 

Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea expanded and developed a multi-year schedule for trilateral 

military exercises and conducted the first United StatesJapan-South Korea aerial exercise in October 2023; 

Whereas the three allies have activated a 2022 agreement to 

exchange real-time missile warning data focused on 

North Korean missile launches; 

Whereas, in December 2022, South Korea and Japan published national security documents that closely mirrored 

those of the United States, setting the stage for greater 

policy alignment and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 545 IS 

Whereas the three allies announced plans for expanded and 

more regular summits, including agreeing to hold annual 

trilateral summit meetings, agreeing to hold annual trilateral meetings among cabinet-level officials, specifically 

the three countries’ foreign ministers, defense ministers, 

commerce and industry ministers, and national security 

advisors, and agreeing to hold the first trilateral meeting 

among finance ministers; 

Whereas the three allies announced a trilateral initiative to 

synchronize their efforts to build the maritime capabilities of Southeast Asian and Pacific Island countries; 

Whereas South Korea and Japan have resumed cabinet- and 

subcabinet-level bilateral consultations, including holding 

a Security Dialogue and a Strategic Dialogue; 

Whereas the Governments of Japan and South Korea announced a new bilateral science and technology cooperative arrangement, including a hydrogen and ammonia 

global value chain initiative, which includes raising funds 

for joint projects, and a quantum technology research 

and development initiative between the two countries’ 

government-affiliated research institutes; 

Whereas South Korea and Japan cooperated to evacuate Japanese and South Korean nationals from Sudan after the 

eruption of civil conflict in April 2023 and from Israel 

after Hamas’ attack in October 2023; 

Whereas South Korea arranged for the experts dispatched to 

the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to monitor 

TEPCO’s release of treated water into the Pacific Ocean; 

Whereas, in December 2023, the United States, Japan, and 

South Korea held the inaugural meeting of the trilateral 

Working Group on DPRK Cyber Activities; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 545 IS 

Whereas the three allies have held trilateral dialogues on 

space security (November 2023) and Indo-Pacific policies 

(January 2024); and 

Whereas the United States, Japan, and South Korea announced trilateral economic and technology cooperation 

initiatives, including a supply chain early warning system 

pilot program, a partnership program among the three 

countries’ national laboratories: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the extraordinary leadership of 

3 President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime 

4 Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio in taking initiative 

5 to repair relations between their two countries; 

6 (2) acknowledges that strengthening relations 

7 between Japan and South Korea has enabled greater 

8 ambition in trilateral cooperation involving the 

9 United States; 

10 (3) encourages ever greater cooperation between 

11 South Korea and Japan and trilateral cooperation 

12 across diplomatic, economic, security, and informa13 tional domains; 

14 (4) welcomes ever greater levels of trilateral 

15 strategic coordination among the United States, 

16 Japan, and South Korea as a stabilizing influence 

17 on the Western Pacific region and global order more 

18 broadly; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•SRES 545 IS 

1 (5) celebrates the shared democratic, liberal val2 ues that are the bedrock of the enduring ties among 

3 the United States, Japan, and South Korea; and 

4 (6) recognizes the critical importance to the in5 terests of the United States and the peace and secu6 rity of the Western Pacific of United States treaty 

7 alliances with South Korea and Japan. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS