Title: Recognizing the importance of the United States-Republic of Korea relationship to safeguarding peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond, and welcoming the visit of President Moon Jae-in to the United States.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution welcomes President Moon Jae-in of South Korea to the United States. It also reaffirms the importance of the U.S.-South Korea relationship to peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 416 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 416

   Recognizing the importance of the United States-Republic of Korea 
  relationship to safeguarding peace, security, and prosperity on the 
Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond, and welcoming 
        the visit of President Moon Jae-in to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 2021

Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Bera, and Mr. Chabot) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the importance of the United States-Republic of Korea 
  relationship to safeguarding peace, security, and prosperity on the 
Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond, and welcoming 
        the visit of President Moon Jae-in to the United States.

Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea alliance is the linchpin of peace, 
        security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific 
        region and is critical to close coordination to face the challenges 
        posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and address 
        future security challenges;
Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea alliance is rooted in mutual trust, 
        shared values, intertwined economic interests, and generations of 
        people-to-people ties through friendship, family, and community that, 
        taken together, provides a foundation for one of the strongest, most 
        interoperable, and dynamic bilateral alliances in the world;
Whereas the United States and Korea established diplomatic relations on May 22, 
        1882, with the signing of the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and 
        Navigation;
Whereas, on October 1, 1953, the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States 
        and the Republic of Korea (5 U.S.T. 2368) was signed in Washington with 
        ratification advised by the Senate on January 26, 1954, and the shared 
        commitment to recognize an armed attack on either of the Parties as 
        dangerous to the peace and security of the other and to ``act to meet 
        the common danger in accordance with [each's] constitutional processes'' 
        remains in force today;
Whereas the United States assures its ironclad security commitment to the 
        Republic of Korea, including the United States extended deterrent 
        underpinned by the full range of United States capabilities;
Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea alliance was forged in blood, with 
        1,789,000 United States soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines serving 
        in theater during the war, of whom 36,574 paid the ultimate sacrifice 
        with their lives in defense of freedom in the Republic of Korea, 
        including 7,174 Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) 
        soldiers, and over 7,500 members of the United States Armed Forces who 
        remain classified by the Department of Defense as missing in action;
Whereas casualties of the Republic of Korea were more than 217,000 soldiers 
        killed, more than 291,000 wounded, and over 1,000,000 civilians killed 
        or missing;
Whereas 2021 marks the 68th anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in the 
        Korean War and the signing of the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, 
        which remains in force today and that by its terms has neither formally 
        ended the Korean War nor constituted a permanent settlement of peace on 
        the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas, according to section 2 of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of 
        Remembrance Act (Public Law 114-230; 130 Stat. 947), a Wall of 
        Remembrance is currently being 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 members of the 
        KATUSA who were killed in action, wounded in action, prisoners of war, 
        or are listed as missing in action;
Whereas the Republic of Korea, in an extraordinary gesture of lasting gratitude, 
        has contributed to the construction of the Wall of Remembrance, which 
        will serve as an eternal reminder for generations to come of the 
        sacrifices made by the United States and Republic of Korea alliance in 
        defense of freedom and regional security;
Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defense Ministerial 
        Meeting (2+2) met on March 18, 2021, in Seoul, and reaffirmed that ``the 
        ROK-U.S. Alliance, forged in blood on the battlefield 70 years ago, 
        serves as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean 
        Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region'';
Whereas a new, 6-year Special Measures Agreement (SMA) was initialed on the same 
        day in the presence of the secretaries and ministers and was later 
        signed on April 8, 2021;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea are committed to pursuing 
        closely coordinated diplomatic efforts through a shared strategy to 
        achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of 
        North Korea and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States-Republic 
        of Korea relationship is ``rooted in mutual trust, in shared values, 
        deeply intertwined economic interests, and, of course--and maybe most 
        important--generations of family and community ties and having one 
        another's back in the most difficult times'';
Whereas Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated the United States-Republic of 
        Korea alliance is ``ironclad'' and ``among the strongest bilateral, 
        interoperable, and dynamic alliances in the world'', further stating 
        that ``the United States remains fully committed to the defense of the 
        Republic of Korea, using the full range of U.S. capabilities, including 
        our extended deterrent'';
Whereas, on April 2, 2021, the United States-Republic of Korea-Japan Trilateral 
        National Security Advisors meeting took place at the United States Naval 
        Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and also on May 5, 2021, a Trilateral 
        Foreign Ministers' meeting took place in London ``to consult on the 
        United States' review of its North Korea policy and to discuss issues of 
        common concern including Indo Pacific security'';
Whereas, according to the joint press statement, ``the national security 
        advisors shared their concerns about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic 
        missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to address and resolve 
        these issues through concerted trilateral cooperation towards 
        denuclearization'' and further ``agreed on the imperative for full 
        implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions by the 
        international community, including North Korea, preventing 
        proliferation, and cooperating to strengthen deterrence and maintain 
        peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula'';
Whereas a robust and effective trilateral relationship between and among the 
        United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan is critical for joint 
        security and interests in defending freedom and democracy, upholding 
        human rights, promoting peace, security, and the rule of law in the 
        Indo-Pacific and across the globe, championing women's empowerment, and 
        combating and adapting to complex environmental challenges;
Whereas Secretary Blinken said during a March 17, 2021, meeting with Republic of 
        Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong that ``the authoritarian regime in 
        North Korea continues to commit systematic and widespread abuses against 
        its own people. We must stand with people demanding their fundamental 
        rights and freedoms and against those who repress them.'';
Whereas the American and Korean people share deeply rooted values of defending 
        freedom, championing individual liberty, upholding human rights, and 
        respecting the rule of law;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is the United States sixth largest goods trading 
        partner with $134,000,000,000 in total (two-way) goods trade and 
        $34,600,000,000 in total services trade for a combined $168,600,000,000 
        during 2019 and, according to the Department of Commerce, United States 
        exports of goods and services to the Republic of Korea supported an 
        estimated 358,000 United States jobs in 2015;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is one of the United States top sources of Foreign 
        Direct Investment (FDI), which totaled $61,800,000,000 in 2019 (up 9.2 
        percent over the previous year) and supports more than 74,000 United 
        States jobs in key sectors including auto components, industrial 
        equipment, consumer electronics, software and IT services, renewable 
        energy, and electronic components that are all critical to helping 
        protect the United States supply chain as well as fostering leadership 
        in renewable energy;
Whereas the Republic of Korea 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, as well as 
        the donation of 2,000,000 masks to help fill shortages in hospitals most 
        impacted by COVID-19 and an additional 500,000 masks that were 
        distributed to Korean War veterans throughout the United States;
Whereas the strength of the United States-Republic of Korea relationship is due 
        in large part to the nearly 2,000,000 Korean Americans that have made 
        significant contributions to every facet of American society and 
        leadership to now include four members of the House of Representatives, 
        Andy Kim of New Jersey, Young Kim of California, Michelle Steel of 
        California, and Marilyn Strickland of Washington; and
Whereas, in May 2021, President Moon Jae-in is visiting the United States at the 
        invitation of President Joe Biden: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) welcomes President Moon Jae-in to the United States;
            (2) reaffirms the importance of the United States-Republic 
        of Korea relationship as the linchpin to safeguarding peace, 
        security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the 
        Indo-Pacific region;
            (3) reaffirms United States extended deterrence commitments 
        to the Republic of Korea, and that the United States will 
        continue to ensure that its policy and posture reflects the 
        requirements of extended deterrence;
            (4) supports ongoing efforts to further strengthen, 
        broaden, and deepen the ironclad United States-Republic of 
        Korea alliance, including the United States-Korea Security 
        Consultative Committee (2+2) to confront threats to the peace 
        and safety of both nations, and to stand together for the 
        common values and shared interests that unite us;
            (5) calls for continued cooperation between the Governments 
        of the United States and the Republic of Korea in the promotion 
        of human rights;
            (6) commits to continuing and expanding United States-
        Republic of Korea medical, scientific, and vaccine 
        collaboration, particularly since cooperation between the two 
        countries has saved countless lives during the COVID-19 
        pandemic;
            (7) recognizes the support of the Government of the 
        Republic of Korea in addressing global challenges, including 
        COVID-19 challenges, that threaten the health and safety of 
        people everywhere;
            (8) encourages, as written in the Joint Statement of the 
        2021 United States Republic of Korea Foreign and Defense 
        Ministerial Meeting (2+2), ``mutually-reinforcing and future-
        oriented cooperation across a wide range of areas'';
            (9) appreciates President Moon's commitment to diplomacy, 
        and calls for close coordination to achieve the 
        denuclearization of the DPRK and the establishment of a 
        permanent and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula;
            (10) encourages close cooperation among the United States, 
        the Republic of Korea, and Japan to address shared challenges; 
        and
            (11) appreciates the Government and people of the Republic 
        of Korea for their extraordinary contribution to the Wall of 
        Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial and extends 
        well wishes for the groundbreaking ceremony during President 
        Moon Jae-in's visit.
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