Recognizing the historic transformation of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance since the Korean War into a mutually beneficial, global partnership.

H. Res. 1012 In the House of Representatives, U. S., November 18, 2020. Whereas the United Nations Security Council adopted Reso- lution 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, recom- mending members make military forces and other assist- 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 Wil- liam Harrison, Jr., representing the United Nations Command with the Korean People’s Army and the Chi- nese People’s Volunteer Army to ‘‘ensure a complete ces- sation 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 that 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, the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea (5 UST 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 ei- 2 •HRES 1012 EH ther of the Parties as dangerous to each’s own peace and security and to ‘‘act to meet the common danger in ac- cordance with [each’s] constitutional processes’’ and re- mains in force today; 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 de- fense of freedom in the Republic of Korea, and over 7,500 United States servicemembers remain classified by the Department of Defense as missing in action; Whereas, on October 7, 2016, H.R. 1475, entitled the ‘‘Ko- rean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act’’, was introduced in Congress by Representative Sam John- son of Texas and became Public Law 114–230; Whereas according to House Report 114–433 to accompany H.R. 1475, H.R. 1475 authorizes a Wall of Remem- brance to be added to the Korean War Veterans Memo- rial with the names of those that died in theater, are list- ed as missing, or prisoners of war, and would also list the number of members of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) who were killed in ac- tion, wounded in action, prisoners of war, or are listed as missing in action; Whereas the ongoing conflict separated countless Korean families from one another, and an estimated 3,000 elder- ly South Koreans die every year without reuniting with their loved ones; Whereas in the 70 years since the outbreak of the Korean conflict, the United States-Republic of Korea alliance has transformed itself from a security relationship into a comprehensive global partnership; 3 •HRES 1012 EH Whereas the Republic of Korea is considered one of the greatest success stories in the post-World War II era and constitutes a lynchpin of United States foreign policy in Northeast Asia; Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea have stood shoulder to shoulder in all major military conflicts the United States has faced since the Korean war while maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula; Whereas this partnership has contributed to regional and global prosperity through the shared values of democracy, free market economy, human rights, and the rule of law; Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to maintain its forward deployed presence in the Republic of Korea through United States Forces Korea (USFK), a premier Joint Force that is ‘‘well led, disciplined, trained and ready to Fight Tonight and win’’; Whereas the 70-year transformation of the United States- 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 Republic of Korea has made significant con- tributions to the global community in combating and con- taining COVID–19, including the manufacture and ex- port of Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT–PCR) test kits to the United States Government and various States; Whereas, on May 8, 2020, the Republic of Korea donated 500,000 masks to be distributed to Korean war veterans throughout the United States, including the Navajo Na- tion, in a gesture of gratitude and in commemoration of 4 •HRES 1012 EH the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean war; and Whereas, on May 10, 2020, the Republic of Korea donated 2,000,000 masks to the United States to help fill short- ages in hospitals most impacted by COVID–19: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) underscores the continuing and crucial role of the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea in ensuring peace and stability in Asia and the world, including by providing security from the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its repeated provocations; (2) reaffirms the importance of close cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Korea in the Indo-Pacific, including on issues ranging from infra- structure and development financing to promoting good governance; (3) encourages the continued close and continuing ties between the people and governments of the two na- tions, as well as the contributions the near two million Korean-Americans have made to both societies; (4) commits to continuing and expanding United States-Republic of Korea medical and scientific and re- search collaboration, particularly since cooperation be- 5 •HRES 1012 EH tween the two countries has saved countless lives during the COVID–19 pandemic; (5) urges both countries to prioritize ongoing Spe- cial Measures Agreement negotiations and to reach mu- tually agreeable terms; and (6) recommits the United States to ensuring the re- lationship between the United States and Republic of Korea continues to grow and thrive into the foreseeable future. Attest: Clerk.