West OC Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On April 24, U.S. Reps. Michelle Steel (R-CA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Young Kim (R-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Buddy Carter (R-GA), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) introduced a bipartisan resolution reaffirming United States support for South Korea and honoring the 70th anniversary year of the Mutual Defense Treaty between U.S. and the Republic of Korea.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. this Wednesday to meet President Joe Biden and speak to a Joint Session of Congress. He will be the first South Korean president in over a decade to do so.

The resolution:  

1. Welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol 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;
3. Reaffirms the United States’ extended deterrence commitments to the Republic of Korea;
4. Supports ongoing efforts to further strengthen, broaden, and deepen the ironclad United States-Republic of Korea alliance;
5. Calls for continued cooperation between the governments of the United States and the Republic of Korea in the promotion of human rights;
6. Supports the Republic of Korea’s engagement in regional diplomacy;
7. Endorses further Republic of Korea engagement with the Quad initiatives, particularly in the Quad Climate Working Group;
8. Calls for close coordination to achieve the denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the establishment of a permanent and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula;
9. Encourages close cooperation among the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan; and
10. Recognizes the deep partnership forged over 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty that has provided security for both countries, established a durable trust, undergirded the rules-based-order in the Indo-Pacific, and demonstrated the benefits of robust democracies on both sides of the Pacific.

“As a first-generation Korean American representing thousands of constituents of Korean heritage, I am honored to introduce this resolution commemorating the historic alliance between the country of my birth, the R.O.K., and the country I am so grateful to call home, the United States,” said Rep. Steel.“The partnership between our two democracies is vitally important, especially as we continue working together to stop the aggression of authoritarian, communist regimes around the world. That is why I am glad to join my colleagues in introducing this resolution and am looking forward to discussing further ways to advance our shared interests during President Yoon’s state visit in the coming days.”  

“The bond between the United States and South Korea was forged decades ago and has continued to grow stronger in the years since, and this resolution only helps to further fortify that bond,” said Rep. Meng, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. “With President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee’s official state visit to the United States just days away, I am extremely proud to sponsor this crucial resolution that highlights the special and unbreakable bond between our two great nations.”  

“I met with President Yoon Suk Yeol during a recent trip to South Korea and look forward to welcoming him to Washington later this month,” said Rep. McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “South Korea is the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity in Asia and I am proud to join my colleagues in reaffirming our commitment to this important Indo-Pacific ally during the 70th anniversary of our relationship”  

“For seventy years, the U.S.-ROK alliance has served as the linchpin for stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Rep. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Our alliance is vital to addressing the enduring and emerging challenges we share, from global health and climate change to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. The rock-solid commitment between our two vibrant democracies has advanced our shared interests and values and been a force-multiplier for good. As Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I look forward to welcoming President Yoon and finding ways to expand and bolster our ongoing cooperation and partnership.”  

“The US-ROK alliance is based on our shared values of freedom and democracy and has become a vital economic and security partnership that is more important than ever as we see rising threats in the Indo-Pacific region. I met with President Yoon Suk Yeol during a recent trip to South Korea and will reaffirm our shared goals during his visit to the United States this week,” said Rep. Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. “As a Korean American who grew up in South Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War, representative of a vibrant Korean American community, and Chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, supporting the US-ROK alliance is personal to me and my work in Congress. I am proud to join a bipartisan, bicameral delegation to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the US-ROK alliance and look forward to working to strengthening our partnership for years to come.”  

“The United States – Republic of Korea alliance is critical to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific in the 21st century. Over the past 70 years, our unshakable alliance has only grown stronger rooted in our deep people-to-people bonds, shared values, and respect for a rules-based international order,” said Rep. Bera, M.D., Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. “I am honored to join my colleagues in recognizing the 70th anniversary of The Mutual Defense Treaty and look forward to our continued partnership to promote freedom, peace, and prosperity.”  

“America’s relationship and strategic partnership with South Korea remains strong after 70 years. In the next 70 years, our two nations will be integral in ensuring regional and global peace by acting as pillars of stability and leading by example,” said Rep. Andy Kim. “As the son of Korean immigrants my heritage runs in my blood as it does my children. I’m a proud product of the interconnectedness of our two nations and my story and the story of millions of other Korean Americans would not have happened without the important partnership between our two nations. I’m proud to join this resolution and I look forward to working with my colleagues and President Yoon to continue advancing our shared interests and strengthening our strategic partnership, so it lasts for decades to come.”  

“For 70 years, the partnership between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea has created rich cultural and economic exchanges,” said Rep. Carter. “Georgia’s First Congressional District is seeing the impacts of this relationship firsthand with the addition of a Hyundai manufacturing plant, which is bringing more than 8,100 jobs to our area. I am excited to welcome our new South Korean neighbors and celebrate continued shared prosperity.”  

"The importance of the U.S.-ROK Alliance cannot be understated," said Rep. Strickland. “As a Korean-American who represents Joint Base Lewis-McChord, I am proud to celebrate 70 years of resilient partnership between our two countries. I look forward to working across the aisle to strengthen our enduring relationship with the Republic of Korea.”  

In addition to the House bill, a bipartisan companion version is being introduced in the Senate, led by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), James Risch (R-ID), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN).  

Full text of the resolution may be found here.

Foreign Affairs 

Original source can be found here.