Sec. 1239. Sense of Congress on opportunities to strengthen relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea
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/bill/113/hr/4435/pcs/section-1239·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the alliance between the United States and Republic of Korea has served as an anchor for stability, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, in the Asia-Pacific region, and around the world; the United States and Republic of Korea continue to strengthen and adapt the alliance to serve as a linchpin of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, recognizing the shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as the foundations of the alliance; the United States and Republic of Korea share deep concerns that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programs and its repeated provocations pose grave threats to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia and recognize that both nations are determined to achieve the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea, and remain fully committed to continuing close cooperation on the full range of issues related to North Korea; the United States supports the vision of a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons, free from the fear of war, and peacefully reunited on the basis of democratic and free market principles, as articulated in President Park’s Dresden address; the United States and Republic of Korea are strengthening the combined defense posture on the Korean Peninsula; the United States and Republic of Korea have decided that due to the evolving security environment in the region, including the enduring North Korean nuclear and missile threat, the current timeline to the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) to a Republic of Korea-led defense in 2015 can be reconsidered; and the United States welcomes the Republic of Korea’s ratification of a new five-year Special Measures Agreement, which establishes the framework for Republic of Korea contributions to offset the costs associated with the stationing of United States Forces Korea on the Korean Peninsula.