Sec. 1249. Sense of Senate on United States military forces on the Korean Peninsula
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The Senate makes the following findings: On June 25, 1950, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), under the rule of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong-un, launched a surprise attack against forces from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and small contingent of United States forces, thus beginning the Korean War. In June and July of 1950, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolutions 82, 83, and 84 calling for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cease hostilities and withdraw, to recommend that United Nations member nations provide forces to repel the Democratic People's Republic of Korea attack, and stating any forces provided should be unified under the command of the United States, respectively.
Fighting as part of a 1,000,000-strong, 22-nation United Nations force, 36,574 members of the United States Armed Forces and 137,899 members of the South Korean military lost their lives during the three years of armed hostilities and brutal conflict in the Korean War. On July 27, 1953, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Chinese People's Volunteers, and the United Nations signed an armistice agreement ceasing all hostilities in Korea and establishing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Since 1953, lawfully-deployed United States and United Nations forces have remained alongside their South Korean counterparts, continuing to protect and defend South Korea and deter aggression from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. As a lasting testament the blood and treasure lost during the Korean War and the strong and unwavering alliance built from the ashes of the conflict, the Korean War Memorial in Washington, District of Columbia, and the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, prominently display the following inscription:
Our Nation honors her Sons and Daughters who answered the call to defend a Country they never knew and a people they never met. . The United States maintains a robust, well-trained, and ready force of approximately 28,500 members of the Armed Forces in South Korea, and the presence of the members of the Armed Forces in South Korea demonstrates the continued resolve and support of the United States for the enduring United States-South Korean Alliance. On December 22, 2017, Kim Jong-un stated, The rapid development of [North Korea's] nuclear force is now exerting big influence on the world political structure and strategic environment. .
On January 1, 2018, Kim Jong-un stated The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat. This year we should focus on mass producing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles for operational deployment. . Despite 11 standalone United Nations Security Council resolutions against the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 8 of which passed during the rule of Kim Jong-un, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has continued to illegally and unlawfully pursue a long-range, nuclear capability meant to hold hostage the United States and threaten the security of the neighbors of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The 2017 National Security Strategy
(NSS)states— Our alliance and friendship with South Korea, forged by the trials of history, is stronger than ever. ; Allies and partners magnify our power … [and] together with our allies, partners, and aspiring partners, the United States will pursue cooperation with reciprocity. ; and with respect to priority actions in the Indo-Pacific region, We will redouble our commitment to established alliances and partnerships, while expanding and deepening relationships with new partners that share respect for sovereignty … and the rule of law. . Secretary of Defense James Mattis stated, Winston Churchill noted that the only thing harder than fighting with allies is fighting without them. History proves that we are stronger when we stand united with others. Accordingly, our military will be designed, trained, and ready to fight alongside allies. . The 2018 National Defense Strategy
(NDS)states, Mutually beneficial alliances and partnerships are crucial to our strategy, providing a durable, asymmetric strategic advantage that no competitor or rival can match … [and the United States] will strengthen and evolve our alliances and partnerships into an extended network capable of deterring or decisively acting to meet the shared challenges of our time. . The unclassified summary of 2018 NDS, an 11-page document, mentions the term allies or alliances over 50 times. The 2018 NDS states, China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors … [and] it is increasingly clear that China…want[s] to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model—gaining veto authority over other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions. . Foreign policy experts have long contended that the first priority of the People's Republic of China on the Korean Peninsula is to ensure that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains a buffer between China and the democratic South Korea and the United States forces deployed on the Korean Peninsula. China continues to provide the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with most of its food and energy supplies and, until recently, accounted for approximately 90 percent of the total trade volume of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On June 30, 2017, President Donald Trump stated, Our goal is peace, stability and prosperity for the region. But the United States will defend itself, always will defend itself, always, and we will always defend our allies. As part of that commitment, we are working together to ensure fair burden sharing and support of the United States military presence in Republic of Korea. . South Korea already pays for approximately 50 percent of the total nonpersonal costs of the 28,500 United States members of the Armed Forces on the Korean Peninsula, amounting to $887,500,000 in 2018. President Moon Jae-in has committed to increasing the defense spending of South Korea during his term from the current level 2.4 percent of the gross domestic product to 2.9 percent of the gross domestic product. News reports published in early May 2018 have stated that President Trump asked the Secretary of Defense to provide him with options for removing United States troops from the Korean Peninsula. National Security Advisor John Bolton responded, The President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea. . A spokesman for the Secretary stated, The president has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea. The Department of Defense's mission in South Korea remains the same, and our force posture has not changed. The Department of Defense remains committed to supporting the maximum pressure campaign, developing and maintaining military options for the President, and reinforcing our ironclad security commitment with our allies. We all remain committed to complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. . It is the sense of the Senate that— South Korea is a close friend and ally of the United States, and the United States-South Korea alliance is the linchpin of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region; the presence of United States military forces on the Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific region continues to play a critical role in safeguarding the peaceful and stable rules-based international order that benefits all countries; South Korea has contributed heavily to its own defense and to the defense of the United States Armed Forces in South Korea, including by providing $10,000,000,000 of the $10,800,000,0000 Camp Humphreys project, which is 93 percent of the funding, to build and relocate United States military forces to a new base in South Korea; United States military forces, pursuant to international law, are lawfully deployed on the Korean Peninsula; the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are clear and consistent violations of international law; the long-stated strategic objective of authoritarian states such as the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been the significant removal of United States military forces from the Korean Peninsula; the maximum pressure campaign of the Trump Administration, including an increase in economic sanctions and diplomatic measures with United States allies and regional partners, has worked to bring Kim Jong-un to the negotiation table; and the significant removal of United States military forces from the Korean Peninsula is a non-negotiable item as it relates to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.