Public Law 111 - 201 - Joint resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and reaffirming the United States-Korea alliance.

[111th Congress Public Law 201]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]



[[Page 124 STAT. 1371]]

Public Law 111-201
111th Congress

                            Joint Resolution


 
 Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and 
     reaffirming the United States-Korea alliance. <<NOTE: July 7, 
                        2010 -  [S.J. Res. 32]>> 

Whereas on June 25, 1950, communist North Korea invaded the Republic of 
    Korea with approximately 135,000 troops, thereby initiating the 
    Korean War;

Whereas on June 27, 1950, President Harry Truman ordered the United 
    States Armed Forces to help the Republic of Korea defend itself 
    against the North Korean invasion;

Whereas the hostilities ended in a cease-fire marked by the signing of 
    the armistice at Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, and the peninsula still 
    technically remains in a state of war;

Whereas during the Korean War, approximately 1,789,000 members of the 
    United States Armed Forces served in theater along with the forces 
    of the Republic of Korea and 20 other members of the United Nations 
    to defend freedom and democracy;

Whereas casualties of the United States during the Korean War included 
    54,246 dead (of whom 33,739 were battle deaths), more than 103,284 
    wounded, and approximately 8,055 listed as missing in action or 
    prisoners of war;

Whereas the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act (Public Law 111-41) was 
    enacted on July 27, 2009, so that the honorable service and noble 
    sacrifice by members of the United States Armed Forces in the Korean 
    War will never be forgotten;

Whereas President Barack Obama issued a proclamation to designate July 
    27, 2009, as the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day and 
    called upon Americans to display flags at half-staff in memory of 
    the Korean War veterans;

Whereas since 1975, the Republic of Korea has invited thousands of 
    American Korean War veterans, including members of the Korean War 
    Veterans Association, to revisit Korea in appreciation for their 
    sacrifices;

Whereas in the 60 years since the outbreak of the Korean War, the 
    Republic of Korea has emerged from a war-torn economy into one of 
    the major economies in the world and one of the largest trading 
    partners of the United States;

Whereas the Republic of Korea is among the closest allies of the United 
    States, having contributed troops in support of United States 
    operations during the Vietnam war, Gulf war, and operations in Iraq 
    and Afghanistan, while also supporting numerous United Nations 
    peacekeeping missions throughout the world;


[[Page 124 STAT. 1372]]


Whereas since the end of the Korean War era, more than 28,500 members of 
    the United States Armed Forces have served annually in the United 
    States Forces Korea to defend the Republic of Korea against external 
    aggression, and to promote regional peace;

Whereas North Korea's sinking of the South Korean naval ship, Cheonan, 
    on March 26, 2010, which resulted in the killing of 46 sailors, 
    necessitates a reaffirmation of the United States-Korea alliance in 
    safeguarding the stability of the Korean Peninsula;

Whereas from the ashes of war and the sharing of spilled blood on the 
    battlefield, the United States and the Republic of Korea have 
    continuously stood shoulder-to-shoulder to promote and defend 
    international peace and security, economic prosperity, human rights, 
    and the rule of law both on the Korean Peninsula and beyond; and

Whereas beginning in June 2010, various ceremonies are being planned in 
    the United States and the Republic of Korea to commemorate the 60th 
    anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and to honor all 
    Korean War veterans, including the Korean War Veterans Appreciation 
    Ceremony in the hometown of President Harry S. Truman, which will 
    express the commitment of the United States to remember and honor 
    all veterans of the Korean War: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the historical importance of the 60th 
        anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, which began on 
        June 25, 1950;
            (2) honors the noble service and sacrifice of the United 
        States Armed Forces and the armed forces of allied countries 
        that served in Korea since 1950 to the present;
            (3) encourages all Americans to participate in commemorative 
        activities to pay solemn tribute to, and to never forget, the 
        veterans of the Korean War; and
            (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to its 
        alliance with the Republic of Korea for the betterment of peace 
        and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

    Approved July 7, 2010.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S.J. Res. 32 (H.J. Res. 86):
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
            June 16, considered and passed Senate.
            June 23, considered and passed House.

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