President Moon sends congratulatory message to US House member who proposed 'Korea-US Alliance Resolution'

President Moon Jae-in [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] On the 18th (local time), the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory message to Representative Tom Suozzi (Democrat, New York), who proposed the resolution, the Blue House announced.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, stated in a written briefing on the 23rd, "Representative Suozzi, who was re-elected in the U.S. congressional elections held on the 3rd, has been actively working to promote the South Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral relations, including recently leading the proposal and passage of the resolution recognizing the importance of the alliance and the contributions of Korean Americans."

He added, "In the congratulatory message, President Moon expressed his gratitude for Representative Suozzi’s interest and support for South Korea-U.S. relations and requested continued attention and support so that the alliance can contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula and the stability and prosperity of the international community through shared values."

The resolution proposed by Representative Suozzi mentions the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in areas such as diplomacy, economy, and security, emphasizing the phrase, "The U.S. House of Representatives recognizes that the South Korea-U.S. alliance plays a crucial role in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region." The term "Indo-Pacific" is a key phrase used by the U.S. government to counter China.

Additionally, the resolution includes a provision regarding the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the U.S., which has seen no progress since its breakdown in March, stating that "a multi-year agreement with mutually acceptable terms should be concluded." During the Donald Trump administration, negotiations collapsed as the U.S. demanded $5 billion, five times the previous amount, but insisted on a one-year agreement.

Given that this bipartisan resolution passed in the U.S. Congress includes such content, and with President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office in January next year, emphasizing the keyword "alliance restoration," there is cautious speculation about the possibility of reaching a "reasonable level" agreement after the new administration takes office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.