U.S. Congress Votes to Strengthen Bilateral Alliance

The U.S. Congress introduced a bill to grant South Korea preferential treatment for arms sales, on Thursday.

The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution to celebrate the election of President-elect Lee Myung-bak on Thursday, following a similar move in the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

It seems that recent gestures from the U.S. Congress reflect high expectations for the recovery and development of the U.S.-Korea alliance, which has been mired in conflict and tension over last few years.

Congressman Ed Royce (R–CA 40th) submitted a bill that calls for strengthening military cooperation between the two countries by upgrading South Korea to the level of “NATO Plus Three (Japan, Australia, New Zealand)" in the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

Royce said, “It’s unreasonable not to grant preferential treatment to South Korea, which has been a 60-year-long friend of the U.S. and where 29,000 American soldiers are stationed.”

Earlier, U.S. Senator Christopher Bond (R–Mo.) submitted a bill that would make South Korea’s purchase of U.S. weapons cheaper and faster by shortening the review period, reducing the number of weapons subject to review and cutting the purchasing commission.

In a meeting held on Feb. 14, senators unanimously adopted a resolution congratulating Lee Myung-bak on his election. U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the measure on Feb. 6.

Biden said, “The alliance between the U.S. and Korea has been formed through heartbreaking struggles against invaders and strengthened by military activities for more than half a century. The bilateral alliance is more than just a basic alliance.” Biden emphasized that, “Korea’s President-elect Lee plans to make the U.S.-Korea alliance the cornerstone of Korea’s security policies and that the president-elect is intent on making a strong bilateral alliance a high priority.”

The U.S. House of Representatives also adopted a resolution congratulating Lee on his election on Feb. 7.

It is not uncommon for the U.S. Congress to adopt a resolution to congratulate presidents of allied nations by saying that it “recognizes” the new government. However, it is quite rare for both the House and Senate to adopt the resolution at the same time.

sechepa@donga.com