,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #eb  ,,in ,,the       
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,november #ae1 #bjah,mr4 ,gardner 7for  
himself and ,mr4 ,markey7 submitted the 
following concurrent resolution2 which  
was referred to the ,committee on       
,foreign ,relations  ,,concurrent       
,,resolution  ,commemorating the #ejth  
anniversary of the ,security            
,consultative ,meeting between the      
,republic of ,korea and the ,united     
,states4  ,whereas1 on ,october #ca1    
#bjah1 the ,united ,states and the      
,republic of ,korea 7also known as      
,,rok7 co-hosted the #ejth annual       
,republic of ,korea-,united ,states     
,security ,consultative ,meeting        
7commonly known and referred to in this 
preamble as the ,,scm72 ,whereas the    
alliance between the ,republic of ,korea
 and the ,united ,states dates back to  
the ,mutual ,defense ,treaty of #aiec1  
in which the ,united ,states committed  
to defending its ally from outside      

aggression2 ,whereas the ,united ,states
 currently stations #bh1ejj troops on   
the ,korean ,peninsula as part of the   
obligation of the ,united ,states to    
defend the ,republic of ,korea2 ,whereas
 the ,,scm supports broader diplomatic  
engagements between the #b allies that  
span a broad array of issues important  
to the people of the ,republic of ,korea
 and to the people of the ,united       
,states2 ,whereas the ,,scm has been    
crucial to the continued economic       
prosperity of the ,republic of ,korea   
and to peace and stability on the       
,korean ,peninsula2 ,whereas the ,,scm  
has reinforced the critical alliance    
between the ,republic of ,korea and the 
,united ,states and deepens the         
friendship between the #b countries2    
,whereas the #ejth anniversary of the   
,,scm signifies an enduring alliance    
based on the shared values of freedom1  
democracy1 human rights1 and the rule of
 law2 ,whereas the ,,scm uses the ,joint
 ,vision for ,,rok-,u4,s4 ,alliance and 

the ,guidelines for ,,rok-,u4,s4        
,defense ,cooperation to enhance the    
alliance beyond one of military         
cooperation to one of mutual trust2     
,whereas the ,,scm has been crucial in  
facilitating independent operational    
capabilities of the armed forces of the 
,republic of ,korea1 allowing those     
forces to expand their defense          
capabilities and assume operational     
control of the combined forces under the
 current armistice2 ,whereas the ,,scm  
is key to strengthening bilateral       
cooperation in responding to global     
security challenges and threats1        
including terrorism1 piracy1 natural    
disasters1 peacekeeping operations1 and 
stabilization and reconstruction2       
,whereas the ,,scm will continue to     
pursue complete1 verifiable1 and        
irreversible dismantlement of the       
nuclear weapons and ballistic missile   
programs of ,north ,korea to maintain a 
lasting peace2 and ,whereas1 with the   
continued and growing threat from the   

,democratic ,people's ,republic of      
,korea1 and the increasing importance of
 the ,indo-,pacific region1 the ,,scm   
has come to represent the irreplaceable 
friendship and alliance between the     
,united ,states and the ,republic of    
,korea3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that   
,congress-- 7#a7 commemorates the #ejth 
anniversary of the ,republic of         
,korea-,united ,states ,security        
,consultative ,meeting 7,,scm7 and the  
enduring relationship between the       
,united ,states and the ,republic of    
,korea that the ,,scm represents2  7#b7 
reaffirms the military alliance based on
 mutual trust and shared values between 
the ,united ,states and the ,republic of
 ,korea2  7#c7 recognizes that the      
alliance between the ,united ,states and
 the ,republic of ,korea will remain    
ironclad1 irrespective of any efforts by
 third parties to sow discord between   
the countries2 and  7#d7 supports the   
continued pursuit of-- 7,a7 a complete1 
verifiable1 and irreversible            

dismantlement of the nuclear weapons and
 ballistic missile programs of ,north   
,korea2 and  7,b7 lasting peace and     
stability on the ,korean ,peninsula and 
throughout the ,indo-,pacific region4