2 Resolved, That the House of Representatives (1) congratulates the heads of state of South Korea and North Korea for this first important step in bringing peace to the Korean peninsula; (2) hopes this historic summit will foster the goodwill necessary to end the hostilities between these two important nations; (3) hopes that the summit might reflect a genuine change in attitude on the part of North Korea toward South Korea, 2 nations that technically are still at war; (4) awaits with great anticipation the resolution of the issue of national unification of South Korea and North Korea; (5) anticipates the return of dispersed family members and their relatives; (6) expects a full accounting by North Korea of all United States soldiers in the Korean conflict who are still listed as missing in action or prisoners of war; (7) hopes to secure from the North Korean leadership (A) a permanent moratorium on the flight testing of long-range missiles; 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 (B) a suspension of its ballistic missile pro gram; and (C) a termination of all sales of missiles and related technologies; and (8) expects North Korea to honor its obligation to freeze its nuclear program. Hon. Alcee L. Hastings Statement before the House International Relations Committee Mr. Chairman, June 13, 2000, is a date that will go down in history. On this day, the heads of state of North Korea and South Korea, two countries technically engaged in a state of war for the last 50 years, met to reconcile their differences. This is truly a great accomplishment. A peace between these two countries would end one of the longest and most violent altercations in history. This strife has cost in sum, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives, and not just Korean lives, but the lives of Americans and every other nation that was involved in the military battles of that region. The United States has 10,218 soldiers listed as missing or prisoners of war due to the Korean conflict. It is time that the fighting and the violence officially end and for peace to blossom. Mr. Chairman, these are but some of the reasons I introduced this resolution along with you, our Ranking Member, Mr. Lantos, and my good friend from Florida, Mr. Wexler. As a result of the Korean summit, we hope for many changes both in Korean and world politics. First, we eagerly anticipate a resolution regarding the possible unification between the two countries. Second, we expect a full accounting by North Korea of all the missing U.S. soldiers from the conflict. Third, we hope to secure from North Korea a full moratorium on the testing of long-range missiles, and an immediate freeze in North Korea's nuclear program and a suspension of its ballistic program. It is our strong hope that the Korean summit will act as a gateway to the peace process in many other parts of the world. If two countries who have had seemingly irreconcilable differences can meet and potentially settle their differences, then there is no reason other countries cannot follow the lead of the Koreas. I foresee the countries of the Middle East and Africa, who are presently engrossed in fighting, to follow in the path of the Koreas and pursue peace and a settlement of differences. The meeting between South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Il will hopefully facilitate better relations both in Korea and in the rest of the world. My colleagues, I introduced this resolution to commend a great accomplishment. This summit was not merely a meeting between two heads of state, but a portal to future peace agreements. The summit, hopefully, will not only inspire countless peace agreements, but will help bring the thousands of our soldiers missing in the Koreas home. South Korea and North Korea's meeting will hopefully become a model for all countries to settle their differences. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, at the appropriate time, I will offer an amendment to my resolution. If the Chairman would like, I could comment on that amendment presently. If not appropriate now, I will wait until the appropriate time. The amendment reflects a number of very minor concerns raised by the State Department, as well as some questions that you, Mr. Chairman, had raised along with some technical corrections brought to my attention by our distinguished colleague from New York, Mr. Ackerman. The corrections are as follows: In the first whereas clause, the term "president" has been changed to reflect Kim Jong-Il's correct title, which is “Chairman of the National Defense Commission." A similar change is made in the first resolved clause (page 2, line 2), changing the term "presidents" to "heads of state." The second whereas clause has been changed to reflect that this was the first meeting of the two heads of state, NOT the first official meeting of any kind between the two Koreas. In the fifth whereas clause, the resolution as originally drafted might give the impression that the government's withholding of food from the population was directly related to the covert nuclear program. While both issues are of serious concern, and while there may be an indirect linkage (i.e., a government that is evil enough to starve its own population is not above pursuing weapons of mass destruction), the linkage is not necessarily direct. In the third resolved clause (page 2, line 8), while we hope a change of attitude on the part of North Korea has taken place, we will need to see much more evidence before we give them the benefit of the doubt. The seventh resolved clause (page 3, line 3) is expanded to include the full range of concerns regarding North Korean missile activities. The final whereas clause (page 3, line 5), the amendment recognizes that, while North Korea already has agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons program, considerable uncertainty remains regarding whether that government is actually honoring that commitment. Mr. Chairman, it is my hope that the amendment in the nature of a substitute is acceptable to the Committee. Thank you. |