[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 384 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 384
Congratulating the Republic of Korea for hosting the 2018 Winter
Olympic Games and supporting the alliance between the United States and
the Republic of Korea.
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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 29, 2018
Mr. Gardner (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Merkley, Mr.
Barrasso, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Young, Mr. Hoeven,
Mr. Boozman, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Feinstein,
Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Coons, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Reed, and Mr.
Wicker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
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RESOLUTION
Congratulating the Republic of Korea for hosting the 2018 Winter
Olympic Games and supporting the alliance between the United States and
the Republic of Korea.
Whereas the 23rd Olympic Winter Games (referred to in this preamble as ``Olympic
Winter Games PyeongChang 2018'') will be held from February 9 to
February 25, 2018, in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province in the Republic of
Korea;
Whereas the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 represents the second Olympic
Games hosted by the Republic of Korea;
Whereas the Republic of Korea hosted the Olympic Games for the first time in
Seoul in the summer of 1988;
Whereas the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 will feature--
(1) 102 events across 15 disciplines; and
(2) the participation of 93 National Olympic Committee teams;
Whereas the United States Olympic Team is expected to comprise approximately 240
athletes competing across all 15 disciplines;
Whereas the United States Olympic Committee is headquartered in Colorado
Springs, Colorado;
Whereas the Republic of Korea will also host in PyeongChang the 12th Paralympic
Games from March 9 to March 18, 2018 that will feature--
(1) 80 events across 6 disciplines; and
(2) the participation of approximately 42 National Olympic Committee
teams;
Whereas the theme of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 is ``Passion.
Connected.'' and refers to the vision of the Republic of Korea of a
world in which everyone is connected through a shared passion for winter
sports;
Whereas, on November 13, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by
consensus a resolution entitled ``Building a peaceful and better world
through sport and the Olympic ideal'';
Whereas that resolution expresses the expectation of the United Nations General
Assembly that ``PyeongChang 2018 will be a meaningful opportunity to
foster an atmosphere of peace, development, tolerance, and understanding
on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia'';
Whereas, on January 4, 2018, President Donald J. Trump and President Moon Jae-In
of the Republic of Korea discussed recent developments on the Korean
Peninsula and agreed that ``the United States and the Republic of Korea
are committed to a safe and successful 2018 Winter Olympic Games in
PyeongChang'';
Whereas President Trump conveyed to President Moon that ``the United States will
send a high-level delegation to the Olympics,'' which will be led by
Vice President Michael R. Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence;
Whereas President Trump and President Moon further agreed to ``de-conflict the
Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic
of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games'';
Whereas the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(referred to in this preamble as ``DPRK'') recently reopened a telephone
hotline ``to normalize the Panmunjom communications channel'' at the
Joint Security Area located in the Demilitarized Zone;
Whereas, on January 9, 2018, representatives of the Republic of Korea and the
DPRK held the first official talks in more than 2 years with the aim of
discussing cooperation during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018;
Whereas the DPRK has indicated that it plans to participate in the Olympic
Winter Games PyeongChang 2018;
Whereas the DPRK is currently in violation of United Nations Security Council
Resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270
(2016), 2321 (2016), 2371 (2017), 2375 (2017), and 2397 (2017) that--
(1) condemn the illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the
DPRK; and
(2) impose economic sanctions against the DPRK and entities that enable
the DPRK; and
Whereas the DPRK engages in gross human rights abuses against the citizens of
the DPRK and the citizens of other countries, including the United
States and the Republic of Korea: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) reaffirms the strong and unwavering commitment of the
United States to an ally, the Republic of Korea, to support,
participate in, and help ensure the safety and security of the
23rd Olympic Winter Games (referred to in this resolving clause
as ``Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018'');
(2) recognizes the importance of the Olympic Winter Games
PyeongChang 2018 as a leading international sporting event of
genuine sportsmanship and fair play that can contribute to
peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast
Asia, and around the world;
(3) reaffirms that the United States, the Republic of
Korea, and other partners remain committed to pursuing the
policy of ``maximum pressure and engagement'' toward the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (referred to in this
resolving clause as ``DPRK''), including by fully abiding by
the letter and spirit of the resolutions of the United Nations
Security Council;
(4) expresses hope that the Olympic Winter Games
PyeongChang 2018 will contribute to the decision by the DPRK to
engage in negotiations that will result in complete,
verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula; and
(5) wishes every success in preparing and hosting the
Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to the government and
people of the Republic of Korea and the PyeongChang Organizing
Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
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