A strong resolution

On Monday the United States House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution on the Korea-U.S. alliance.
In the resolution, the House recognized America’s strong alliance with South Korea and expressed thanks for this country’s efforts in the global war against terrorism, through Korean troop deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the House of Representatives officially confirmed that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is intact. The resolution is meaningful because it came amid concerns that have been raised about the alliance between the two countries.
The U.S. Congress pushed for a resolution similar to the one passed in 2003 on the 50th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance.
That resolution was passed in the Senate but it was not passed in the House, because lawmakers were unmoved by it.
That was shocking to Koreans because, around the same time, resolutions to commemorate the 150th anniversary of ties between the United States and Japan, and another to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, were passed by the House.
Although belated, it is good news that the U.S. House of Representatives has adopted the resolution.
The resolution was adopted when pessimistic voices about the current Korea-U.S. alliance had been heard in the United States.
Some said the Korea-U.S. alliance had become like a marriage on the brink of divorce while others said the alliance might collapse within 10 years if things persist this way.
We hope that this resolution will help people realize the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance once again.
Both South Korea and the United States have been adjusting their views of the alliance in accordance with changes inside and outside their countries.
As inter-Korean ties have improved, the conventional alliance between South Korea and the United States, which was based on their common enemy, has been challenged and has been forced to change.
Nevertheless, the alliance of the two countries will certainly be helpful to both nations in the future, considering the geographic location of the Korean Peninsula.
We must respond to the resolution by the U.S. House by making concrete efforts to improve the alliance in a comprehensive and forward-looking fashion.