U.S. House Passes Bill to Establish Korea-U.S.-Japan Legislative Dialogue Channel

A bill to establish an official dialogue channel among the legislatures of South Korea, the United States, and Japan has passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

AP Yonhap News

On June 8 (local time), the U.S. House unanimously passed the "U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Act" in a full session. The bill was introduced in May last year by Democratic Representative Ami Bera, who serves as the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation.

The bill passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in July last year with 47 votes in favor and 3 against. After about a year, it has now cleared the hurdle of the House. For the bill to become law, it must still pass the Senate and receive the President's signature.

The core of the bill is to require the U.S. Department of State to negotiate with the governments of South Korea and Japan to establish an official dialogue channel between the legislatures of the three countries. The bill stipulates that within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of State must begin negotiations with the governments of South Korea and Japan in consultation with Congress. The goal of the negotiation is to reach a written agreement to establish parliamentary dialogue that promotes cooperation for shared interests and values.

The U.S. delegation will consist of eight lawmakers serving two-year terms. Four members from the House of Representatives and four members from the Senate will participate, with equal representation from the Republican and Democratic parties—four from each party.

In a press release on June 9, Representative Bera stated that the bill reflects the commitments made at the U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral summit held at Camp David in August 2023. He explained that the bill emphasizes the role of legislatures in transforming these commitments into sustained policy and institutional cooperation.

He stated, "Diplomacy is at the heart of peace," and added that the United States, South Korea, and Japan are stronger when they work together to advance shared interests and address common challenges. He further noted that the bill will strengthen exchanges among the three legislatures and reaffirm the United States' commitment to South Korea and Japan, which are key allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.