UNITED STATES TROOPS IN KOREA.

SEC. 1014. UNITED STATES TROOPS IN KOREA. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The United States plans to reduce its troop presence in the Republic of Korea to 36,500 personnel by the end of 1992. (2) The Department of Defense has not announced specific plans for further personnel reductions below that level. (3) The National Unification Board of South Korea estimates the gross national product (GNP) of North Korea to have been $21,000,000,000 in 1989, while the Bank of Korea estimates that the size of the Republic of Korea’s economy in that year was $210,000,000,000, a factor of 10 larger. At its current growth rate, as estimated by the Economic Planning Board of the Republic of Korea, the annual expansion of the economy of the Republic of Korea is nearly equivalent in size to the entire North Korean economy. (4) The Republic of Korea continues to face a substantial military threat from North Korea that requires a vigorous response on both military and diplomatic levels. (5) The Republic of Korea has decided to increase its level of host nation support, although such support still falls short of the actual cost involved and short of the relative level provided by the Government of Japan. (6) While recognizing that the Republic of Korea has consistently increased its defense budget in real terms by an average of about 6 percent annually for the past five years, to a current level of 4.2 percent of gross national product, the Republic of Korea devotes a smaller share of its economy to defense than does the United States, at 4.9 percent of gross national product. (b) Sense of Congress —It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the Republic of Korea remains an important ally of the United States, with the two countries sharing important political, economic, and security interests; (2) commensurate with the security situation on the Korean peninsula and the size and vitality of the economy of the Republic of Korea— (A) the Department of Defense should consider whether future reductions of United States military forces from the Republic of Korea beyond those now planned to be completed by the end of 1992 can be made in a way that does not undermine the credibility or effectiveness of those forces against an attack by North Korea; and (B) the Republic of Korea should undertake greater efforts to meet its security requirements, particularly in the area of force modernization; and (3) the Government of the Republic of Korea should increase the level of host nation support it provides to United States 105 STAT. 1465forces in the area so that its relative level more closely approximates that of Japan. (c) Presidential Report.— (1) The President shall transmit to Congress, either separately or as part of another relevant report, a report on the overall security situation on the Korean peninsula, the implications of relevant political and economic developments in the area for the security situation there, and United States policy for the area. (2) Issues covered in the report shall include— (A) a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the military balance on the Korean peninsula; (B) a description of the material requirements of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea; (C) a description of United States military personnel requirements; (D) a description of the state of United States-Republic of Korea relations, the state of China-Republic of Korea relations, and the state of Soviet-Republic of Korea relations; and (E) a description of prospects for change in North Korea. (3) The report shall be transmitted not later than June 30, 1992, and shall be transmitted in both classified and unclassified form.