COOPERATION WITH THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA.

SEC. 203. SECURITY COOPERATION WITH THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA.(a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings:(1) Close and continuing defense cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Korea continues to be in the national security interest of the United States.(2) The Republic of Korea was designated a major non-NATO ally in 1987, the first such designation.(3) The Republic of Korea has been a major purchaser of United States defense articles and services through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, totaling $6,900,000,000 in deliveries over the last 10 years.(4) Purchases of United States defense articles, services, and major defense equipment facilitate and increase the interoperability of Republic of Korea military forces with the United States Armed Forces.(5) Congress has previously enacted important, special defense cooperation arrangements for the Republic of Korea, as in the Act entitled “An Act to authorize the transfer of items in the War Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea”, approved December 30, 2005 (Public Law 109–159; 119 Stat. 2955), which authorized the President, notwithstanding section 514 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321h), to transfer to the Republic of Korea certain defense items to be included in a war reserve stockpile for that country.122 STAT. 4845(6) Enhanced support for defense cooperation with the Republic of Korea is important to the national security of the United States, including through creation of a status in law for the Republic of Korea similar to the countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, with respect to consideration by Congress of foreign military sales to the Republic of Korea.(b) Special Foreign Military Sales Status for Republic of Korea.—The Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) is amended—(1) in sections 3(d)(2)(B), 3(d)(3)(A)(i), 3(d)(5), 21(e)(2)(A), 36(b), 36(c), 36(d)(2)(A), 62(c)(1), and 63(a)(2), by inserting “the Republic of Korea,” before “or New Zealand” each place it appears;(2) in section 3(b)(2), by inserting “the Government of the Republic of Korea,” before “or the Government of New Zealand”;(3) in section 21(h)(1)(A), by inserting “the Republic of Korea,” before “or Israel”; and(4) in section 21(h)(2), by striking “or to any member government of that Organization if that Organization or member government” and inserting “, to any member government of that Organization, or to the Governments of the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or Israel if that Organization, member government, or the Governments of the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or Israel”.