Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance constitutes a lynchpin of United States foreign policy in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia and beyond; Whereas the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, has continued engaging in destabilizing provocations by developing and testing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in clear violation of six United Nations Security Council Resolutions; Whereas, on March 5, 2017, North Korea launched four ballistic missiles from Tongchang-ri, in northwest North Korea that flew an average of 620 miles before falling into the sea between North Korea and Japan, following the launch on February 11, 2017; Whereas the 15-member United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the March 5 missile launches as being in grave violation of North Korea’s international obligations under six relevant Security Council resolutions; Whereas the Republic of Korea and the United States made an alliance decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) as a self-defensive measure to ensure the security of the ROK and its people, and to protect Alliance military forces from North Korea’s growing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile threats; Whereas, on March 6, 2017, the first components of the THAAD anti-missile system, including two launchers, arrived at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea; Whereas the Republic of Korea and the United States reiterated on numerous occasions that the THAAD system would be deployed solely for the purpose of defending against North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third-party nations