00                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4                                                                     
01 Honoring the Alaska-Korea relationship; and celebrating the 70th anniversary of the                                     
02 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea, the 70th                                     
03 anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, and the 120th anniversary of the first                                   
04 Korean immigration to the United States.                                                                                
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS 2023 marks 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty                                      
07 between the United States and the Republic of Korea, signed on October 1, 1953, and entered                             
08 into force November 17, 1954; and                                                                                       
09       WHEREAS 2023 marks 70 years since the signing of the Korean Armistice                                           
10 Agreement, ending the hostilities of the Korean War; and                                                              
11       WHEREAS 2023 marks 120 years since the first immigration of Koreans to the                                      
12 United States, when the SS Gaelic brought the first Korean immigrants to Hawaii; and                                  
13       WHEREAS the United States and the Republic of Korea have longstanding ties                                      
14 through trade, military cooperation, tourism, immigration, and many other areas; and                                  
15       WHEREAS the United States and the Republic of Korea have been developing a                                      

01 steadfast partnership, anchored in shared values and interests, tackling the most pressing                              
02 regional and global challenges, thereby evolving into a global comprehensive strategic                                  
03 alliance; and                                                                                                         
04 WHEREAS the United States and the Republic of Korea are major trade partners,                                         
05 with about $169,000,000,000 of trade annually between the two nations in raw materials,                                 
06 including crude oil and natural gas, and in finished goods, such as automobiles and                                     
07 semiconductors; and                                                                                                   
08 WHEREAS this state and the Republic of Korea engage in major trade, with about                                        
09 $2,300,000,000 of trade annually between the state and the Republic of Korea, including                                 
10 minerals, fish, and computer products; and                                                                            
11 WHEREAS some large Korean companies operate in the state, including major air                                     
12 cargo carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines that operate at the Ted Stevens Anchorage                                 
13 International Airport; and                                                                                            
14 WHEREAS, each year, over 2,000,000 Korean travelers visit the United States and                                     
15 1,000,000 travelers from the United States visit the Republic of Korea, contributing                                    
16 substantially to the economies of each country; and                                                                   
17 WHEREAS 7,000 Koreans and Korean Americans live in the state, contributing to                                         
18 the rich history and culture of the state; and                                                                        
19 WHEREAS the cities of Anchorage, Alaska, and Incheon, Republic of Korea, have                                         
20 been sister cities since 1986, acknowledging the ties between the state and the Republic of                             
21 Korea and encouraging cultural and economic exchange; and                                                             
22 WHEREAS, since 2008, the state has celebrated Korea-Alaska Friendship Day on                                          
23 June 20, acknowledging the longstanding ties, economic and cultural exchange, and                                       
24 friendship between the state and the Republic of Korea;                                                               
25 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the strength and                                          
26 longevity of the relationship between the state and the Republic of Korea as premier partners                           
27 in the Pacific region; and be it                                                                                      
28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature acknowledges the                                                 
29 important anniversaries marking 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty and                             
30 the Korean Armistice Agreement, and 120 years since the first immigration of Koreans to the                             
31 United States; and be it                                                                                              

01 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature eagerly looks forward to                                         
02 the continuation of the close relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea                          
03 and anticipates a growing relationship for years to come.                                                               
04 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President                                   
05 of the United States; the Honorable Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea; the                              
06 Honorable Han Duck-soo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea; the Honorable Antony                                   
07 Blinken, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs                          
08 of the Republic of Korea; the Honorable Lee Jong-Sup, Minister of National Defense of the                               
09 Republic of Korea; the Honorable Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of Defense; the                                  
10 Honourable Seo Eun-ji, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, Washington; the                              
11 Honorable Sang Sueng-man, Consul and Head of the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in                                  
12 Anchorage, Alaska; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan,                                     
13 U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                               
14 delegation in Congress.