02/28/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

          HJR 4-HONORING THE ALASKA-KOREA RELATIONSHIP                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:01:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  JOINT   RESOLUTION  NO.   4,  Honoring   the  Alaska-Korea                                                               
relationship; and celebrating the  70th anniversary of the Mutual                                                               
Defense  Treaty between  the United  States and  the Republic  of                                                               
Korea, the  70th anniversary of  the Korean  Armistice Agreement,                                                               
and the 120th anniversary of  the first Korean immigration to the                                                               
United States.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:02:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GENEVIEVE  MINA,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor,  presented HJR  4.  She  explained that  the joint                                                               
resolution  commemorates many  different  anniversaries, but  the                                                               
significant focus  in 2023 is  on the relationship  between Korea                                                               
and Alaska.  The proposed  joint resolution commemorates not only                                                               
the seventieth  anniversary of the Mutual  Defense Treaty between                                                               
the  U.S. and  the  Republic  of Korea  but  also the  seventieth                                                               
anniversary of  the Korean Armistice  Agreement which  came forth                                                               
upon  the  ending  of  the  Korean  War.    The  resolution  also                                                               
acknowledges  and  celebrates  the   one  hundred  and  twentieth                                                               
anniversary  of the  first Korean  immigration to  the U.S.   She                                                               
noted  that during  the  Korean War,  over  1.8 million  American                                                               
troops fought, including over 2,500  Alaskans, and the resolution                                                               
honors much of  this service between South Korea and  the U.S. in                                                               
terms  of military  cooperation.    She said  that  the State  of                                                               
Alaska  plays a  pivotal  role  in Korean  relations  due to  the                                                               
proximity to the Korean peninsula.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:05:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA  noted that the  Republic of Korea  Air Force                                                               
participates  in  exercise  RED  FLAG-Alaska, which  is  a  joint                                                               
aerial combat  training exercise held  by the U.S. Air  Force and                                                               
additionally, last year, Korean  Navy ships arrived in Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, for the first time as  part of the Republic of Korea Navy                                                               
cruise training.   She stressed the  "great relationship" between                                                               
the two  countries' militaries.  Regarding  economic partnership,                                                               
South Korea  is Alaska's strongest  trade partner, and  she noted                                                               
the various items  that are traded.  Over  7,000 Korean Americans                                                               
live in Alaska, run small  businesses, and are community leaders.                                                               
There  are   many  churches  in  Anchorage   and  many  festivals                                                               
celebrating the Alaska and Korea relationship.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:08:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT noted  he had been aboard a Republic  of Korea naval                                                               
ship,  and being  a fellow  Seaman, commended  them on  keeping a                                                               
"clean ship."  He invited questions from the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:08:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked for clarification whether  the U.S.                                                               
and  Korea currently  stand at  an  armistice, but  not a  formal                                                               
ending to the  Korean War.  He further commented  it is important                                                               
to  maintain  good  relations  in case  things  should  "heat  up                                                               
again."                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA deferred the question to Seung Man Sang.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:09:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SEUNG  MAN SANG,  Consul/Head, Korean  Consulate, explained  that                                                               
the Korean War  ended with a cease fire agreement  in 1953, but a                                                               
peace treaty is required to formally  end the war.  The countries                                                               
are still in the "war situation" in legal terms.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  stated he  would like  to hear  more from                                                               
Mr.  Sang about  the value  of HJR  4 and  what it  means to  his                                                               
country.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SANG   responded  that  in   addition  to  all   the  things                                                               
Representative Mina had  already covered here, it  is a milestone                                                               
in  looking back  at relations,  and  it would  be honorable  and                                                               
symbolic  to  acknowledge  U.S.  and  Korea's  long-standing  and                                                               
special relationship  and continue to develop  relationships into                                                               
the future.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:12:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SANG  began his  testimony.   He explained  he would  like to                                                               
speak briefly  on the  Korea/U.S. and  Korea/Alaska relationship.                                                               
He  stressed the  importance  of remembering  the  Korean War  he                                                               
referred to  as the "forgotten war,"  and that the Korean  War is                                                               
the starting  point for U.S. and  Korea alliance.  He  also noted                                                               
that Korea has transformed from an  aid recipient to an aid giver                                                               
for the first  time in history, and he expressed  his belief that                                                               
this shows  that the U.S. and  Korea alliance is one  of the most                                                               
successful ones  in the world.   He  explained that in  2012, the                                                               
countries entered  into a Free  Trade Agreement  that contributed                                                               
considerably  to the  economies of  each country,  and a  10-year                                                               
anniversary was celebrated last year.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:16:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SANG emphasized  that Korean  air cargo  carriers are  still                                                               
operating at Ted Stevens Anchorage  International Airport, and he                                                               
reiterated Korea's participation in  RED FLAG-Alaska, as noted by                                                               
Representative  Mina.    All  things  considered,  he  urged  the                                                               
committee to [support] HJR 4.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:18:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WRIGHT thanked  Mr. Sang  and invited  questions from  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:18:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY expressed  surprise  that  the first  Korean                                                               
immigrants  were in  1903, and  questioned the  reason why  there                                                               
were none before then.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SANG  replied  that  in   1903,  about  102  Korean  farmers                                                               
immigrated to Hawaii under a "contract  base," and this led up to                                                               
the immigration to the U.S.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked if there  are any other states honoring                                                               
this year's anniversary.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. SANG replied other states are considering the resolution.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:21:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  recalled his travels to  Korea during its                                                               
National  Day when  all the  sirens  went off  and civil  defense                                                               
drills  were taken,  and he  realized  the risk  under which  the                                                               
Republic  of  Korea exists.    He  spoke  about the  benefit  and                                                               
necessity  of  international  treaties that  allow  countries  to                                                               
exist in peace and create  an umbrella security to which economic                                                               
relationships can prosper.   He asked Mr. Sang where  he sees the                                                               
economic relationship going between Korea and Alaska.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SANG replied  that since  2018, Korea  had been  the largest                                                               
trading partner  with Alaska,  and Alaska  has huge  potential in                                                               
terms  of  natural resources.    Currently,  the items  of  trade                                                               
between Korea  and Alaska are  the marine products, but  this can                                                               
be expanded.   He  requested a platform  be installed  to discuss                                                               
trade cooperation and promotion between Korea and Alaska.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER mentioned  the  possible importation  and                                                               
storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. SANG expressed keen interest  in the carbon industry and felt                                                               
Representative   Saddler's  ideas   would   be   "in  the   right                                                               
direction."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:25:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SANG, in  response to  Representative Rauscher,  offered his                                                               
understanding that the armistice agreement  was signed in 1953 by                                                               
North Korea, China, and the United States.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:26:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WRIGHT   opened  public  testimony   on  HJR  4.     After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that HJR 4 was held over.