03/16/2023 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

         HJR  4-HONORING THE ALASKA-KOREA RELATIONSHIP                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:05:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  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."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:06:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GENEVIEVE MINA,  Alaska State  Legislature, prime                                                               
sponsor, presented HJR 4.   She paraphrased the sponsor statement                                                               
[included  in  the  committee  packet],  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     HJR  4  honors  the   unique  relationship  and  shared                                                                    
     history between  the State of  Alaska and  the Republic                                                                    
     of Korea. Korean  immigrants came to Alaska  to work in                                                                    
     the fishing and  canning industries, forming tight-knit                                                                    
     communities  and   social  institutions.   The  Korean-                                                                    
     American  community   is  a  vital  part   of  Alaska's                                                                    
     diversity. They serve as  Alaska as military personnel,                                                                    
     police  officers, fire  fighters,  nurses and  doctors,                                                                    
     teachers, business owners, public  servants, and more -                                                                    
     contributing   their   talents  to   Alaska's   safety,                                                                    
     diversity, and unity.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Additionally, the government of  South Korea has served                                                                    
     as  an  important  partner  in  national  security  and                                                                    
     trade. The  Mutual Defense Treaty  of 1953  between the                                                                    
     United States  and the  Republic of  Korea strengthened                                                                    
     the   defense  of   both  countries   against  external                                                                    
     threats,  particularly   from  North  Korea.   The  Ted                                                                    
     Stevens  Anchorage International  Airport is  a growing                                                                    
     hub for  air cargo to  and from the Republic  of Korea,                                                                    
     and  Alaska has  become  an  important destination  for                                                                    
     thousands  of Korean  tourists each  year. Since  1986,                                                                    
     the Municipality of  Anchorage and Incheon Metropolitan                                                                    
     City  have  been  sister cities,  leading  to  economic                                                                    
     opportunities and  increased cultural  exchange between                                                                    
     the two regions.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     House Joint  Resolution 4 seeks to  honor and celebrate                                                                    
     the  friendly and  beneficial relationship  between the                                                                    
     United  States  and  the Republic  of  Korea,  and  the                                                                    
     unique role Alaska has in that relationship.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:10:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW invited questions from members of the committee.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:10:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY expressed her  gratitude for the informative                                                               
resolution, adding  that she  was surprised  to learn  that Korea                                                               
was [America's]  largest trade partner.   She inquired  about the                                                               
Korea-Alaska Friendship Festival.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   MINA  discussed   the  Korea-Alaska   Friendship                                                               
Festival,  noting  that it  was  hosted  by the  Korean  American                                                               
community of  Anchorage (KACA).   She stated  that KACA  hosted a                                                               
variety  of events,  such as  multicultural unity  conversations,                                                               
training for  elders, small  business nonprofit  seminars, senior                                                               
academy, scholarship day, and scholarship  programs that had paid                                                               
out $20,000  annually to  many Alaskan students  for the  past 20                                                               
years.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:12:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW opened public testimony on HJR 4.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:12:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  SONG,  Board  Secretary, Korean  Cultural  Center  Alaska,                                                               
testified in  support of HJR  4.  He paraphrased  written remarks                                                               
[included  in  the  committee  packet],  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     I am writing today as  a member of the Korean community                                                                    
     in Alaska to  show my support for HJR  4, "Honoring the                                                                    
     Alaska-Korea Relationship.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     There  has been  a  long-standing relationship  between                                                                    
     our state and  the country of South  Korea. South Korea                                                                    
     is one  of Alaska's  top trade partners,  Alaskans have                                                                    
     fought for  the independence of South  Korea during the                                                                    
     Korean  War,  and   Korean-Americans  have  established                                                                    
     themselves  as   an  integral   part  of   our  Alaskan                                                                    
     community.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Korean Americans  in Alaska are deeply  involved in our                                                                    
     small  business  community,  both in  urban  and  rural                                                                    
     communities  across  the  state.  The  Korean  American                                                                    
     Community of  Anchorage (KACA) has donated  hundreds of                                                                    
     thousands  in  scholarship  funds to  students  of  all                                                                    
     backgrounds over the years, and  are deeply involved in                                                                    
     philanthropic efforts across the state.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     For example, SB 203,  sponsored by Senator Revak, named                                                                    
     a bridge  in your district  after Insook Baik,  who has                                                                    
     donated thousands  of dollars of meals  to the Mountain                                                                    
     View  community. Last  year, our  very own  Miss Alaska                                                                    
     was  chosen  to be  Miss  America  in  2022 and  is  an                                                                    
     involved member  of the  Korean American  community. We                                                                    
     are  proud that  she represented  the Korean  community                                                                    
     gracefully on the national stage  and used her platform                                                                    
     to advocate for the Special Olympics.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska  has already  recognized  the deep  relationship                                                                    
     between   our   two  countries   through   Korea-Alaska                                                                    
     Friendship Day,  which is held  on 6/25 of  every year.                                                                    
     However,  I believe  that  HJR 4  would  be a  powerful                                                                    
     reaffirmation  of  this   relationship.  To  honor  the                                                                    
     contributions  of   Koreans  to  Alaska  and   for  the                                                                    
     betterment  of   the  relationships  between   our  two                                                                    
     countries,  I  urge  the  Legislature  to  pass  HJR  4                                                                    
     posthaste.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW closed public testimony on HJR 4.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:15:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARPENTER  recounted  his experience  serving  in                                                               
Korea   for  a   military   exercise,  which   he  described   as                                                               
inspirational.   He  noted his  surprise  at the  amount of  high                                                               
tunnels  and  greenhouses  in  addition   to  the  investment  in                                                               
infrastructure  that allowed  them  to grow  crops  for a  longer                                                               
period.   He expressed appreciation  for the time he  spent there                                                               
and for the proposed resolution.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW  shared  his  experience  training  with  the  Korean                                                               
frogmen, emphasizing the value of Korea and HJR 3.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:17:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:17:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT moved  to report  HJR 4  out of  committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.   There being  no objection,  HJR 4  was reported  from the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.