[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 108 (Thursday, July 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ON THE OCCASION OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KOREAN WAR ARMISTICE

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                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2013

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 60th anniversary of 
the July 27, 1953 signing of the Armistice Agreement that temporarily 
halted the active combat of the Korean War. Today, the Korean War still 
continues in the form of threats, military exercises, periodic flare-
ups, sanctions, and the build-up of armaments on both sides. Earlier 
this year, military tensions on the Korean peninsula dangerously 
escalated.
  The preamble to the 1953 Armistice Agreement, which was signed by the 
United States, North Korea, and China, states that its ultimate purpose 
was to stop ``the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and 
bloodshed on both sides, and . . . [to] insure a complete cessation of 
hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peace 
settlement is achieved.'' Intended only as a temporary measure, the 
Armistice Agreement was meant to be replaced with a permanent peace 
accord.
  Sixty years later, however, the United States spends billions of 
dollars per year to maintain its military presence in South Korea, one 
of the top ten global economies. At a time when many Americans struggle 
to pay their bills, vital U.S. dollars are directed into further 
militarizing the Korean peninsula. Moreover, the Korean peninsula 
remains tragically divided and millions of Korean and Korean American 
families remain separated from their loved ones. Korean Americans who 
were direct witness to the war's devastation are now reaching their 
seventies and eighties. It is high time to recognize the human costs of 
ongoing war and to offer genuine hope to Korean Americans who yearn for 
a long overdue end to this war. We must honor them and all those who 
fought in the war, including our own Korean War veterans, by replacing 
hostilities with genuine peace within their lifetimes.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that this somber milestone can 
serve as a call to action for us in Congress to do our part to de-
escalate tensions and to work towards the establishment of a permanent 
and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula. Peace negotiations 
between the United States, South Korea, North Korea, and all relevant 
parties are the only way forward.

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