[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 38 (Monday, March 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    COMMEMORATING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF KOREA'S MARCH FIRST 
                              MOVEMENT DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 4, 2019

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the centennial 
anniversary of Korea's March First Movement Day. On March 1, 1919, the 
Korean Declaration of Independence, inspired by President Woodrow 
Wilson's Fourteen Points and the first of a people to self-
determination was read aloud in Seoul for the first time.
  Korea's hard-fought independence would not have been possible without 
brave and committed activists like 16-year-old Yu Gwan-sun, who gave 
her life in the name of independence and died from the injuries she 
sustained while she was imprisoned. Yu became the face of the Korean 
independence movement, giving speeches at rallies that drew thousands 
of participants.
  Korea's March First Movement inspired other non-violence and 
independence movements around the world, including the important work 
of Mahatma Gandhi.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to have introduced a resolution last week 
that celebrates this history with my new colleague--Congressman Andy 
Kim of New Jersey. This resolution recognizes the impact of all youth 
human rights activists; the indelible contributions of Korean Americans 
to the vibrancy of United States society, politics, culture, and the 
economy; and reaffirms the U.S.-ROK alliance as the lynchpin of U.S. 
engagement in Northeast Asia.
  Thank you for joining me in honoring this important and historic day.

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