[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 24730-24731]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION AWARDED TO CONGRESSMAN MIKE HONDA BY 
               KANGWON NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH KOREA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 2009

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, this August, I had the honor of traveling 
to Kangwon National University in South Korea, where I was awarded an 
honorary doctorate in Education. As a former high school teacher, 
principal, and school board member, education has always been my top 
priority. I believe education is a powerful investment in our future, 
and I have continued my pursuit of both learning and teaching during my 
tenure in Congress. I was humbled to receive the high honor of an 
honorary doctorate from Kangwon National University, an institution I 
have come to deeply respect.
  During my visit to Korea, I met with Prime Minister Seung-Soo Han, 
whose passion for moving President Myung-Bak Lee's ``Low Carbon, Green 
Growth'' initiative forward is something that I admire. As a 
representative from Silicon Valley, which is at the forefront in our 
country's efforts in renewable energy, I know the importance of Korea's 
investments in green technologies.
  Many individuals helped make my visit to Korea successful and 
memorable, and I would like to thank the following people who helped to 
make my degree and visit possible: Prime Minister Seung-Soo Han; 
Foreign Minister Myung-Hwan Yu; Kangwon Province Governor Jin-Sun Kim; 
Kangwon National University President Yong-Jung Kwon; National 
Assemblywoman Nak-Kyun Shin; National Assemblywoman Mi-Kyung Lee; U.S. 
Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens; former Korean Ambassador to the 
U.S. Tae-Sik Lee; American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman David 
Ruch; House of Sharing, Comfort Women Survivors and Grandma Koon-Ja 
Kim; Sokcho City Mayor Yong-Sang Chae; and Korean American Voters' 
Council of New York and New Jersey Leader Dong-Suk Kim.
  During my visit, I delivered the following remarks upon accepting my 
honorary doctorate at Kangwon National University.
  It is a pleasure to be here with you here in Korea at Kangwon 
National University. Thank you for the warm welcome and the kind 
introduction, and for this wonderful honor.
  I'd like to thank the President, distinguished members of the 
faculty, and students of Kangwon University. I would also like to 
express my appreciation to Governor Jin-Sun Kim of Kangwon province, 
and Mr. Dong-Suk Kim of the Korean American Voters' Council.
  This is my fourth time in this great country, and each time I leave 
with stronger friendships and a deeper understanding and connection to 
Korea. My visits to Korea and the warmth of the Korean people have made 
a long lasting impression on me.
  This trip is especially meaningful to me, and I am extremely honored 
to receive an honorary doctorate in education here at Kangwon

[[Page 24731]]

National University. As a former teacher, principal, and school board 
member, education has played an integral role throughout my life, so 
receiving this degree is very personal.
  Education is my passion, and I believe it is the most powerful tool 
and investment we can provide children with. Quality education assures 
the economic competitiveness of any nation, advances the arts and 
sciences, and provides the means for people to achieve individual 
success. I have worked hard towards providing every child with a high 
quality education, both as a former educator and as a Member of 
Congress.
  Education also means being able to teach others in order to learn 
from past mistakes, and flourish as a society. If society cannot look 
back and learn from previous mistakes, trust and progress between 
nations is stunted.
  To this end, I have spent a portion of my career in Congress 
educating and working on a historical issue that has grown very close 
to my heart: that of the 200,000 sex slaves known as comfort women. 
These comfort women, many of whom were Korean, were forced into 
dehumanizing sexual slavery, forced to serve up to 30 soldiers a day in 
some cases. They suffered serious physical, emotional, and 
psychological damages as a result.
  Yesterday, I had the chance to visit with some of the comfort women 
survivors. I have met these women on several occasions, both in the 
United States and in Korea at the House of Sharing, and each time I 
meet them, I am renewed by how strong they are. I cannot emphasize 
enough how much I admire their perseverance.
  The hope of the comfort women is an extremely modest one: That the 
government of Japan formally acknowledges, apologizes and accepts full 
historical responsibility for this crime. To date, they have still not 
received such a formal apology. That is why I introduced House 
Resolution 121, which calls on Japan to do so.
  I believe the U.S. must have a strong founding in historical 
reconciliation. For example, in 1988, Congress passed, and President 
Ronald Reagan signed into law, H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 
1988, which was a formal apology to United States citizens of Japanese 
ancestry who were unjustly put into internment camps during World War 
II.
  As someone who was put into an internment camp as an infant, I know 
firsthand that we must not be ignorant of the past, and that 
reconciliation through government actions to admit error are the only 
ones likely to be long lasting.
  Our government made a mistake, but they apologized for it, and healed 
many wounds as a result. Today, fewer than 300 comfort women are alive 
and the number is dwindling as they pass away. They want, and deserve, 
an official apology.
  I cannot put into words how grateful I was when H. Res. 121 received 
overwhelming support in the 110th Congress--first during its markup 
held under Chairman Tom Lantos' leadership, and then during its debate 
and final passage before the House on July 30, 2007.
  The fact that H. Res. 121 received no opposition during its 
consideration and passed unanimously attests to its importance and 
relevance today. By doing so, the House sent a profound message to the 
government of Japan that the United States takes the issue of the 
comfort women very seriously.
  Immediately after its passage, I rushed to the House gallery, where 
Yong Soo Lee, a surviving comfort woman, was watching floor 
proceedings. We shared a tearful embrace, one I will never forget. She 
repeated ``Thank you. . . . thank you . . .'', and I could see in her 
face that she felt, maybe for the first time in her life, some sense of 
relief.
  Despite the struggles I may have faced in pushing forward this 
resolution, and the criticism I received from the government of Japan, 
seeing Yong Soo Lee immediately reminded me again why I chose to tackle 
this issue.
  While the resolution was successful, unfortunately it has not forced 
the government of Japan to act. The comfort women deserve to have their 
dignity and honor restored to them. It is not too late for Japan to 
issue a sincere and official apology, while these women are still 
alive.
  I am hopeful that an international awareness has spread about comfort 
women, particularly in Australia, the Philippines, and Canada, where 
comfort women resolutions similar to H. Res. 121 have been introduced 
and some passed. We must continue to advocate for a formal apology for 
the comfort women as a matter of fundamental justice. It is an honor to 
be here in Korea to continue educating about this chapter in history, 
and to educate others about the importance of an apology for the women.
  Moral justice and education have been the two guiding principles I 
have followed during my fight for the comfort women.
  I believe education is a tool that can also be used to fight another 
battle: global warming. Climate change is the most significant threat 
to our environment today and is one of the greatest challenges that 
humans face. The overwhelming scientific evidence makes clear that 
global warming is a real phenomenon, and that human activities play a 
significant role.
  Twenty of the hottest years in recorded history occurred since the 
1980s. Glaciers and permafrost are vanishing. Weather patterns are 
shifting. Migration patterns are being disrupted.
  Global warming presents mankind with a new kind of problem. To fight 
global warming, dramatic changes will be needed in transportation, 
energy production, public policy, and human behavior world wide.
  As a former teacher, I feel education will be essential to allowing 
those changes to happen, which is why I introduced the Global Warming 
Education Act, H.R. 1926. The bill will broaden America's understanding 
of human-induced global warming, short and long term consequences, and 
potential solutions.
  Widespread understanding of this phenomenon will play a significant 
role in our ability to address a crisis that tangibly and immediately 
impacts every single human being. It is vital that people of all walks 
of life possess sufficient understanding of the issue so that each and 
every one of us may play a role in defending the health of our planet.
  I learned that Korea is becoming a world example and leader of using 
``green'' technology to also address these threats. The U.S. is also an 
active leader in this effort, and this is just one example of many of 
the common values that our two countries share. I commend you for 
leading on the green technology front, and encourage you to educate 
your peers about the threats that we as humans face.
  In closing, Korea holds a very special place in my heart. The 
relationship our two countries share is vitally important and continues 
to grow. I have many close friends here in Korea, and I appreciate the 
welcoming spirit of the Korean people each time I visit. Receiving this 
honorary doctorate is a lifelong dream of mine, and I am grateful for 
the opportunity to be presented with such an honor.
  Again, I would like to thank the President, faculty, and the students 
of Kangwon National University for bestowing this honor upon me.

                          ____________________