[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13463-13464]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    DECLARATION FOR ONE UNITED KOREA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2015

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a declaration for one 
united Korea as established by the organization One Dream One Korea.

       On this 70th anniversary of the liberation and the division 
     of Korea, we, the people and friends of Korea, declare that:
       Korean unification is inevitable. We are one people in one 
     land who have shared a common history and culture for 
     millennia. Reunification of the Korean Peninsula is a

[[Page 13464]]

     profound aspiration in the hearts of the Korean people, and a 
     national destiny that supersede 70 years of separation and 
     all differences of ideology and government systems.
       Korean unification is desirable. The suffering of people in 
     North Korea and the continuing anguish of separated families 
     cry out for a concerted response from the civilized world. 
     Nuclear threats destabilize the security of Northeast Asia in 
     particular and the world in general. Meanwhile the people of 
     South Korea seek a pathway to transcend materialism and 
     dysfunctional political divides. Building One Korea offers a 
     fundamental solution to all these problems and will advance 
     peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia to the benefit of the 
     world at large.
       Korean unification is now achievable. In the past century 
     Korea endured colonization and then division, at the hands of 
     more powerful nations. Today, for the first time in modern 
     history, Korean people possess the political and economic 
     power to determine their own future, together with growing 
     global support for the establishment of One Korea. We are at 
     a historic crossroads. Set against the enormous challenges of 
     ending the division and creating a new nation, we have an 
     opportunity to achieve a true greatness that history rarely 
     accords to any people. Now is the time to build a national 
     consensus for a shared vision of One Korea on the foundation 
     of Korean identity and a common destiny and to garner 
     international support for it.
       The Korean people share one dream: To live in One Korea we 
     can all be proud of. Since time immemorial, the Korean people 
     have longed for a model country; one guided by universal 
     principles, shared moral values, and the rule of law, 
     guaranteeing the basic human rights and freedoms endowed to 
     all people by the Creator, as the foundation for a just and 
     prosperous society. In realizing such a model, One Korea will 
     become a strong, sovereign nation that acts as a peacemaker, 
     committed to resolving conflict in Northeast Asia and the 
     wider world. It will be a 2lst century leader as a 
     compassionate, humane nation acting with concern for 
     posterity, and as a responsible steward of the earth.
       One Korea will benefit all and threaten none. Korea has 
     never invaded another country in its entire history. The love 
     of peace lies deep in our heritage. Therefore, One Korea will 
     foster new guiding principles for peace in the 21st century 
     through integrating the values of East and West, and soften 
     the sharp edges of global power confrontations. One Korea 
     will offer a powerful example, especially for developing 
     nations, of a traditional society that has advanced by 
     embracing the positive aspects of modernity while seeking to 
     retain the enduring values of the past.
       For Korea, those values are expressed in the principle of 
     Hong-Ik Ingan: Living for the benefit of all humanity. Since 
     the very origin of Korea, it has been embedded in the hearts, 
     minds, customs, and traditions of the Korean people. It 
     offers a broad, guiding philosophy for One Korea where 
     ``Hong-Ik Democracy'' will offer a 21st Century model of 
     government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
       Inspired by this vision of One Korea we, the undersigned, 
     submit the following proposals for adoption and support by 
     ALL:
       We encourage initiatives to awaken understanding of the 
     principles that have shaped Korea's distinctive heritage in 
     order to strengthen national and international resolve to 
     bring about One Korea.
       We support efforts to start and sustain co-prosperity 
     projects to build infrastructure that allows ordinary people 
     in North Korea to improve their living standards through 
     their own efforts. We advocate people-to-people contact 
     through cultural exchanges, joint service projects and other 
     initiatives that can rebuild connections between Koreans of 
     north and south.
       We call on our brethren in North Korea to embrace the 
     program for co-prosperity so that both South and North can 
     cooperate to improve the lives of ordinary people. Let us 
     prosper together, thus building a bridge towards peaceful 
     unification when the people themselves can decide how they 
     wish to govern themselves.
       We urge the eight million Korean people living outside of 
     the Korean Peninsula to dedicate themselves to the global 
     movement toward One Korea and call on Korean compatriots 
     abroad to mobilize the substantive support of their adopted 
     lands.
       We appeal to the governments and people of all nations, and 
     in particular the United States, the People's Republic of 
     China, Japan, Russia, and Mongolia, to actively co-operate in 
     advancing Korean unification as the key to the joint security 
     and mutual prosperity of all the nations of the Northeast 
     Asia region and the Pacific rim.
       We call for multi-national entities, such as the United 
     Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the 
     Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Health 
     Organization, and international non-governmental 
     organizations, to provide advice and assistance especially 
     during the challenging transitional period to assure the 
     success of One Korea.
       Therefore, at this historic juncture, we do solemnly 
     declare that the Korean people shall be, justly and by right, 
     one family, one people, and one nation. We will work together 
     to realize the dream of One Korea, fulfilling, our historical 
     destiny, and establishing a shining example for generations 
     to come.

                          ____________________