By Yi Whan-woo
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met U.S. congressman Michael Honda, Wednesday, in Seoul to discuss issue of mutual interest, including ways to enhance ties between the two countries.
A member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Honda (D-CA), is on a visit here from Wednesday to Sunday upon the invitation of the foreign ministry under the Congressional Member Exchange Program.
Honda, 73, a Japanese American, was a key member in the U.S. Congress’ passage of a resolution in 2007 on sex slaves, the majority of them Koreans, who were forced to work at military brothels for Japanese soldiers during WWII.
Also a member of the U.S. congressional Korea Caucus, he is scheduled to meet members of the Presidential Preparatory Committee for Unification to share thoughts on inter-Korean issues. The committee was launched in July to work on ways to implement President Park Geun-hye’s inter-Korean unification initiatives, mainly the Dresden Declaration.
Honda will also meet U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert and visit American soldiers at the U.S. Army Garrison in Yongsan, central Seoul.
He plans to visit the House of Sharing in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. This is a shelter for Korean survivors of Japan’s sexual enslavement of women during its 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.
Honda is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by Han Duck-soo, the chairman and CEO of the Korea International Trade Association. Prior to his visit to Seoul, Honda said he looked forward to meeting business leaders here to discuss business opportunities between the two countries.
In particular, he is anticipated to introduce business opportunities for Korean companies in California’s Bay Area, including San Jose where many IT venture firms are located.