ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today was named the Republic of Korea’s first honorary veterans affairs minister in recognition of his efforts to support and highlight the heroism and sacrifice of Korean War veterans. The governor was presented with a letter of appointment and a commemorative medal by Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik.
“I want to sincerely thank Minister Park for graciously naming me as Korea’s first honorary Minister of Veterans Affairs,” said Governor Hogan. “The First Lady tells every Korean War veteran that she meets that she would not be where she is today if it were not for the dedication and sacrifice of the brave servicemembers who fought for freedom for South Korea. We will continue to stand with and support all of these heroes, whose bravery stands as a reminder of the immeasurable cost of war and the immense cost of freedom.”
Last year, Governor Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan joined former Korean President Moon Jae-In at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The State of Maryland committed $250,000 to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation to support the ongoing maintenance of the wall.
In 2018, Maryland became the first state in the nation to commemorate a Welcome Home Korean War Veterans Day. More than 15,000 Marylanders served in the Korean War, including 531 who made the ultimate sacrifice. In addition, the first bill Governor Hogan signed into law in 2015 was to establish a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day in Maryland.
Meeting With Korea International Trade Association. Later in the day, Governor Hogan joined Chairman Christopher Koo of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and member CEOs from SeAH Steel Corp., Exicon Co., Ltd., Genesis BBQ, LabGenomics, and Biosmart for a working lunch to discuss current U.S.-Korea trade relations and efforts to increase economic cooperation in biotech and other key sectors.
