December 29, 2015

The Honorable Ahn Ho-young
Ambassador to the United States
Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States of America
2450 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dear Ambassador Ahn,

On behalf of The Korea Society, we would like to congratulate President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for reaching a landmark agreement resolving the comfort women issue in this 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the Republic of Korea and Japan.

We note that this powerful agreement achieved through the strong leadership of President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, supported by their respective foreign ministers, will help remove one of the most difficult historical issues between Korea and Japan.

The Korea Society believes that the historic agreement holds many future benefits for the United States’ two most important allies in Asia. We note that Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se has stated that the agreement will enable the Republic of Korea and Japan to open a new chapter in their bilateral relations. In doing so, we also see that greater cooperation between the two major democracies in Northeast Asia will help ensure stability and prosperity in the region.

Sincerely yours,

                  

Ambassador Thomas Hubbard                                                   Thomas Byrne
Chairman of the Board of Directors                                            President

cc: Consul General Kim Gheewhan