--- title: HR 59. Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Korean American Day at the state capitol; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr59 cite_as: HR 59, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr59 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr59.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr59/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69519 date: 2025-01-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr58.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr60.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr59.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 59 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-27 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Samuel Park - Soo Hong - Michelle Au - Long Tran - Al Williams - Marvin Lim text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR59/2025 upstream_id: 1943367 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Korean American Day - Georgia House resolution - cultural recognition - immigration history --- # HR 59. Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Korean American Day at the state capitol; recognize ## Text House Resolution 59 By: Representatives Park of the 107th, Hong of the 103rd, Au of the 50th, Tran of the 80th, Williams of the 168th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Korean American Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the influence of Korean Americans may be observed in all facets of American life, from politics to industry, entrepreneurship to volunteerism, the arts, sports, and education; and WHEREAS, on January 13, 1903, the arrival of 102 pioneer immigrants to the United States initiated the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States; and WHEREAS, these pioneer Korean immigrants faced tremendous social and economic obstacles as well as languages barriers in America—the land of opportunity; and WHEREAS, the first generation of Korean immigrants established a new home in a new land through resilience, tenacious effort, and immense sacrifice, which became the bedrock for their children and future generations of Korean Americans; and WHEREAS, members of the early Korean American community served with distinction in the United States Armed Forces during World War I, World War II, and the conflict in Korea; and WHEREAS, in the early 1950s, thousands of Koreans fleeing from war, poverty, and desolation came to the United States seeking opportunities; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans, like immigrants to the United States before and after them, have taken root and thrived because of strong family ties, robust community support, and countless hours of hard work; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans have made significant contributions to the economic vitality of the United States and the global marketplace; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans' contributions are widespread in business, not-for-profit, and other nongovernmental organizations, government, technology, medical, athletic, art, entertainment, fashion, journalism, religious, and academic sectors as well as in countless other facets of American life; and WHEREAS, the contributions of Korean Americans to the United States include the invention of the first beating heart operation for coronary artery heart disease, development of the nectarine, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, and achievements in engineering, architecture, medicine, acting, singing, sculpting, and writing; and WHEREAS, the population of Korean Americans in Georgia has increased 95 percent in the last decade, making them an important and integral part of communities across this state; and WHEREAS, more than 100,000 Korean Americans call Georgia home, and Korean is the third most spoken language in the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, more than 130 Korean companies are active in Georgia and approximately $14.5 billion of foreign direct investments have strengthened the economic ties and partnership between the Republic of Korea and the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, for their outstanding contributions and decades of community service, civic engagement, and cross-cultural-education, we honor and thank Mr. Jay Eun, past president of the Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta; Mr. Na Sang Ho, past president of the Korean American Senior Association; Dr. Sam Sook Chung, the past president of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation Southern Regional Chapter; and Dr. Yong Kun Kim, founding member of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation Southern Regional Chapter, for their steadfast support and decades of contributions to the Korean American community and future generations in Georgia and the southeast; and WHEREAS, the 2025 Korean American Day marks the 20th anniversary of the first Korean American Day as recognized by the Congress of the United States of America. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Korean American Day at the state capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution recognizes and celebrates the 20th anniversary of Korean American Day at the state capitol, honoring the history and contributions of Korean Americans in Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the 20th anniversary of Korean American Day, which is recognized nationally by the United States Congress. The resolution recounts the history of Korean immigration to the United States starting in 1903, the hardships and contributions of early Korean American communities, and the growth of the Korean American population in Georgia, which it says has grown 95 percent in the last decade to more than 100,000 residents. The resolution also names four individuals for their community service: Jay Eun, Na Sang Ho, Sam Sook Chung, and Yong Kun Kim. It formally resolves that House members recognize and celebrate the anniversary, and it directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and celebrates the 20th anniversary of Korean American Day at the Georgia state capitol. - Recounts the history of Korean immigration to the United States and Korean American contributions to business, science, and the arts. - Names and thanks four individuals for decades of service to Georgia's Korean American community. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial statement of recognition. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects Korean American individuals and organizations in Georgia, including the Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta, the Korean American Senior Association, and the Korean American Scholarship Foundation Southern Regional Chapter, whose leaders are named and thanked. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial effect, it publicly acknowledges the history, growth, and economic contributions of Georgia's Korean American community, which the text says has grown 95 percent in a decade and includes more than 100,000 residents and over 130 Korean companies. ### Key provisions - Whereas clauses describe the history of Korean immigration to the United States beginning January 13, 1903. - Whereas clauses cite Georgia-specific statistics, including a 95 percent population increase and more than 130 active Korean companies in the state. - Names Jay Eun, Na Sang Ho, Sam Sook Chung, and Yong Kun Kim for their community contributions. - The resolving clause states the House recognizes and celebrates the 20th anniversary of Korean American Day. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-27) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-27) - Sponsors: Samuel Park, Soo Hong, Michelle Au, Long Tran, Al Williams, Marvin Lim - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69519 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr59.md?full=1