[Opinion] Former U.S. Congressman Henry Hyde Dies at 83

As a World War II veteran, lawyer, and former Republican representative of 32 years from Illinois, Henry Hyde might sound like a rock solid conservative, but Henry John Hyde, the former chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, was a politician who valued life and the value of human rights more than anything else.

Hyde was a strong opponent of abortion and even supported a bill banning the sale of semi automatic rifles against the Republican Party platform. In September of 2006, Hyde also played a decisive role in the passage of the Resolution on WWII Sex Slaves.

Hyde, like John F. Kennedy, was born to an Irish Catholic family that supported the Democrats. At 28, he moved to the Republican Party and entered politics as a special advisor to the media for candidate Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential election.

30 years later, Hyde faced political crisis later when the Lewinsky scandal broke and an internet-based magazine divulged his extramarital affair to the public while he was leading an effort to impeach then-President Bill Clinton as house speaker.

Hyde was rare in U.S. politics in that he knew Korea well and supported Korea. In September 2005, he sent a letter to President Roh, saying, “if Korea is to remove the statue of General MacArthur, send it to the U.S.,” and offered flowers to the statue of General MacAruthur at Jayu (Freedom) Park in Incheon when he visited Korea last year. Hyde, who participated in the amphibious operation in the Philippines under the command of General MacArthur, noted, “If the Inchon amphibious operation hadn’t succeeded, Korea as it is today wouldn’t have existed.”

During a visit to Korea, concerned about cracks in the Korea-U.S. relationship, Hyde quoted a U.S. proverb, saying, “Make new friends, but keep old ones. One is silver, the other is gold.” He remarked that the biggest impediment to the Korea.-U.S. alliance is Korean anti-U.S. sentiment, and that the U.S. public doesn’t want to support a country which abuses anti-U.S. feeling.

Former representative Hyde, who was regarded as a true gentleman and was respected by both enemies and comrades, passed away on November 29 at the age of 83, Korea lost an old and good friend.

Chung Sung-hee, Editorial Writer, shchung@donga.com