Stephen J. Solarz, a former US Representative from New York and a Co-Chair of the HRNK Board of Directors, passed away in 2010 after a fight with esophageal cancer. He was 70.

Congressman Solarz left behind a legacy of service, congressional leadership, and personal diplomacy in over 100 countries as a leading voice on foreign policy and human rights in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1980, he flew from Pretoria to Pyongyang to become the first American politician to visit North Korea and meet with Kim Il-sung, an experience which reinforced his conviction that North Korea is “truly the most repressive regime in the world, bar none.” For his extensive diplomacy and foreign travel, Congressman Solarz earned the moniker of “the Marco Polo of Congress.”

Most importantly, Congressman Solarz brought his longstanding record of bipartisan cooperation on foreign policy and human rights issues to HRNK. In the face of significant opposition from many members of his own party in the House of Representatives, Congressman Solarz worked with the respected Republican House Minority Leader Bob Michel to build bipartisan support for the resolution that authorized the Gulf War. His bipartisanship extends to North Korean human rights issues; the 2012 Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korean Human Rights Act bears his name and that of his Republican colleague James R. Lilley, a fellow Board member of HRNK.

Congressman Solarz brought ideas, connections, and credible leadership to HRNK. He urged HRNK to send its recommendations to the Obama administration. Congressman Solarz guided and inspired HRNK beginning in its early years. HRNK is a respected, bipartisan organization today because Congressman Solarz helped to pave the way.