Title: Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Calls on the United States and North Korea to reunite Korean-American divided family members with their immediate relatives as a humanitarian priority of immediate concern.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 930 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 930

       Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2018

   Ms. Bass (for herself, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Marino, Mr. Cooper, Ms. 
  Schakowsky, Mr. Woodall, Mr. MacArthur, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Judy Chu of 
California, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Takano, and Ms. Jackson Lee) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families.

Whereas the Republic of Korea (in this resolution referred to as ``South 
        Korea'') and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (in this 
        resolution referred to as ``North Korea'') remain divided since the 
        armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953;
Whereas the division on the Korean Peninsula separated more than 10,000,000 
        Korean family members, including some who are now citizens of the United 
        States;
Whereas there have been 21 rounds of family reunions between South Koreans and 
        North Koreans along the border since 2000;
Whereas Congress signaled its interest in family reunions between United States 
        citizens and their relatives in North Korea in section 1265 of the 
        National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
        181), signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008;
Whereas the number of more than 100,000 estimated divided family members in the 
        United States last identified in 2001 has been significantly dwindling 
        as many of them have passed away;
Whereas the summit between North Korea and South Korea on April 27, 2018, has 
        prioritized family reunions;
Whereas the United States and North Korea has planned an historic summit in 
        2018; and
Whereas many Korean-Americans are waiting for a chance to meet their relatives 
        in North Korea for the first time in more than 60 years: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on the United States and North Korea to reunite 
        Korean-American divided family members with their immediate 
        relatives within 60 days of the adoption of this resolution;
            (2) reconfirms the institution of family as inalienable 
        and, accordingly, urges the restoration of contact between 
        divided families physically, literarily, or virtually; and
            (3) calls on the United States and North Korea to pursue 
        reunions as a humanitarian priority of immediate concern, 
        delinked as much as possible from conflict, before attempts at 
        or achievement of normalized relations are made.
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