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

Summary:
This resolution calls on the United States and North Korea to begin the process of reuniting Korean Americans with their immediate relatives in North Korea. (Many families were divided after the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, which divided the Korean Peninsula into North and South Korea.)

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 294 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 294

       Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2021

Ms. Bass (for herself, Mrs. Kim of California, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Meng, Mr. 
 Sherman, Mr. Keating, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Taylor, Mr. 
  Fitzpatrick, Ms. Omar, Mr. Kim of New Jersey, Ms. Pressley, and Mr. 
 Suozzi) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families.

Whereas the Korean Peninsula, with the Republic of Korea (in this resolution 
        referred to as ``South Korea'') in the South and the Democratic People's 
        Republic of Korea (in this resolution referred to as ``North Korea'') in 
        the North, remains divided following the signing of the Korean War 
        Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953;
Whereas the division of 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 support for 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 most of the population of divided family members in the United States, 
        initially estimated at 100,000 in 2001, has significantly dwindled as 
        many of the individuals 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 have engaged in talks during 2 
        historic summits in June 2018 in Singapore and February 2019 in Hanoi; 
        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 the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on the United States and North Korea to begin the 
        process of reuniting Korean-American divided family members 
        with their immediate relatives through ways such as--
                    (A) identifying divided families in the United 
                States and North Korea who are willing and able to 
                participate in a pilot program for family reunions;
                    (B) finding matches for members of such families 
                through organizations such as the Red Cross; and
                    (C) working with the Government of South Korea to 
                include American citizens in inter-Korean video 
                reunions;
            (2) reaffirms 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.
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