Recognizes the significance of North Korea's past willingness to resume reunions of divided family members between North Korea and South Korea.
Acknowledges North Korea's release in November 2014 of incarcerated American citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller.
Encourages North Korea to permit reunions between Korean Americans and their relatives in North Korea.
Calls on the Department of State to further prioritize efforts to reunite Korean Americans with their divided family members.
Acknowledges the efforts of the American Red Cross to open channels of communication between Korean Americans and their family members in North Korea.
Encourages the government of South Korea to include U.S. citizens in future family reunions planned with North Korea.
Praises humanitarian efforts to reunite all individuals of Korean descent with their relatives and engender a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 587 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 587
Encouraging reunions of Korean Americans who were divided by the Korean
War from their relatives in North Korea.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 20, 2014
Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Warner) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Encouraging reunions of Korean Americans who were divided by the Korean
War from their relatives in North Korea.
Whereas the division of the Korean Peninsula into the Republic of Korea
(referred to in this Resolution as ``South Korea'') and the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (referred to in this Resolution as ``North
Korea'') separated more than 10,000,000 Koreans from their family
members;
Whereas since the signing of the Korean War armistice agreement on July 27,
1953, there has been little to no contact between Korean Americans and
their family members who remain in North Korea;
Whereas North and South Korea first agreed to divided family reunions in 1985
and have since held 19 face-to-face reunions and 7 video-link reunions;
Whereas the aforementioned reunions have subsequently given approximately 22,000
Koreans the opportunity to briefly reunite with their loved ones;
Whereas the most recent family reunions between North Korea and South Korea took
place in February 2014 after a suspension of more than 3 years;
Whereas the United States and North Korea do not maintain diplomatic relations,
and certain limitations exist for Korean Americans to participate in
inter-Korean family reunions;
Whereas more than 1,700,000 Americans are of Korean descent;
Whereas the number of first generation Korean and Korean American divided family
members is rapidly diminishing given their advanced age;
Whereas many Korean Americans with family members in North Korea have not seen
or communicated with their relatives in more than 60 years;
Whereas Korean Americans and North Koreans both continue to suffer from the
tragedy of being divided from their loved ones;
Whereas the inclusion of Korean American families in the reunion process would
constitute a positive humanitarian gesture by North Korea and contribute
to the long-term goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula shared by the
Governments of North Korea, of South Korea, and of the United States;
Whereas the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181) requires the President to submit a report to Congress every 180
days on ``efforts, if any, of the United States Government to facilitate
family reunions between United States citizens and their relatives in
North Korea''; and
Whereas in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (Public Law 111-242),
Congress urged ``the Special Representative on North Korea Policy, as
the senior official handling North Korea issues, to prioritize the
issues involving Korean divided families and, if necessary, to appoint a
coordinator for such families'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the significance of North Korea's past
willingness to resume reunions of divided family members
between North Korea and South Korea;
(2) acknowledges North Korea's release in November 2014 of
incarcerated American citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller;
(3) encourages North Korea to permit reunions between
Korean Americans and their relatives still living in North
Korea;
(4) calls on the Department of State to further prioritize
efforts to reunite Korean Americans with their divided family
members;
(5) acknowledges the efforts of the American Red Cross to
open channels of communication between Korean Americans and
their family members who remain in North Korea;
(6) encourages the Government of South Korea to include
United States citizens in future family reunions planned with
North Korea; and
(7) praises humanitarian efforts to reunite all individuals
of Korean descent with their relatives and engender a lasting
peace on the Korean Peninsula.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: S6210-6211)
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